Sirok Castle

Sirok stands on a cone of rhyolite tuff between the Matra and the Bukk, and because the rock is soft enough to cut, much of the castle is not built but carved: rooms, stairways, a well shaft and passages hollowed directly into the hill, with masonry walls added above. It was raised in the thirteenth century, held by the Ottomans for over a century, and blown up afterwards, leaving a ruin that was consolidated and reopened with walkways in the 2010s. The summit platform gives a wide view, and on a clear day the Matra ridge, the Bukk and the hills of Slovakia are all visible from the same point, which is the reason most people make the climb.

What you actually see

• Rooms cut into the tuff - chambers carved rather than built.
• The rock-cut well shaft - the water supply sunk through the hill.
• A three-range view - the Matra, the Bukk and Slovakia from one platform.
• Consolidated walkways - the route added over the ruin.

When to go

April to October, in dry conditions. Two hours including the climb, which takes about twenty minutes on a steep path. Clear days matter for the view.

Honest expectations

The climb is steep and the last part is on rock steps. The ruin is small. Facilities in the village are minimal. Modern walkways and railings are obtrusive in photographs.

Nearby

Eger is south-west; the Bukk hills rise to the north-east.