The Castle That Kept the Holy Crown: A Zemplén Weekend From Budapest

The Castle That Kept the Crown

In 1526, after János Szapolyai was crowned, the keeper of Hungary’s Holy Crown, Péter Perényi, did not take it back to Visegrád. He took it to Füzér, a castle on a volcanic cone in the Zemplén hills of northeast Hungary, and the crown stayed there for almost a year. Füzér is one of the earliest stone castles in the country, first named in a papal document of 1264, and it was rebuilt from 2012, so today you climb into a palace wing and chapel rather than a bare ruin.

The rest of the Zemplén is just as surprising. At Sátoraljaújhely, the Zemplén723 bridge hangs 84 m above a valley and, at 723 m, is the world’s longest two-way pedestrian suspension bridge, next to Hungary’s longest chairlift and the longest pipe-mounted bobsled track in East-Central Europe. Ten minutes down the line, Sárospatak has the castle where the Rákóczi family held court and a college founded in 1531, with one of Hungary’s finest library halls. It suits people who like castles, history and a bit of height, and it is 3 hours 15 minutes from Budapest on a direct train. The catch is that it is a weekend, not a day: the library opens on weekdays only in winter and the Füzér buses only fit on a Sunday.

Photo: Füzéri Várgondnokság, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.

📋 At a Glance

📍 Where	The Zemplén hills, northeast Hungary, by the Slovak border: Sárospatak, Sátoraljaújhely and Füzér (Google Maps)
🚆 Getting there	Direct InterCity from Budapest-Keleti every two hours, 3 hours 15 minutes to Sárospatak
💰 Train fare	4,850 Ft to Sárospatak, 5,080 Ft to Sátoraljaújhely, seat reservation included
🎟️ Core tickets	Füzér Castle 4,500 Ft, Zemplén723 bridge 5,000 Ft, Rákóczi castle 2,500 Ft, college library 1,000 Ft
🛏️ Best as	Two nights, Friday to Sunday, based in Sátoraljaújhely
🚫 Skip if	You only have one day, or heights and steep steps put you off

Füzér Castle and the Holy Crown

The castle sits on the Várhegy, a steep volcanic hill that counts among Hungary’s seven natural wonders. A coin of Archbishop Eberhard II of Salzburg found here dates it to before the Mongol invasion of 1241, and later the Báthory family owned it, and in 1676 imperial troops burned it. The rebuild of 2012 to 2016 gave back the Lower Castle with its drawbridge gate, and in the Upper Castle the palace wing, the Boldogasszony chapel and an exhibition on how the Holy Crown came to Füzér.

From 12 October to 31 March the castle is open every day, 10:00 to 16:00, with the last tickets at 15:15. An adult ticket is 4,500 Ft (about $13.90), and visitors over 70 go free. Free costumed guided tours start at 10:30, 12:30 and 14:30, first come, first served. Snow and extreme cold can change the hours, so check the castle’s page on a winter morning.

The way up is part of the visit. From the village, you walk 400 m past the Tájház to the castle parking lot, then allow about 30 minutes on a rising path and a steep staircase of wood and rock to the Upper Castle. The steps get wet and slippery, so wear shoes with real grip, and in winter add warm layers for the wind at the top.

The Bridge, the Chairlift and the Bobsled

The Zemplén Adventure Park covers the Magas-hegy and Szár-hegy above Sátoraljaújhely, 10 minutes by bus from the railway station. The Zemplén723 bridge, opened on 4 June 2024, crosses from the Szár-hegy to the castle hill 84 m above the Malom stream, with an 8 m glass platform halfway. It moves with the wind and with the people on it, so if you have a fear of heights, enjoy it from the lookout instead. A ticket is 5,000 Ft (about $15.40).

Photo: Takkk, CC BY-SA 3.0, resized.

