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UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hungary

HollókőEger region

Featuring the Taj Mahal and the Grand Canyon, the UNESCO World Heritage list divides sites into those of outstanding cultural and those of outstanding natural value.

 

 

The UNESCO World Heritage Programme in brief

UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage Programme was established in 1972. The aim of the programme is to register the cultural and natural heritage of humanity – so the countries that are placed on this list must make a commitment to protecting the World Heritage sites in their territory so that later generations can enjoy their unparalleled beauty. Needless to say, being included on the World Heritage List is immensely prestigious – places such as the Grand Canyon National Park, the historic centre of Florence, Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China are all listed.

Most of them sits in the cultural category. Budapest counts as one, with three specific attractions: the Danube panorama, the Castle District and Andrássy Avenue.

 

The first refers to both banks, the bridges linking them and the landmarks along them. Certain attractions are cited by name, including the magnificent Neo-Gothic Parliament and Art Nouveau masterpiece, the Gresham Palace, defining the skyline of Pest, and dramatic hilltop Citadella in Buda.

 

A seat of power since the 1200s, Castle District exudes history, the sprawling former royal palace now housing the Hungarian National Gallery. Nearby, Matthias Church and Fishermen’s Bastion were painstakingly created by architect Frigyes Schulek in the late 1800s, the former from medieval plans. Andrássy Avenue is more broadly defined to bring in the Great Synagogue, with the ornate Opera House and magnificently restored Franz Liszt Academy of Music among the landmarks.

 

In western Hungary, Pannonhalma Abbey, founded in 996, still functions as a centre of church and art history, with an arboretum and herb garden, cloisters, an archabbey museum, a gallery and chapel.

 

In north-east Hungary, designated as a wine region since 1737, Tokaj’s storied viticulture is another heritage site, 3,000 cellars stretched across an area of eight settlements including Mád and Tokaj itself.

 

The nearby Hortobágy National Park shows how man and nature can interact in harmony, animal husbandry adapted to the saline pastures and wetlands. In spring and autumn, this habitat attracts breeding and migrating birdlife. Hortobágy is also symbolised by the Nine-hole Bridge and wildlife park.

 

Closer to Budapest, Hollókő Ófalu refers to the Old Village, the medieval castle ruins above and the surrounding greenery. This complex of folk architecture comprises 55 buildings and a church.

 

The Fertő Lake area features a unique landscape of vineyards and diverse wildlife, geologically and historically uniform either side of the Austrian border that now divides it.

 

Roman Sopianae is today Pécs in southern Hungary, where an Early Christian Necropolis from the fourth century is part of the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre, a popular tourist attraction.

 

The 1,200 caverns of Aggtelek straddling the Slovak border include the 26-kilometre Baradla-Domica cave system and Rákóczi Cave No.1, used in the treatment of respiratory illnesses.

Old Village of Hollókő and its surroundings

Hollókő in Nógrád County in Northern Hungary has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. This small village is sought out by tourists from all over the world, as this is currently the only Hungarian settlement whose residents still use the built environment as they did in the past century.

World Heritage sites in Budapest

Walking in Budapest, we come across impressive buildings and eye-catching spaces. UNESCO has also recognised the city’s beauty: we showcase its World Heritage sites.

Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst caves

The cave system, located 236 kilometres from Budapest and crossing the Hungarian-Slovak border, is a uniquely spectacular region of Northern Hungary that has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995.

Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma

A key national memorial site, the Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its surroundings, located near Hungary's Northern border, also has outstanding significance in terms of global heritage. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

Hortobágy National Park Visitor Centre

Would you like to get away from the noise of the city? Discover Hungary’s most beautiful natural wonders? Then don’t miss the country’s most magnificent micro-region, the Hortobágy, which is also Central Europe’s largest steppe.

The Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs

The early Christian sepulchres were discovered on the southern slopes of the Mecsek mountain range in the north-western part of the town near Pécs Cathedral. The archaeological site of the 4th century sepulchres has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 30 November 2000.

The Tokaj Wine Region

Tokaj is a unique example of unparalleled natural gifts, the cooperation of grapes and man. No wonder, then, that this World Heritage wine region gave birth to the ‘wine of kings’.

 

The Fertő–Hanság National Park

Come to the Fertő–Hanság National Park and have the experience of a lifetime. Bring your hiking boots as well.

WONDERS OF HUNGARY: PANNONHALMA ARCHABBEYWe have launched a mini-series entitled Wonders of Hungary, occasionally presenting our country's beautiful treasures in about a minute to inspire you. Welcome to part 12, in which we show you the stunning Archabbey in Pannonhalma.
Wonders of Hungary: Pannonhalma Archabbey
Wonders of Hungary: Baradla Cave, Aggtelek
Wonders of Hungary - Hortobágy National Park - "The Puszta"
Wonders of Hungary: Hercegkút and its cellars

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