Miskolc,
Hungary’s second-largest city, is situated near the Slovak
border. Primarily industrial, the city nevertheless has several
points of interest, including medieval architecture and the warren
of manmade caves in the Avas Hills near the city
centre.
Close by are the beautiful forested UK National Park,
part of the Northern Hill Range, which is also an area of karst
topography including the country’s deepest caves at Lillafüred,
many traces of Neanderthal man have been found here.
North of UK, the Aggtelek National Park
is part of the Gömör Torna Karst
area of cave systems which extends into the Slovak Republic. Caving,
fishing and riding are very popular, and there are many cultural
monuments, masterpieces of folk architecture, ruins recalling the
atmosphere of the Middle Ages, old churches, graveyards and locally
surviving farming techniques. Eger, one of the
country’s oldest and most colourful cities, has nearly 200
historical monuments including its 14-sided Minaret. To the west
of the town are the vineyards of the Szépasszony
Valley where visitors can sample the famous Bikavér
(Bull’s Blood) wine. Due east is Tokaj, the
equivalent of Champagne as a wine-producing area. Halfway between
Tokaj and the Slovak border is
the spectacular Sárospatak Castle, one of
Hungary’s greatest historical monuments. |
