Holloko

Holloko is a beautifully preserved living village of the Paloc people in the wooded hills of northern Hungary, a UNESCO site of whitewashed houses with wooden galleries and carved gables clustered around an old church, watched over by a medieval castle on the hill. It is a rare surviving picture of traditional rural Hungarian life before the modern age.

What you actually see

• The old village - the whitewashed Paloc houses with wooden galleries and carved gables.
• The castle - the medieval hilltop castle above the village.
• The village church - the simple wooden-towered church at the heart.
• The Easter festival - the famous folk celebration with costumes and traditions.

When to go

The warm months for the village and castle; the Easter festival, with folk costumes and water-throwing customs, is the most vivid time. It is a quiet, gentle place.

Honest expectations

It is a small living village, so it is a gentle half-day rather than a big attraction, and it is quiet outside festival days. Some houses are museums, others lived-in homes. It is a fair drive from Budapest, off the main routes.

Nearby

The northern hills and the Matra mountains are around; Budapest is ninety minutes south.