Attractions in Szilvásvárad

Szilvásvárad lies in Northern Hungary, on the western slopes of the Bükk Mountains, at an altitude of 345 meters above sea level, just 30 km from Eger. It can be reached both by road and rail. The village has a population of around 2,000.

Every year, numerous colorful events await visitors.

The earliest charters refer to the settlement as Warad. During the reign of King Charles Robert, it was a royal estate, later donated by King Albert to the Pálóczi family. From then on, the settlement was known as Zylwaswarad. After the Ottoman rule, the village passed into the hands of the Keglevich, Erdődy, and later the Pallavicini families, until nationalization.

Highlights among Szilvásvárad’s historic monuments include:

• The snow-white round Reformed Church, built around 1825 in neoclassical style, based on the plans of Ferenc Pavolni.
• The Orbán House, a fine example of folk architecture and a traditional village homestead. Today it houses a museum showcasing the flora and fauna of the Bükk, as well as the mountain’s 300-million-year history.
• The stallion stables, where visitors can admire breeding stallions and learn about the history of Lipizzaner horses in a small museum.
• The Szalajka Valley, a popular excursion area, accessible on foot via hiking trails, by mountain bike, on horseback, or with the narrow-gauge forest railway. The railway was built in 1908 by local landowner Károly Vessely to access his forest estates.
  • Crossing the Gloriett Clearing, the sound of rushing water leads to the Fátyol Waterfall. This natural spectacle was formed by the deposition of limestone from streams fed by karst springs. Regardless of the water volume, the sight is always captivating.
  • Walking down the valley, visitors reach the Open-Air Forest Museum, which presents the lives of forest workers, logging, charcoal and lime burning, and the basics of iron and glass production.
  • Along the trail, trout ponds and a trout farm breed brown and rainbow trout.
  • Past the fishponds lies the Forest Museum, which introduces the work of foresters, woodcutters, and silviculturists, the wildlife of the forest, and the history of the narrow-gauge railway.

Szilvásvárad’s favorable location—close to the capital, several major cities, and the Slovak border—adds to its appeal. By car or bus, it is most easily reached from Budapest via the M3 motorway and Route 25 from Kerecsend, or by train on the Budapest – Füzesabony – Eger – Putnok line.