The Magas-hegy chairlift, 1,332 m, is the longest seated chairlift in Hungary, and the bobsled beside it runs 2,275 m with 16 bends, the longest pipe-mounted track in East-Central Europe; you can ride it alone from age 12. The Dongó cabin lift links the two hills in 10 minutes, and the Sólyom zipline reaches 80 km/h, from age 8. A return on the chairlift is 3,500 Ft, a bobsled ride 3,000 Ft, the zipline 6,500 Ft, and the Panoráma package of the chairlift day ticket and the cabin lift 9,000 Ft (about $27.80). The lookout at the top station is open all year, with free telescopes and the cone of Tokaj Hill on the horizon.

The park lists every day, 9:00 to 17:00, with the ticket desk closing at 16:30, and every element depends on the weather. Its website keeps a daily list of what is running, so check it before you take the bus up. In summer, weekend queues at the ticket desk can be long, which makes online tickets and weekday visits the easier choice.

Sárospatak: the Rákóczi Castle and the College

The Rákóczi castle. Péter Perényi, the same man who carried the crown to Füzér, built the fortress around the Red Tower after the battle of Mohács. A marriage in 1616 brought it to György Rákóczi I, and in 1708 the Diet of Ferenc Rákóczi II’s war of independence met here. Today it is the Rákóczi Museum of the Hungarian National Museum, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, with the last tickets at 17:15. The castle ticket, about two hours with the main exhibition on the Rákóczi era and the temporary shows, is 2,500 Ft (about $7.70). It is closed on Monday and on 1 November, from 24 to 26 December and on 1 January, and open to 14:00 on 31 December.

Photo: Stoffi111, CC BY-SA 3.0, resized.

The college. The Reformed College dates to 1531, and the Czech educator Comenius taught here at the invitation of Zsuzsanna Lorántffy. Its Great Library is a classicist hall designed by Mihály Pollack and built in 1834 to 1836, with tens of thousands of volumes on its galleries. You can only see it on a guided tour in Hungarian, 1,000 Ft (about $3.10), and the college museum is another 1,000 Ft. From 1 November to 31 March tours start Monday to Thursday at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00, and on Friday at 9:00 and 11:00. On winter weekends the collections are closed except for groups of ten or more who book ahead.

Two Smaller Stops

• Hollóháza porcelain: the village beyond Füzér has made porcelain since 1957, on the site of a glassworks the Károlyi family built in 1777. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 to 16:30, adult 4,000 Ft, and you can paint your own piece for 3,000 Ft. Factory tours are not available. Last winter the museum reopened only on 1 March, so ask before a January or February trip.
• Museum of the Hungarian Language, Széphalom: 12 minutes by bus from Sátoraljaújhely station, closed on Monday, and from 2 November open 8:00 to 16:00 with the last tickets at 15:30. Adult 1,200 Ft. It is the indoor plan for a day when the wind shuts the lifts.

Boldogkő Castle, if You Drive

Boldogkő stands on a rock above the Hernád valley, about 2 hours 30 minutes from Budapest by car and 49 minutes from Tokaj. By public transport it is a separate day, so it belongs on a driving trip. Adult entry is 3,300 Ft on weekends and public holidays, when it covers every program in the castle, and 2,500 Ft on weekdays. From November to December it opens 9:00 to 16:00, and from January to March 9:00 to 17:30. Our castles of Hungary guide covers it with the rest of the country’s castles.

Getting There

• By train: a direct InterCity leaves Budapest-Keleti at 25 past every even hour, from 06:25, and reaches Sárospatak in 3 hours 15 minutes and Sátoraljaújhely in 3 hours 25 minutes. Sit in the coach marked for Sátoraljaújhely, a through coach that runs on from Miskolc. The fare is 4,850 Ft to Sárospatak and 5,080 Ft to Sátoraljaújhely (about $15 to $15.70), including the compulsory 650 Ft seat reservation. In the odd hours, the Tokaj InterCity at 25 past needs one change at Szerencs.
• Back: direct trains leave Sátoraljaújhely at 4 past every even hour, Sárospatak 10 minutes later, until 18:04, with one change at Szerencs until 19:04.
• Between the towns: Sárospatak to Sátoraljaújhely is 9 minutes by train, 400 Ft, at least hourly.
• Buses: the buses to the adventure park, Füzér, Hollóháza and Széphalom leave from the bus station next to Sátoraljaújhely railway station. To the park it is 400 Ft, to Füzér 600 Ft. On Saturday the last bus back from the park leaves at 15:43, before the park closes; on Sunday at 16:30.
• By car: about 2 hours 50 minutes to Sárospatak and 3 hours to Füzér.
• Timetables change on 13 December, so check the MÁV planner for trips after that date. There is no direct coach.

For trains and tickets in general, see our guide to traveling Hungary by train.

The Calendar Problem

• Monday: the Rákóczi castle, the Museum of the Hungarian Language and the Hollóháza museum are closed.
• Winter weekends, 1 November to 31 March: the Sárospatak college tours stop; plan them for Monday to Friday.
• Saturday: the Füzér buses leave you 88 minutes in the village, which is too tight with the climb, so take Füzér on a Sunday.
• Sunday: the Hollóháza museum is closed.
• Holidays: the Rákóczi castle is closed on 1 November, 24 to 26 December and 1 January.
• Every day: the adventure park depends on the weather, and snow can change Füzér’s hours.

A Weekend Without a Car

Day	Time	What	Note
Friday	06:25	Train from Budapest-Keleti	Sit in the Sátoraljaújhely coach; arrive Sárospatak 09:40
Friday	11:00	College library and museum tour	1,000 Ft each, the last Friday tour
Friday	13:00	Lunch, then the Rákóczi castle	2,500 Ft, about two hours
Friday	Afternoon	Train to Sátoraljaújhely	400 Ft, 9 minutes, at least hourly; sleep there
Saturday	09:05	Bus to the adventure park	400 Ft, 10 minutes
Saturday	09:30	Chairlift, cabin lift, bridge, bobsled	Panoráma 9,000 Ft, bridge 5,000 Ft, bobsled 3,000 Ft
Saturday	13:24	Bus back to the station	Or stay to the 15:35 and skip Széphalom
Saturday	14:22	Bus to Széphalom, Museum of the Hungarian Language	1,200 Ft, back on the 15:38
Sunday	11:05	Bus to Füzér	600 Ft, arrive 11:56
Sunday	12:30	Füzér Castle	4,500 Ft; join the 12:30 guided tour if you are up in time
Sunday	14:01	Bus back to Sátoraljaújhely	Arrive 14:50
Sunday	16:04	Train to Budapest-Keleti	Arrive 19:47

With a car, the order changes: start Friday at the Sárospatak college and castle, take the adventure park on Saturday morning and Füzér in the afternoon, and stop at Boldogkő on the drive home, with Hollóháza 13 minutes beyond it. With one night only, skip Füzér and do Sárospatak and the park.

Add Tokaj

The best version starts in Tokaj. Our Tokaj wine region guide takes you there on a direct train from Keleti; at the end of the tasting day, a train via Szerencs reaches Sárospatak in 51 minutes for 1,420 Ft, instead of the long ride home. Sleep in Sárospatak, and the weekend runs Tokaj, Sárospatak, the park and Füzér in one line, with a direct train back from Sátoraljaújhely. Coming from the other side, the Zemplén InterCity runs from Miskolc to Sátoraljaújhely in 1 hour 10 minutes, so Miskolc and Lillafüred and the Zemplén make a three-night eastern loop.

The Verdict

A castle that kept the Holy Crown, a bridge that holds a world record and a college that has taught students since 1531: the Zemplén is the far corner of Hungary that most visitors never reach, and it is one direct train away. Give it two nights from a Friday, put the college on the weekday and Füzér on the Sunday, and add Tokaj at the start if you can spare a third.

Sources: Füzér Castle hours, tickets, approach and history, Zemplén Adventure Park prices and contact and hours, Zemplén723, Rákóczi Museum tickets and holiday hours, Sárospatak Reformed College collections, Sárospatak town, Hollóháza porcelain museum, Hollóházi history, Museum of the Hungarian Language, Boldogkő Castle, MÁVINFORM and the MÁV journey planner and ticket shop, all checked 18 October 2026.

Prices are in HUF, which is what you pay at the counter. Converted at 1 USD = 324 HUF, the ECB rate on 15 October 2026. Rates move, so treat the converted figures as indicative.

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