Enjoy a traditional Hungarian Easter atmospher: Hollókő Easter Festival

Hollókő, the venue hosting the event has been a World Heritage Site since 1987. The village, built in the 17th -18th century, was the first in the world to receive the title as a village due to the unique preservation of the traditional settlement form, traditional architecture and village life before the 20th century’s agricultural revolution in its original state.

Hollókő developed in a gentle and harmonious symbiosis with nature and hasn’t turned into an open-air museum village: it is a living, inhabited village until this day with certain buildings used by the local residents according to their traditional use.

Furthermore the World Heritage Site protection also includes the medieval castle appearing above the village and the entire surrounding nature conservation area.

The Hollókő Easter Festival has been attracting Hungarian and international visitors alike to the World Heritage village for over 20 years. The event recalls the Palócz Easter traditions presenting traditional folk groups, folk musicians, folk dancers, folk singers and folk craftsmen. The religious festivities played a distinguished role in the traditional community of Hollókő, which was complemented by the system of traditions and the rich world of legends and beliefs of the local residents.

The Hollókő Easter Festival is the first event organised in the spring, which besides sacral traditions presents, passes on to the future generations and keeps on going the Palócz folk traditions in the only World Heritage site village of Hungary. Taking the popularity of the event extended in time and space and turned into a three-day series of programmes, the event is complemented with elements, which are closely linked to the mystery of Easter, however at the same time offer a novel experience to the visitors. The spraying of women with well water has always been inevitable part of Easter, which tradition has been kept alive until this day by the event.

The Hungarian ice bucket challenge

In 2017 the Hollókő Easter Festival will be a three-day event (15-17th April 2017). By the purchase of the central ticket all museums, exhibition venues of the village and also the castle can be visited (without any extra charges) every day, including also parking. Saturday will be organised in the spirit of gastronomy, as the Easter ham will be prepared also on this day. Our event is also planning to serve as a venue for famous gastronomic events of the Palócz land making our event more colourful and providing an opportunity for them to present their delicacies to a wider audience and to promote their summer events.

On Saturday, after the resurrection mass the internationally well-known violin artist, LAJKÓ FÉLIX concert will entertain the guests. On Easter Sunday and Easter Monday the program are starting with the morning Easter mass and on Sunday with the procession and it continues within the entire area of the Old Village. Here locals dressed in traditional folk costumes with folk dancers will fill up the streets of the village. They will spray passing by visitors with water and will present their Easter traditions. Palóc and local folk dancers and various concerts (Esszencia, Bazseva, Kerekes Band, Ferenczi György&Rackajam, Dűvő) will be presented on the open-air stage making the event even more colourful.