The Visegrád International Medieval Festival is Hungary’s most prestigious and, in terms of scale, largest medieval festival, which takes place on the second weekend of July every year.

More than 1,000 people are arriving from Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Serbia and, of course, from our own country – costumed knights, musicians, acrobats, dancers, archers – all representatives of the era – to welcome the distinguished visitors for three days in the enchanting atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

It is true that the Enlightenment has branded the Middle Ages with that particular „dark” epithet, almost as an indelible mark, we are nevertheless doing our utmost to ensure that people of the modern age adopt a more nuanced view of this period of history, which was in reality far from being a time of horror. Nor was it out of fear of the plague or the Inquisition that the kings gathered at King Charles Robert’s court at Visegrád in 1335…

If we set aside Hollywood’s portrayal of the Middle Ages for a moment, and view the cultural revolution of the 1700s—with its attempts to come to terms with the past—with a degree of caution, an incredibly exciting world opens up before us, with all its thrills, dynamism and humanity. This is what the Visegrád International Palace Games are all about, commemorating the 1335 meeting of kings, the impact of which can still be felt today.

We organised the first Palotajátékok festival in Visegrád in 1985, and to our great surprise, it immediately became clear that there was a huge amount of interest in medieval warfare, culture and way of life in our country.
This is so true that not a single year has gone by since then without us releasing games, and we can now proudly announce that 

Alongside the heavily armoured soldiers, the absolute crowd favourites at the Palace Games are the magnificent horsemen, whose groups faithfully demonstrate, through spectacular battle scenes, the widest variety of mounted combat techniques, ranging from horseback archery to lance-breaking.

Set to the monumental musical accompaniment of unique drum rhythms during the jousting tournaments, you can learn about the era’s foot-fighting knights, the art of falconry, and dances reminiscent of the Middle Ages.

During the day on the Park Stage, the audience can enjoy children’s shows and matinee music performances, and following the evening torchlight processions, the „medieval rock and roll” programme begins, featuring legendary acts such as the Hollóének Hungarica Early Music Ensemble and Řemdih from the Czech Republic. Come and join in the fun with the costumed performers – get to know them even better! 

Throughout the festival, you can wander amongst the pavilions of the monumental fair, which stretches for nearly 1 km along Fő Street, where you can sample speciality foods and drinks, be entertained by fairground comedians and, of course, pick up your weekend fair finds! (Think of something. Whatever it is, 90%, you’ll find it at the fair.)