Castle of Borsod, Medieval castle ruins in Edelény, Hungary

The Castle of Borsod is a medieval fortress that once crowned a hilltop overlooking Edelény in northern Hungary. The remaining stone walls and foundations trace out the layout of residential quarters, defensive barriers, and structures that served administrative purposes.

The castle was first documented in 1219, when a charter named its castellan, prison guards and the villages of Múcsony and Berente belonging to it; further charters mention the castellan in 1230 and 1263. It was a wooden-and-earth rampart fort, not a stone castle, and lost its military and administrative role in the decades after the Mongol invasion of 1241. By 1334 it is recorded as a ruined stronghold, described as a ditch called a 'földvár'.

The name Borsod comes from Bors, the leader credited by Anonymus with building the fort, with the suffix -d referring to its small size or to possession. Excavations found charred wheat, barley, millet and peas, collected sage and fruit seeds, and rib-necked pottery rare in the Carpathian Basin, thought to be of ancient Hungarian origin.

The ruins sit on a hillside and can be reached by a marked path starting from the village. Information boards at the site explain the different areas and the fortress's past, allowing you to explore at your own pace.

The rampart was built in two phases, both dated to the late 10th or early 11th century, on the ruins of an earlier village whose burnt clay floors and charred grain were found beneath it. Excavators also uncovered a 5x5 m stone building with 80 cm walls and a large church with a horseshoe apse.