The ruins of Baglyaskő Castle are in Hungary, in Salgótarján, near my father’s birthplace. The date of the construction of the rather small castle of Baglyaskő is unknown. Its builder, together with Hollókő, was the Illés branch of the Kacsics clan. Location: https://tinyurl.com/3suh3r8w
Before 1268, the ‘castle’ of Péter, the son of Illés (a follower of King István the Younger) was mentioned anonymously. which was defended by Pouka and Barnabás, the sons of Sudurman of Kotrocó, a castle servant from Gömör, against the troops of King Béla IV in 1265. According to Fügedi Erik, this castle was Baglyaskő.
Mihály was a member of this clan, and his sons, Péter, Leusták, and Mikus, sided with the powerful oligarch, Csák Máté. In 1310, they gave him all four of their castles: Hollókő, Baglyaskő, Somoskő, and Sztrahora. Probably in 1268, this fortress, which the youngest son inherited, was already mentioned in the documents.
After the Battle of Rozgony and the death of Csák Máté, on 21 May 1327, King Károly Róbert donated the county estate of the disloyal Péter, son of “Bogloskw Illés” (Baglyaskői Illés), and its belongings to the Transylvanian voivode Tamás (Szécsényi), son of the late master Farkas. The castle was probably badly damaged during the fighting, and in 1327, it is said to have been a “locus catri”. Somoskő was also mentioned as a ruined castle in the 1341 boundary survey.
By the 15th century, the property relations in Nógrád County had changed significantly. Some castles were no longer needed; they simply became redundant. This was how Sztrahora, Baglyaskő, and Ecseg were destroyed.
In the 14th century, the castle may have had an irregularly shaped courtyard with an inner tower and an oval shape. In the description of the castle by Radványi Ferenc in 1710, there was a section of wall 40 paces long, held together by a limestone substance. The copper engraving by Samuel Lenhardt of 1826 still depicted the semicircular arch above the gate. Its courtyard, carved into the rock, a room with a tunnel-like opening, was described in 1889. The ruins of the castle were later scattered by the inhabitants who built the present-day Baglyasalja village.
During the 2019 excavations, Viennese pennies and Ferdinand denarii, pottery fragments from the 14th and 15th centuries, were found, which indicate the later use of the area in Hussite and Turkish times.
The Baglyaskő Castle visitor centre
The exhibition site is located not far from the centre of Salgótarján, along the road to Ipolytarnóc. It includes the Baglyas Basalt Block nature reserve of local importance, declared protected in 1975, and is connected to a further 2.5 hectares of parkland. The visitor centre also houses the office of the Nógrád Landscape Unit of the Bükk National Park Directorate. The interior exhibition space of about 100 m2 gives an insight into the past of Baglyaskő: besides historical displays, prehistoric and medieval finds from archaeological excavations testify to the long human presence.
The outdoor attractions include an archaeological site, where you can see part of the ruined medieval castle’s defensive walls. A short educational trail around the rock shows the geological features of the protected area and the volcanic processes that created them. The visitor centre also houses a bird rescue station, which provides a temporary home for injured protected birds. The birds are released back into the wild after they have recovered, but some permanent residents can no longer live independently due to injury.
The Baglyaskő Castle Visitor Centre is primarily educational. It offers colourful and experiential environmental education programmes for preschool and school children, providing an opportunity to discover the natural values of the wider and closer environment. In addition to organised groups, individual visits are also possible. Guided tours and nature education programmes are available by appointment and prior arrangement.
The area is free to visit. Guided tours and environmental education programmes for groups are available by prior arrangement. Visits to the outdoor exhibition can be arranged in advance by telephone or e-mail at +36 30 349 5715 and +36 30 710 7696 and on e-mail: dobosl@bnpi.hu, harmosk@bnpi.hu
Source: Várlexikon https://varlexikon.hu/baglyasko and Baglyaskő Vár Természetvédelmi Látogatóközpont https://www.bnpi.hu/hu/reszletek/baglyas-ko-var-termeszetvedelmi-latogatokozpont
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Here are a few more pictures of Baglyaskő Castle:
