In Szihalom, various traces lead through the town’s history: from an archaeological site to rural domestic culture, religious art and memories of the 1848 Revolution. Visitors seeking a cultural focus for their trip will find a wide range of topics here, each of which can be explored individually.
Archaeology and Everyday History
Árpádvár/Földvár lies on the southwestern side of Szihalom. In Hungarian archaeology, the site is generally attributed to prehistory and, in part, to the period of the Hungarian Conquest. This offers a different historical perspective from the Tájház, whose building and furnishings show rural domestic culture from later centuries.
The Tájház at 90 Hunyadi út opened on 25 May 2002 after a year of preparatory work. The mud-brick house itself dates from the late 19th century. Its traditional three-part layout comprises a room, kitchen and pantry, along with a timber-beam structure and a domed oven. The furnishings present domestic culture, furniture and clothing, as well as kitchen and farming implements from the early 20th century and the 1920s and 1930s. The house thus brings together the building style of the 19th century and objects from the following century.
Kálvária, the Church and Dance Traditions
The Kálvária is on the northwestern edge of the town, beside Route 3 between Füzesabony and Mezőkövesd. The site is on a gently sloping, wooded hillside. On 15 March 2011, a memorial honoring the founders and heroes of the 1848 Revolution was erected there. The location, wooded hillside and dedication are the different aspects of this place.
The main altarpiece in the Roman Catholic church depicts the Ascension of Christ. Ferenc Szoldatics painted it in 1871. Another way to experience local culture is through the traditional Szihalmi lakodalmas in the repertoire of the heritage dance group: there is a longer, full-day version and a shorter version suitable for stage performance. The two versions show different ways of presenting the same tradition.
Exhibitions and Historical Programs
The Magyar-Tár-Ház was created by renovating a former Baroque granary. A report from 2017 describes a folk-art and craft exhibition there, spread across three levels. Its four sections focused on the Great Hungarian Plain, Transdanubia, Upper Hungary and Transylvania, presenting the cultural and folk traditions of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin. The visitor program at the time offered visitors an interactive opportunity to learn about and try historical carpentry tools, as well as equipment once used for the grape harvest and winemaking. Demonstrations of traditional crafts, craft markets in the courtyard and tastings of traditional foods were also among the activities described.
After the Tájház opened in 2002, several successful heritage programs were also held for tourist groups and residents. These included a harvest procession, revived after more than 50 years, and a ball. At the time, the intention was to establish both once again as traditions. These events are part of the history of local cultural programs; they do not describe a current schedule of events.
Further Highlights in the Wider Heves Destination
The wider Heves destination offers further nature and culture themes. The Hevesi Füves Puszták Landscape Protection Area lies in the southern part of Heves County and covers 16,114 hectares. It was designated in 1993 and reached its present extent following expansions in 2005 and 2008. The 6.5-kilometer Ilona-völgyi nature trail along the Ilona Stream passes geological features of the Eastern Mátra Mountains and traces of former ore mining.
The Szépasszony Valley in Eger is also among the cultural attractions of the wider Heves destination. It contains Eger’s largest continuous area of wine cellars; wine culture and the gastronomy associated with it are among the area’s most important tourist attractions. Another cultural heritage of Heves County is the Hevesi szőttes, a textile tradition associated with Heves, Mátraderecske and Bodony. These regional themes broaden the perspective beyond Szihalom’s local history.
Discover more destinations: Újlőrincfalva, Poroszló, Sarud, Dormánd.
Back to the wider travel guide: Füzesabony.
