Sárospatak is a town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary. It lies 70 km north-east from Miskolc, in the valley of Bodrog. The town (often called simply "Patak") is an important cultural centre.

History

The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Sárospatak was granted town status in 1201 by King Imre. In the Middle Ages it was an important place due to its proximity to an important trade route leading to Poland. Its castle was built by Andrew I (his daughter Saint Elizabeth was born here.)

Sárospatak was elevated to the rank of free royal town by King Sigismund. In 1460, during the reigh of King Matthias it got the right to hold a market. In 1575 a plague killed lots of the inhabitants.

The Reformation began its spreading in Hungary in this area. The first Protestant college was founded in Sárospatak in 1531. It was one of the most important colleges of Hungary at the time. In the 1650s the famous Czech educator Comenius taught here. The college (since 2000 a faculty of the University of Miskolc) now bears his name.

Among the owners of the castle of Sárospatak we can find many of the important persons of Hungarian history. In the 16th century it was owned by the Dobó family. Bálint Balassi , the most important Hungarian poet of the century married Krisztina Dobó here (she was the daughter of István Dobó who defended the Castle of Eger against the Turks.) Later the castle was owned by the Rákóczi family. The residents of the town took an active part in the revolution against Habsburg rule led by Francis II Rákóczi.

Today Sárospatak is a charming historical town, a popular tourist destination.

Tourist sights

• Castle (with Renaissance tower)
• Gallery

Trivia

• The ceiling of one of the small rooms of the castle is decorated by frescoes of roses. The participants of the Wesselényi conspiration held their secret meetings in this room. In Latin the term "sub rosa" means both "under the rose" and "in secret".
• The name of the town means "muddy creek".

External links

• Official site