Füzér, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary

Füzér is a small village located in the Zemplén Mountains in north east Hungary. The main attraction is Füzéri vár, a castle standing on a solitary volcanic cone at the edge of the village. It was built at the beginning of the 13th century as a defence against the Turks, expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries but ruined at the end of the 18th century. The entire castle hill is a protected historic site and since 1977 it has been reconstructed and renewed.

The Zemplén Mountains lie to the north of the towns of Szerencs and Tokaj in north east Hungary. They are an upland area of volcanic origin forming part of the Carpathian Mountains. The highest peak is Nagy-Milic at 2933 feet which is situated near the northernmost point of Hungary on the border with Slovakia. The Zemplén Mountains are surrounded by the flood plains of the Bodrog and Hernád rivers and are primarily covered in oak, beech, birch, ash and alder forest with conifer forest at higher levels. Orchards, vineyards and pastures occur in the valleys and on lower slopes.

The 110 square miles comprising the majority of the Zemplén Mountains became the Zemplén Protected Landscape Area in 1984.

The steep peaks of the Zemplén Mountains form the bases for many medieval stone castles.

Date: 24th May 2017

Location: Füzéri vár, Füzér, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary