Hollókő is a village of about three hundred people in the Cserhát hills of northern Hungary, thirty-odd kilometres south of the Slovak border, and it is one of the few places in Europe where a whole way of life has been kept, not by a museum but by the people still living in the houses. It was one of the first places inscribed by UNESCO, in 1987, as a living example of a traditional village of the Palóc, a Hungarian ethnic group of this region.
The houses are low, whitewashed and roofed with tiles or shingles, with carved wooden porches and small windows, lined up along a single street under the ruin of a thirteenth-century castle on the hill. The older buildings were destroyed by fire in 1909, and the village was rebuilt in the same style, so the look is deliberately old. The Palóc are known for their embroidery, with bright floral patterns on blouses and tablecloths, and for their costumes, which villagers still wear at festivals. The Easter celebrations, with songs, dances and the sprinkling of girls with water, draw crowds from across the country, and the village is busy then, so it is best to avoid it if you want peace. The name comes, according to one tale, from the raven, the hollo, that carried off a young woman's jewels, though the legend is nothing you could check.
The ride from the valley is gentle. Roads here wind over the wooded Cserhát hills, with orchards, small fields of wheat and sunflowers, and views to the Mátra mountains in the east. The main road from Szécsény is in decent shape, but side roads may have patches, potholes and farm vehicles. In spring the cherry and plum blossom is lovely, and in autumn the oaks turn bronze. Winter brings frost, and snow can linger on shaded corners.
Szécsény, about ten kilometres away, has six and a half thousand people, fuel stations, shops and a fine Forgách mansion, now a museum. Hollókő itself has a handful of guesthouses, small cafes serving hearty Palóc dishes such as bean soup and stuffed cabbage, and a few craft stalls. The village is free to wander, though there is a small charge to visit the castle and the museums. Weekdays outside the holidays are best, and an early start helps.