Easter in Holloko, Hungary

The tiny village of Holloko in Northern Hungary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must visit if you find yourself in the area during the Easter season. Seeing as it is a village and growing in popularity, some planning will be needed to have a great experience. 

I first heard of Holloko when I lived in Budapest from January to June of 2023. When I knew I’d be in the country during this time I started doing research about festivals that are unique to certain areas. That’s how I heard about Mohacs’ Carnival celebration and Holloko’s Easter festival. 

What really drew me to Holloko, aside from their Easter traditions, was how well preserved the village is. It really feels like stepping back in time because of how intact the town looks. Where the festivities are held is in the old part of town, although Holloko has grown and expanded with time. The old village is just as it used to be which makes walking around such a unique experience.

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Find the official info on what will happen each day on Holloko’s official website. In the meantime, let’s learn about Holloko’s folk dances, delicious food, and traditions that have been taking place for over 2 centuries!

Getting From Budapest to Holloko

Holloko is located about 100 km north of Budapest. It’s accessible by car or public transportation although a much more direct and faster route via car. If you plan it right, you can go on a direct bus from Puskas Ferenc Bus Station in Budapest. Otherwise there are other bus routes available with at least one transfer.

The direct buses (1024 or 439) don’t run often so it’s good to look it up in advance on the Volanbusz website a few days before to be sure of its departing time. I would suggest arriving early if you are unable to buy it in advance, as sometimes it doesn’t let you. Bring cash in case you need to pay for it on the bus with the bus driver.

If you are able to purchase your ticket online they have a 5% discount. The bus you want to take is the 1024 as it leaves at 8:40 am and arrives at Holloko at 10:30 am. This bus is only available on the weekends, Saturday and Sunday. One ticket one way is 1910 HUF (USD $5.25). The return time is at 4:05 pm and arrives in Budapest at 5:55 pm and also costs 1910 HUF ($5.25). 

If you’re only planning to go to Holloko for the day then the 1024 bus is the best way to go in the morning and return in the afternoon. You’ll be able to enjoy 5 and a half hours exploring Holloko which is a great amount of time as the village is small.

Holloko Easter Celebrations (Food and Activities)

The Easter celebrations in Holloko start on Friday and go through Monday (March 29-April 1, 2024). They have a lot of activities and programs to watch or take part in which are fully detailed on their website and at the entrance of the village with times and days for each.

Festival Tickets

The 2024 festival ticket fees:

• March 30: Adult (5,500 HUF or USD $) and Child [7-18] / Pensioner (4,000 HUF or USD $)
• March 31- April 1: Adult (6,500 HUF or USD $) and Child [7-18] / Pensioner (5,000 HUF or USD $)
• On March 29th, you can enter and walk around the Old Village and craft fair for free

Food to Eat

🍴You’ll be able to eat a lot of local food. This is an opportunity for Holloko to show off its gastronomy so try and eat as much as you can! That’s what I did and I definitely don’t regret it.

All the food I had while in Holloko with pictures and prices I paid in 2023.

Activities

💃🏽 You can expect to see lots of traditional dancing by ladies and gentlemen in typical wear. You’ll see them walking around and singing and they’ll make stops every so often to dance, especially in front of the church. 

🎤 There are concerts with live bands so if you’re interested or have the time then check it out. The music will be in Hungarian, but the vibes will be a lot of fun.

Shopping

There are local vendors from around the whole country, not just Holloko. This is a great way to learn about other cities and their expertise. It’s how I found out about Tihany and their lavender festival that happens in June.

I had the opportunity to speak with some of the vendors and learn about their stories. 

Meet Ilona, the owner of a soap stand in Holloko who is originally from Budapest. She had an array of smells for soap and they make such great gifts! This is her website if you want soaps but aren’t able to make the trip.

Then there was Tibor, a leather maker. He has 17 years experience doing leather work. The first 10 years he did it just as a hobby while he worked in the IT field. He decided to leave that life behind and focus on his passion. There was a Facebook page for his work but it’s either deactivated or I’m unable to find it. It should be under “Leather Works Holloko”.

Museums and Castle

Holloko has lots of little museums that have lots of artifacts from a past time. Many are free to explore, but some you may have to pay a small fee to enter.

• Postamuzeum – Post Museum
• Village Museum
• Paloc Babamuzeum – Vintage Doll Museum
• Guzsaylas – Holloko Folk Costume Museum
• Kezmuves Nyomdamuhely – Printing Museum
• Oskolamester haza – Schoolmaster’s house
• Csipkeház es Csipkemúzeum – Lace House and Museum

🏰 If you want to get a panoramic view of the area, then head up to the Holloko Castle. You’re able to walk around the grounds and see the surrounding views. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to go as the day I was in Holloko it was raining and muddy everywhere. The walk on a dry day would have been fine, but I wasn’t wearing the right shoes for the occasion and was already slipping around.

Where to Stay in and around Holloko

If you’re booking your visit to Holloko a bit last minute like I did when I went, the majority of places in town will be booked. When I contacted a few they said that they had been booked a year beforehand so that’s where planning comes into play. Seeing as I’m not much of a planner myself, I had two other options which you do too!

Buses do stop in or pass by both Felsotold and Szeceny which have additional accommodation. By looking at a map you’d immediately think to stay in Felsotold because of its proximity to Holloko. If you have a car then this would be the optimal choice, but not if you are traveling by public transportation. The 1024 bus stops in Felsotold before heading to Holloko at 10:20am but then there’s no other bus until about 4pm. If you have to get off in Felsotold to drop your luggage off, which is what I had to do, then there isn’t another bus until much later. My sister and I opted to walk the 30 minutes it took from Felsotold to Holloko to not wait for the later bus.

Staying in Szecseny gives you a lot more bus options. There are buses that run more regularly between the two. They don’t run every hour but every few. This gives you more options to come and go as you please. If you were to miss the last bus to Szecseny please note that it’s already a 30 minute bus ride so it would take much longer to walk. There isn’t Uber or Lyft in the area but there may be local taxi companies which I did not happen to see any.

Easy Day Trip Options

If you want to visit Holloko without going through the effort of figuring out the bus system then I have alternate options for you!

Opt for this 8 hour trip leaving from Budapest to experience the typical rural life of the Palóc people at this UNESCO World Heritage site of Holloko. You’ll meet residents in traditional costumes, see a folk dance, and see some regional food.

Consider this day trip option from Budapest to Holloko. It’s a 6 hour trip where you’ll visit the Village, the Castle and a secret spot! You’ll hike a bit if you choose to go to the Palm of God, a great look out point, and afterwards you’ll enjoy a 3 course meal in town.

Other Times to Visit

You don’t need to visit Holloko only during Easter, but it’s a time of the year where you can see some cultural traditions that you wouldn’t see on a random weekend. Other significant times to visit would be during the: Pentecost, August 20th, and Saint Martin Day. Check online for what days it’ll fall on so you can plan accordingly. 

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• Miskolc, Hungary [Full Travel Guide]
• Busojaras in Mohacs, Hungary (Carnival)
• Places to Visit in Debrecen

I love witnessing and taking in part in local traditions when I travel. Would you visit this one?! Let me know in the comments.

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