In Hajós, religious and secular history meet the heritage of winemaking. The church was declared a pilgrimage church in 1794; the Baroque castle tells the story of its changing uses over the years. About three kilometres from the town lies Hajósi Pincefalu, with more than 1,200 wine houses and cellars dug by hand into the loess. Depending on your interests, you can focus on religious and architectural history, everyday life in the past, or the wine-making tradition.
Church, Castle and Local History
In 1794, Pope Pius VI declared the church in Hajós a pilgrimage church at the initiative of Archbishop Count László Kolonics. The Baroque castle is also closely connected with the town’s religious history: in 1739–1740, Archbishop of Kalocsa Count Gábor Patachich had the castle and its outbuildings built. The 18th-century building formerly served as an archbishop’s hunting lodge, then as an orphanage and later as a children’s home. Today, it is a museum venue with permanent and temporary exhibitions. Guided tours are available on request; arrange the details before your visit.
The rectory offers another architectural detail. Built in the 18th century in the Zopf style, it bears an archbishop’s coat of arms. Together with the pilgrimage church and the castle, it illustrates different facets of Hajós’s architectural history, without focusing on just one period.
Insights into the Life of the Swabian Community
The German Nationality Tájház offers a different focus from the religious and archbishop’s buildings. Folk-art objects, clothing, vessels, furnishings and tools illustrate the life of the Swabian community in the early 20th century. The collection is preserved. Its selection of objects offers a tangible glimpse into everyday history: alongside clothing and vessels, it includes tools and household furnishings.
Wine Houses and a Cycle Path at Pincefalu
Hajósi Pincefalu lies about three kilometres from the town. More than 1,200 wine houses and cellars were dug by hand into the loess soil; this is where wines from Hajós mature. The oldest surviving wine house was built in 1840 and belongs to the town. The buildings bring the wine-making tradition to life through their design and use: wine houses and cellars are equally part of the settlement.
A walk exploring local history is offered to groups of at least four people by prior arrangement. Check in advance whether a time can be arranged for your group. A cycle path also runs from Hajós to a protected landscape area below Pincefalu. This area belongs to Kiskunság National Park. The cycle path and the local-history walk are different ways to explore the surrounding area and its history.
More Things to Explore in Bács-Kiskun
Beyond Hajós, the wider destination of Bács-Kiskun offers other distinct experiences. In Tiszaalpár, the Tiszaalpár, Földvár educational trail presents the history of a Bronze Age fortified settlement and the way of life of the people of that period. The specially protected archaeological site of Tiszaalpári Földvár was designated under Regulation 3/2003. (I. 25.) NKÖM. A reconstruction of an Árpád-era village, built to mark the millennium, depicts the settlement layout discovered during local excavations.
In Kiskunhalas, the Csipkeház and Csipkemúzeum are dedicated to the history of Halas lace, which began in 1902. Visitors can view lacework dating back centuries and see the lace-making process. In Bugac, the Boróka educational trail is 1,100 metres long; its information boards are complemented by interactive stations such as a forest xylophone and a play telescope. At Lake Szelid, an educational trail about blue-green algae features twelve information stations explaining the lake’s development, the properties of its water, the organisms that live there and the wildlife in the surrounding area. It is accessible on foot and by bicycle year-round; as local conditions may change, check access before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Homokmégy, Bátya, Kalocsa, Harta, Foktő, Solt, Dunapataj
Return to the main travel overview: Kalocsai.
