Hollókő

Today we took a day trip to Hollókő, a village about an hour from Budapest on the bus that still preserves the traditional ways of rural life. We got up early to catch the bus since there are only two busses that go out to Hollókő. It was cold this morning, and I wasn’t too sure about the actual time the bus came because of the poor websites for bus times. So we got there a little early and had to wait a bit. The only seats available were in the back, which is not great because we have learned that Ronin gets sick in the bus. Not the plane, train, or car, but he can’t handle long distances on the bus. We brought a bag and didn’t let him eat anything before we left, and it’s a good thing because he threw up on the way there.

Once we got to Hollókő we saw the town all dressed up in autumn décor. Today was the fall wine festival, so there were extra decorations along with booths set up with local handicrafts and arts demonstrations.

One of the locals had a ton of grapes and was crushing the juice out to prepare for making wine. He gave us a stem of grapes to try and they were really good! Very small and sweet, but they had seeds so the only kid who would eat them was Zoey. The others don’t like the seeds. But all three got a chance to turn the crank that smushed the grapes. You can see most of the locals were dressed up in traditional Hungarian outfits.

The town itself was super cute. The buildings were all built in the 18th and 19th century with most of the houses being half-timbered on a stone base and white-washed walls. The conservation of the village was not mandated or sponsored by the state or another organization, but totally voluntary and initiated by the villagers. No wonder it is UNESCO world heritage site.

The kids love posing, and they will often say, “Mommy, take a picture!” Here is Zoey with some grape vines that were overhanging an entrance to one of the houses, Willow with different carvings, and Willow with a villager all dressed up.

This is the tiny church in the middle of town. It is rather plain, but it is sort of refreshing to go into a regular-looking church, especially one this cute.

Usually when we go on day trips we don’t buy a bunch of stuff, but today was a little different. We bought a wooden tomahawk for Ronin (it was actually for JonPaul but Ronin took it over) and some ceramic mushrooms for the garden. Willow has been asking for a horsie on a stick for a several months now so she can ride it around. This one was less than $10 and handmade, and the horse can be taken off of the stick so we should be able to pack it. I don’t know how we are going to get all this stuff back home! Zoey bought a ceramic water bird whistle and then spent the rest of the day making bird noises. I didn’t get a picture of it though.

We stopped at the wine shop which was half underground. You had to duck to get under the doorways. They had wine tastings, which were free except for a donation so JonPaul and I both had a try and left a 1000 forints (equal to about $3.33). The wine was pretty good.

As we were exploring the town, villagers began to line up to get ready for the parade for the fall festival. There were first a bunch of people on horseback, all wearing traditional dress. Then there were some carts with riders, and even some little tiny miniature horses with kids driving the cart! Notice that most of the adults, particularly those walking, were carrying plastic cups. In the carts they had cups and a bunch of 2 liter bottles filled with wine, which they passed out to everyone watching. Then the guys coming behind them would top off your cup as they passed by. Everyone was drinking, even the shopowners! I must admit I got a little sloshed since I hadn’t eaten anything that day.

Before and after the parade we spent a bunch of time at the toy store. You had to pay a nominal fee (about $5) and then you could play with all the toys. Inside they had wooden puzzles and mind games, and the owner spent a lot of time with the kids showing them the different activities and challenging them to complete the puzzles. He was really great and made our time in Hollókő that much more engaging and fun. Outside were old fashioned activities. Willow got to ride in a big spinning swing, Zoey tried the stilts, and all three kids used the group ski shoes together. There was also a walnut smashing station, ring toss, a grindstone, and a pully thing with a barrel, among other things. The kids really had a great time here.

In Hollókő there is also an old castle that we wanted to visit. However, it was closed for renovations so we just walked up to the barriers. Zoey came with me to see the castle, while the other two found a playground. We always love a good playground!

There is a really cool statue called the Hand watchtower that we were going to hike to. A group of students was also taking this hike, so we followed behind them. Willow rode her horsie most of the way! Unfortunately, there is only one bus that goes back to Budapest, and we didn’t make it to the sculpture before we had to turn around to catch the bus. Even so, we barely made it to the bus, especially after stopping for the bathroom. Everyone fell asleep on the way back, which was great because Ronin didn’t throw up this time. Overall, I would definitely recommend a trip to Hollókő, particularly if going during the fall festival!