HUNGARY: From Cave Dwellings to Palatial Palaces

For some unknown reason, I always find it interesting to see how people live.

While we were in Hungary we got to see both ends of the economic housing continuum.

Outside of Egar, in Eastern Hungary, we saw cave dwellings made from abandoned quarries where incredibly poor people lived.

And at the other end of the continuum, near the Austrian border, we saw the Versailles of Romania.

The Noszvaj barlanglakások (cave dwellings) are homes carved directly into the soft volcanic land near Eger, in Eastern Romania.

The caves were developed from old stone quarries and were used mainly by poor, landless agricultural workers who could not afford conventional houses.

The rock was relatively easy to carve and it provided natural insulation, keeping the interiors cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Some of the luckier homes had several rooms, kitchens and fireplaces.

The rooms were carved into the hillside rather than constructed with conventional walls, creating a very different type of Hungarian peasant house.

At their peak, about 30% of the area’s population lived in these cave homes! In the 1930s the residents were moved into conventional houses with the relocation continuing into the 1960s.

Many of the caves were then abandoned or used as storage areas and wine cellars. Since 1997, some of the abandoned caves have been restored and turned into the Farkaskő Noszvaj Cave Art Colony. Now artists work in studios and exhibition spaces carved into the rock. 

This corridor is a Sound Bath with great acoustics and echoes.

Not too far away from the cave homes, in the same village of Noszvaj, is the De la Motte Castle, a small, elegant late-Baroque style mansion.

Construction began around 1775, but financial problems prevented it from being completed. Eventually there was a new owner who completed it to his own style and the then current architecture trends. Hence, the combination of Baroque and Louis XVI styles.

De La Motte Castle is much smaller than the grand Hungarian aristocratic palaces. I think the painted details are interesting because it gives the home the appearance of being far more grand than it actually is.

The home changed hands several times. It was restored in 1958–1960 and is now protected as a national monument. In the same village, the castle represents the wealthy aristocratic class, while the cave houses were homes of some of the poorest residents. 

Moving west in Hungary, the Festetics Palace in Keszthely, is one of Hungary’s grand aristocratic residences and was home to the Festetics family for about 200 years. The Festetics family, originally from Croatia, became wealthy landowners in Hungary and made Keszthely the centre of their estates. 

Construction began in 1745 and was enlarged several times by later generations. 

The biggest expansion took place in the 1880’s, when the family added the “north wing”, tower and mansard roof. This gave the palace its present Neo-Baroque and Neo-Rococo appearance. 

The palace has more than 100 rooms, but being just regular visitors, we were not privy to the whole palace. We did get to see about 20 rooms which show how the Festetics family lived during the 18th and 19th centuries. 

It gives a good picture of how Hungary's wealthy aristocratic families lived and what they collected and valued.

Personally, I am always fascinated by clocks. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries clocks were popular status objects among wealthy European families. Clocks were collected as both useful household objects and decorative works of art. This

 collection was assembled over generations and includes different styles and periods. 

An elaborate clock could demonstrate wealth and taste, much like fine furniture, porcelain, paintings or chandeliers. 

The library is the crown jewel in the home because it has remained largely intact while other parts of the palace were altered or damaged over the years.

They are Mighty Proud (Texas expression) of the Helikon Library, which contains about 80,000 books and is one of Hungary's best surviving private aristocratic libraries.

Much of the building and many furnishings survived World War II, partly because some of the most valuable rooms and collections were walled off and hidden during the fighting. The family lost the property after the war. Today it is a museum and they let pretty much anybody in, including the Canadian riffraff. (OOOOOPS, did I say that out loud?) 

In the NW of Hungary, near the Austrian border, is Esterházy Palace in Fertőd. It is often called the “Hungarian Versailles,” and is considered one of Hungary’s most impressive Baroque palaces.

It was built by the immensely wealthy Esterházy family, one of the most important aristocratic families in the Habsburg Empire. It was originally a hunting lodge that was expanded dramatically in the 1760s and 1770s into a huge palace complex.

They wanted a residence that would demonstrate the family’s wealth and status and rival the great European courts, specifically, Louis XIV and his palace at Versailles.

The palace was designed in the Baroque and Rococo styles, with an elaborate central building, curved wings and a large formal courtyard.

Inside are richly decorated rooms with painted ceilings, stucco work, mirrors and ornate fireplaces.

Fancy furnishings.

And, of course, clocks.

I love looking at old portrait paintings. I like to have glimpses into their lives, and, what they wore and valued back in the day.

I love to look at the intricate details in the clothing. It would have taken so much time to create the outfits, not to mention the eyesight required. But, I also like to look at the detail work in painting it and capturing it for posterity, which would have also been time consuming and required good eyesight. 

But, the Showstopper is the Banquet Hall and Music Room! The Esterházys were also important patrons of music. Joseph Haydn spent nearly 30 years working for the family, beginning in 1761. He composed and conducted music for the Esterházy court and had his own orchestra and musicians.

The palace became an important musical centre, and Haydn's connection with Fertőd is one of the main reasons the palace is significant for more than just its architecture.

The palace was also surrounded by extensive gardens, fountains and formal avenues, creating the grand setting that earned it the nickname “Hungarian Versailles.”

The family's enormous wealth eventually declined, and the palace was neglected after the Esterházy court moved away. It suffered damage during World War II and the postwar period, but extensive restoration has brought much of it back to its former glory. Descendants can be happy knowing it is once again a Showstopper home, welcoming visitors from around the world.

From cave dwellings to palaces, John is pondering where he fits in. 

Fortunately, none are for sale.