The whole country heard that the Silvanus Hotel in Visegrád caught fire on 9 March. However, only those who were there could truly appreciate the power of the incredible show of solidarity that followed…
…we shall not go into the details that are already known, nor do we wish to engage in speculation by analysing either the possible causes or the „what if” scenarios.
It must be said, however, that one rarely witnesses such a remarkable display of solidarity and such a heroic spirit (both, unfortunately and fortunately, at the same time) in the course of one’s life. Perhaps only during times of major flooding.
The Visegrád Volunteer Fire Brigade were the first to arrive at the scene; whilst en route, they had already alerted the Fire Service that they should prepare for a serious fire, as part of the roof structure was already ablaze by the time they reached the scene.
They battled the flames right up until the afternoon, deploying a huge number of fire engines and making a massive effort, which ultimately enabled them to bring the fire under control. It is thanks to this that the building was not completely destroyed by the fire.
The guests staying there were evacuated promptly and professionally, and thanks to another joint effort, their care and accommodation were arranged in no time at all: the Magyar László Sports Hall in Visegrád was also opened, where Visegrád-based tourism operators and volunteers – comprising locals and people from the surrounding area – provided food, drink, clothing and blankets to assist the stranded guests, who had been left without their belongings and were thus stranded in Visegrád.
Once again, people have shown that when disaster strikes, they come together immediately. It was a deeply moving experience to witness this, even in the shadow of the fire. No one asked any inappropriate questions; no one probed any further. Essentially, the volunteers turned up automatically, found out how they could help those in distress, and, once assigned a task, immediately blended into the bustling crowd.
Róbert Pintér, managing director of Silvanus, posted the following on the hotel’s official Facebook page: „We will not be making anyone redundant; we are committed to every member of staff working here, we stand by them and will continue to do so […] WE WILL STAND TOUGH.”
We sincerely hope that the entire hotel team will see the rubble-clearance and renovation work completed as soon as possible, so that they can resume everything they have come to symbolise over the past decades.
Visegrád and Surroundings Tourism and Marketing Association
2024.03.12.
