Szécsény: Park, Old Town and Museums

Várkert lies below Forgách Palace and is a place to stroll and relax. The historic town center has cobbled pedestrian streets. Notable buildings include the Bástyamúzeum, housed in a round corner bastion of the former castle, and the garden gate at the former Velics House, named after Archbishop Lajos Haynald. The Kaláris Costume Collection and the Nostalgia Museum add to the cultural experience.

The protected landscape area combines gravel paths with various garden features: there is a small pond and a large pond, drainage ditches and wooden bridges. Visitors can stroll and relax in Várkert. If you enjoy spending time outdoors while traveling, it offers a clear contrast to the cobbled streets of the town center. The garden features can be appreciated as attractions in their own right: ponds and ditches shape the grounds, while the wooden bridges add to their character. Together with its location below Forgách Palace, they make it a green focal point among Szécsény’s attractions.

Cobbled pedestrian streets run through the historic town center. The Bástyamúzeum offers a particularly tangible example of local architecture: it is housed in the round northeastern corner bastion of the former Szécsény Castle, which has a diameter of ten meters. Haynald Gate also tells the story of the city’s buildings. It is the garden gate at the former Velics House and bears the name of Archbishop Lajos Haynald. As you plan your visit, you can therefore explore a combination of streetscapes, a building with precisely specified dimensions and a gate named after a notable figure.

The Kaláris Costume Collection focuses on traditional costumes from various regions of the Carpathian Basin. It features almost 40 life-size dolls dressed in traditional costumes, with accessories displayed in cases as well. This gives a clear sense of the collection’s focus, while its exhibits represent more than one region. The renovated Pintér House is home to the Nostalgia Museum, adding another local cultural attraction. These collections and museums can help you narrow down your travel interests. When planning, check the information relevant to your visit at each venue.

The wider destination of Neuburg offers additional cultural and landscape themes. The old village of Hollókő is a Palóc settlement in Nógrád County in northern Hungary and is considered a deliberately preserved, living example of rural life before the 20th-century agricultural revolution. In Csesztve, a permanent exhibition at the Madách Imre Memorial House focuses on the history of the Madách family and on “Az ember tragédiája.” The Mikszáth Kálmán Memorial Museum in Horpács presents its permanent literary history exhibition under the title “MIKSZÁTH.” The region also offers geological attractions: the Boszorkány-kő educational trail illustrates basalt volcanism, including sediment inclusions, curved lava slabs and basalt columns formed by weathering. These places and themes belong to the wider destination of Neuburg; they are not additional features of Várkert or the museums in Szécsény.

Discover more destinations: Nógrádsipek, Nagylóc and Hollókő.

What special features can you find in Várkert?

Várkert has a small pond and a large pond, drainage ditches and wooden bridges. The protected landscape area has gravel paths.

What does the Kaláris Costume Collection display?

It displays traditional costumes from various regions of the Carpathian Basin on almost 40 life-size dolls. Accessories are also displayed in cases.

Where is the Bástyamúzeum located?

It is located in the round northeastern corner bastion of the former Szécsény Castle. The bastion has a diameter of ten meters.

To the wider travel overview: Szécsényi.