Day trip to Diósgyőr

Part one of our day trip was a stop at Diósgyőr (DI-osh-dyer), a fort built over a thousand years ago, and showing some signs of wear.

But mostly excited to visit old castles, we began our tour by crossing the ancient moat.

We bumped into a tour group and so were able to visit the guided portion which was underground in a cellar/dungeon with rooms decorated in such dioramas as this

and this one depicting a popular legend in the area around a thousand years ago, about a knight who killed over 200 innocent people and was told by the Pope to atone for his sins by visiting St. Patrick Cave in Ireland, which was believed to be the gate to Hell.  He did, and as the story goes was lucky to return full of toxic gases, which gave him extraordinary visions and was henceforth regarded almost as a saint himself.  Here then, is George Magyar's Descent into Hell.  Yikes.

And so we acknowledged our misdeeds by climbing one of the towers, up and up

discovering an old furnace along the way

and were richly rewarded with the spectacular view from the top

and later discovered some ceramics from the period

and another dungeon furnished with displays of knights of the castle back in the day

and were greeted on our way out by a dizzying demonstration of the lines of kings, of which I will only share a portion, in consideration of your well-being

and a final farewell, with a warning

and so we hastily sped on to Lillafüred, vowing to come back with more troops and take the castle for our own.