A Circle by Bicycle in the Heritage of Southern Nyírség

We can roam among the prominent historic monuments and heritage sites of the region Nyírség as part of an exciting bicycle tour.

One can explore the most exciting cultural heritage of Nyírség on the Southern Nyírség cycling heritage circle. You can get acquainted with such heritage sites and monuments, which are important historic and sacred memorial sites of Hungary, as well as art historic monuments of decisive importance. Among other things, we will visit one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Carpathian Basin, the Greek Catholic Cathedral of Máriapócs, and the internationally recognized Calvinist Church in Nyírbátor. During the tour, one may also learn about the legendary past of the Báthori and Kállay families, prominent through centuries of Hungarian history. Those who are fond of old history, architectural monuments, those who are interested in art history, should not miss this tour.

Nagykálló – County Hall

Nagykálló was the seat of Szabolcs county from 1747 to 1876. The County Hall in the heart of Nagykálló, built in Baroque style in 1769-1780, reminds us of those times. When Nyíregyháza became the centre of the county, the building functioned as the Royal Bedlam of Nagykálló.

Kállósemjén – Kállay Mansion

In the centre of Kállósemjén stands the Kállay mansion, built in the 18th century, showing the historical role of the Kállay family. Miklós Kállay, a former prime minister of Hungary (1942-44), grew up within its walls, and his ashes were buried in the chapel in the park, according to his wishes. During World War II, it served as barracks for Soviet soldiers, and then, for a long time, a students’ dormitory operated within its walls. The mansion later underwent a complete renovation, and the building and its exhibitions were opened to the public in 2016. It is well known that the former prime minister was a lover of car racing, and in memory of this, a Ford Model A from the 1920s is parked in the garage of the castle.

Pócspetri – A Place of Historic Remembrance

The name of Pócspetri is familiar to elderly generations of Hungarians from history books as the “sinful village”. In 1948, the then still young communist Hungarian government submitted a bill on the nationalization of schools, against which the Catholic Church protested. The residents of Pócspetri also started protesting, and an assigned policeman died, most likely in an accident. The state created a show trial from the incident, and just eight days after the incident, parish priest János Asztalos and assistant village clerk Miklós Királyfalvi were sentenced to death, several other people from the village were sentenced to life imprisonment and long prison terms. In 1990, the judgment was overturned. In 2019, the location of the events in Pócspetri was declared a historic monument, commemorated by an obelisk in front of the mayor’s office.

Máriapócs – National Place of Worship

Máriapócs is one the most important places of pilgrimage in the Carpathian Basin. Based on estimates, more than half a million people visit here every year. In the 17th century, Greek-Catholic Ruthenian families settled in Pócs, constructed a wooden church. After his release from Turkish slavery, László Csibi placed his votive image of the Mother of God in this church. Holy Mary in the icon shed tears for nearly a month in 1696. In 1707, a new icon of Mary was made, which shed tears again for three days in 1715. The new miracle attracted crowds of pilgrims to Máriapócs. It was then that the need arose to build a representative cathedral and basilica monastery. These were built between 1731-1749 in Baroque style. Pope Pius XIII elevated the Máriapócs church to the rank of a “basilica minor” in 1948, and in 1991 Pope John Paul II also visited Máriapócs.

Nyírbátor – A Promenade Through the History of the Town

In Nyírbátor, the town’s historic promenade connects the major historic monuments and attractions of the place. Walking along groups of human-sized statues, we can learn about the history of the Bátor and Báthori families. A Gothic Minorite church was built here at the end of the 15th century, which boasts valuable Baroque furnishings. The Passion, or the Krucsay Altar as it is also known, was created with the highest artistic quality in 1731. It is a rare relic of Franciscan-inspired Passion mysticism in Hungary.

A monastery was also built next to it, in whose former monk cells the Bátori István Museum has been operating since 1961. Here one may see the so-called truncated stall, which is considered to be one of the first works of Renaissance furniture outside Italy. Among the institution’s most significant artefacts is the red marble dragon coat of arms of the Báthori family, dated to the 16th and 17th centuries, gold and silver coins minted by the Báthori princes during the 19th century, as well as the medieval weapons collection.

At the other end of the town’s historic promenade, we find the Calvinist church, dedicated to St. George. The most beautiful detail of the building is the rib vault built in the late Gothic style. The Reformed Church in Nyírbátor boasts one of the tallest wooden bell towers in the Carpathian Basin, which was built in the 1640s.

Next to the Calvinist church is the Báthori Castle, which was built by the Báthori family sometime in the first half of the 15th century. The castle had its heyday in the 16th century, but by the 18th century it had already fallen into disrepair. The National Monuments Protection Office declared the wing of the former dining palace a monument in 1985, which was rebuilt in 2006. Exhibition halls were arranged on the ground floor, the former banquet hall and living quarters were restored. Since the renovation, the building has housed exhibitions and a waxworks museum.

Nyírmihálydi – Calvinist Church

The Calvinist church in the centre of Nyírmihálydi was built in the Romanesque style in the 13th century. The small church is an exciting monument of the Nyírség area, especially the medieval fresco depicting the infernal scene inside the church. The mural was made in the 15th century. It is rare that a depiction of a hellish scene comes so close to the shrine, on the other hand, the demonic creature resembling a mixture of a pig and an elephant, surrounded by black devils, is interesting.