The Castle of Eger is known for the Siege of Eger led by a hero named István Dobó. This seige happened in 1552. This is when the defenders of Hungary defeated the forces of the Ottoman Empire.
THE CASTLE OF EGER: STRONGHOLD OF HEROES
Today, the castle is home to many historic exhibits. You can discover the workings of the outer and inner castle systems at the Casemate exhibition. Then you can walk through the Heroes’ Hall to learn more about István Dobó and his men.
One beautiful autumn day in Hungary, we walked up the hill to the castle. Armed men with medieval armour and weapons were waiting for us at the castle gates. Fortunately they were smiling, so we were even brave enough to ask them to pose for photos.
WELCOME TO A CASTLE IN HUNGARY
Then the leader of the armed men said: “Welcome to our castle.”
At the top of the castle, we found an entire medieval village waiting to be experienced. There was a tent and a big bonfire with chicken, pork and vegetables roasting on the spit. Meanwhile, a woman sat at a long wooden table and prepared the meal with a hunting knife.
Several soldiers stood nearby with their weapons. They wanted to show us how to joust in the style of the medieval warriors. We tried on their armour and held their swords and guns.
Everything was very heavy. So it was hard to imagine how the brave men and women of the town, led by István Dobó, defended their town with such heavy battle gear. So each weapon and battle gear is a testament to the courage and resilience of the people of Eger. This was certainly an important and real-life lesson in history.
A MEDIEVAL BANQUET IN A CASTLE
After our battle with the brave soldiers, we decided to taste some of the food from their outdoor medieval banquet. We all stood in the open air on top of the castle walls, with a beautiful view of the city.
Everything was surprisingly good. My favourite dish was the chicken rubbed with spices. It was roasted perfectly.
WALKING THROUGH AN ANCIENT TUNNEL
But the best surprise came at the last. The soldiers handed us torches and led us deep into a long tunnel. This was the original tunnel that the people, led by István Dobó, used in the defence of Eger. It was over 500 years old. This was literally a walk in history, living a Travelife.
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