Tokaj Castle, Medieval castle ruins in Tokaj, Hungary.
Tokaj Castle is a castle ruin standing on a hill at the meeting point of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers in Tokaj, Hungary. What remains today are scattered stone foundations and partial walls set among vineyard slopes and patches of woodland.
The settlement that once stood here was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of the 13th century and later rebuilt as a stone fortress in the 14th century. It went on to guard the regional border for several hundred years before being deliberately torn down in the early 18th century.
The name Tokaj is known around the world for wine, but the ruins show that this hill once served a very different purpose. From the top, visitors see the same vineyards and river bend that soldiers once watched over from these walls.
The path from Tokaj town center to the ruins is clearly marked and suitable for most walkers without special equipment. The site is best visited in good weather, as the hilltop position means exposure to wind and limited shade along the way.
Francis II Rákóczi had the fortress destroyed in 1705 not after a siege or a defeat, but as a deliberate military decision to stop enemies from using it. This makes the site one of the few in the region where the ruins were created by the defending side rather than the attacking one.
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