Lillafüred

History

Count András Bethlen, the minister of agriculture, decided in the 1890s to build a holiday resort near Lake Hámori. The resort was named after his niece, Erzsébet (nicknamed: "Lilla") Vay, who was the sister of the then-ispán, or count, of Borsod County, Elemér Vay. The Palace Hotel was built by István Bethlen.

Palace Hotel (Palotaszálló)

The famous hotel was designed by Kálmán Lux and was built between 1927 and 1930 in neo-Renaissance style. One of the restaurants of the hotel is a Renaissance restaurant named after King Matthias. Its stained glass windows show the castles of historical Hungary. The hotel is surrounded by a large park with rare plants.

Hanging Gardens

The hanging gardens are below the hotel, between the streams Szinva and Garadna. The highest waterfall - with its 20 meters height - in Hungary can be found here. The waterfall itself is artificial, normal it would run under the cliff built by the water. The internal water tubes formed the Anna Cave at the bottom.

Caves

There are three natural caves not far from the hotel:

Lake Hámori

The artificial lake was formed in the early 19th century by the damming of the water of Szinva and Garadna, to supply the iron furnace with water. The lake is 1.5 kilometres long. In the summer, boats and paddle boats can be rented.

Ottó Herman's House

A small museum dedicated to the well-known ornithologist and polyhistor. (Not to be confused with Ottó Herman Museum, which is in the downtown.)

Miller's Rock

There are two different local legends explaining why is there a crucifix on the top of the rock. According to the more well-known one the daughter of the rich miller and her beloved, the miller's poor apprentice jumped down from the rock because her parents didn't allow them to marry. The other legend says an old miller jumped down the rock when he learned that his young wife is cheating on him. This second version is lesser known, but it was mentioned by the famous author Mór Jókai in one of his books.

Fehérkőlápa

The area south from Lillafüred Valley got its name ("marsh of the white stone") after a rock, which provides a nice view on the area, and a nearby marsh. The place is within the Bükk National Park. There is a guest house there, too, which is shown in Vilmos Kondor's novel Budapest Noir.

Trout farm

The trout farm is a few kilometres away from Lillafüred, which is one of the most famous in all of Hungary. Visitors can buy freshly grilled or smoked trout here. The farm is closed on Monday to visitors. The narrow-gauge train that departs from Miskolc makes a stop at the farm on the days it is open. The stop is after the main Lillafüred stop.

Hámor Rock

A popular rock for climbers. Climbing competitions are held in every January.

Other data

How to get there