Rákóczi Múzeum

About the museum

The Rákóczi Múzeum of the Hungarian National Museum is located in the castle of Sárospatak. The late Renaissance complex was acquired after the Battle of Mohács by the Crown Guardian Perényi Péter, who built his family’s new estate centre here to designs by the North Italian architect Alessandro Vedani. The southern part of the town was reinforced with a wall, a moat and bastions; in the south-eastern corner the new residence was built between 1534 and 1537, with the Vörös-torony (Red Tower), a five-storey residential tower. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the patronage of the Rákóczi family made Patak famous across the country.

The listed-monument restoration of the castle took place from 1997 to 2003. Its conclusion was the opening of the permanent exhibition “Rákócziak dicső kora” (The Glorious Age of the Rákóczis), of more than 855 square metres, which surveys the whole history of the Rákóczi family and presents the 17th–18th-century heyday of Sárospatak. The cannon-foundry workshop of I. Rákóczi György, operating between 1631 and 1648, was uncovered by archaeological excavation, begun in 2006 and lasting six years, and is now displayed in reconstructed form.

Further permanent exhibitions belong to the museum: the Vörös-torony, the Hegyalja viticulture and winemaking exhibition in the bastions and cellars, the Olaszbástya (Italian Bastion) casemate with the castle’s defence system, the Renaissance kitchen and the south-western corner bastion. The museum also includes the ethnographic exhibition site in Sárazsadány and the Hungarian Conquest-era archaeological park in Karos.

Highlights

• “Rákócziak dicső kora” (The Glorious Age of the Rákóczis) – permanent exhibition of more than 855 square metres
• Vörös-torony (Red Tower), the five-storey residential tower of the Perényi residence (guided tours only)
• Reconstructed cannon-foundry workshop of I. Rákóczi György
• Hegyalja viticulture and winemaking exhibition in the castle cellars
• Olaszbástya casemate and the Renaissance kitchen

Permanent exhibitions

• Rákócziak dicső kora – Exhibition of more than 855 square metres presenting the history of the Rákóczi family, the struggles for independence, life in the castle and Baroque battle paintings.
• Vörös-torony – The five-storey residential tower of the Perényi residence, which can only be visited on a guided tour.
• I. Rákóczi György ágyúöntő műhelye – Reconstruction of the 17th-century cannon-foundry workshop with the former flame furnace and casting pit.

Operated by

Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Közgyűjteményi Központ

Admission & discounts

Free admission: On 15 March, 20 August, 23 October, 19 May (Museum Day) and on the Days of Cultural Heritage; on the Sunday of the second weekend of every month, for those under 26.

The price shown is that of the cheapest standalone exhibition (“Rákócziak dicső kora”); the ticket for the Olaszbástya casemate costs HUF 500, the ticket for the Vörös-torony HUF 1,600. Visits in English and German are possible by prior arrangement: Vörös-torony guided tour HUF 2,000, reduced HUF 1,000. Teachers, ICOM members and holders of a ministerial professional pass are also entitled to free admission.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Museum education sessions for school groups, such as a weapons-history programme, coat-of-arms making and making illuminated initials; HUF 1,000 per person, with prior registration.

Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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