Mátraverebély is situated in the Northern part of Hungary, in the Northern Medium Mountains. The name of this former miner village suggests that it is located in the Mátra Mountain, but actually it lies in the meeting point of two mountains, the Mátra and the Cserhát, in the wonderful natural surrounding of the Zagyva valley. While from the West the wild Mátra rises above the village, with a view to the romantic Wolf hole, from the East, as if it was opposing this wildness, the gentle slopes of the Cserhát borders it.

The Mysterious Vereb Family

Would you think that one of the most significant ancient monuments of the country could be found here? The early gothic church built on roman basement is mentioned in manuscripts for the first time in 1329. Their walls are decorated with gothic murals from the 15th century, and its stone pulpit was made in a late renaissance style. The church has kept its original style till nowadays, but it has received its final form around 1830.
The tomb of the founder of the village, Péter Vereb can be found here, as well, who was buried in 1403, and who remains to be a mysterious character of our history. According to some theories he was the father of János Hunyadi, and so the grandfather of King Mátyás. This theory hasn’t been proved yet, but his close relationship with King Zsigmond is undisputable.

The Count’s Heritage

The ancient, monument-like Almásy castle built in the 18th century is now used as a school. Nearby lays the garden of the castle, where several special plants are cultivated. The park, hiding in the shadow of centuries old trees, once was the place of countesses’ walks, now gives place for festivals and feasts.
The other monument-like building of the village is the baroque style granary, built in the18th century, and renewed in the second part of the the19th century.

A Place of Miracles

Since eight centuries pilgrims have been visiting Szentkút. For what reason?
Here is the legend:
Once, in the 11th century lived in Verebély a poor shepherd and his mute son. They were grazing the flock of the village near to the place where today Szentkút is situated. One day the boy had a special revelation: the Holy Virgin with her baby in her arms appeared to him in the leaves of the trees, and pointed towards a spring. The mute boy drank the water, and a miracle happened: suddenly he started to speak. He shouted for his father, who was so amazed that he couldn’t say a word. He deepened the hole of the spring, and so was formed the saint fountain, the Virgin Mary spring, that has been pouring its curing water from its seven taps for centuries. The memory of the meeting of the boy and the Holy Virgin is kept by a stone statue. Beyond the documented miracles several legends live about the inexplicable events that happened here.

The church of the devotional place of Szentkút was built by János Almásy in the middle of the the18th century, and in 1970 the pope endowed it with “Basilica minor” title. On the Eastern part of the church stands the Franciscan monastery, on the Western part, which is a grove surrounded by trees where outdoor masses are held. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Szentkút in a year, so it’s not surprising that in 2006 it received the “National Devotional Place” title. The Cave of Lourdes was built behind the outdoor altar in the beginning of the previous century. The thanksgiving marble tablets on its walls prove the miraculous strength of the place and of faith.

Springs of Saints

A lovely, shady forest pathway leads to the St. Imre and St. László springs, which are also connected to ancient legends. In the end of the 11th century King St. László was chasing the looter Kun armies that cooped up him and his soldiers in this narrow valley. The Hungarians didn’t have water, so King St. László stabbed his lance into a rock, from which a fountain arose.
According to another legend the Kun armies while chasing King St. László cooped up him in a valley, where the king was facing a huge precipice. The king jumped bravely with his horse over the precipice, and hence crystal clear water sprang from the trace of the horseshoe.

The Hermit’s Cave

Near to Szentkút devotional place in the side of the Hilltop Meszes can be found the romantic hermit’s caves that have special feeling. Hermits have been living in the holes dug in the rocks since the 18th century, and those who went there could have found their late descendants yet in the 1930’s.

The World of Rascals

Do you know who Marci Vidróczki was?
That is what in the middle of the 19th century Sándor Rózsa meant in the rascal world of the Hungarian plain in our region, connected with the name of Márton Vidróczki (1837-1873). Many funny legends live about his life and adventures: how he hid from the gendarmes under the skirt of the bartender’s wife, how he made the tired gypsies make music on the wedding of a judge where finally such a revel was begun that the whole village was carousing with him. Zoltán Kodály in his Pictures from the Mátra also recorded his life and the circumstances of his death. In memory of him a wooden statue was put up that rises above the Zagyva River in the crossroad leading to Szentkút. From there gazes Márton Vidróczki, the famous rascal the place of his exile.

Mátraverebély-Szentkút with its magnificent mountainous surrounding is a significant place of the religious and profane tourism, and has more than 200 thousand visitors a year.
Whether you come as a Christian person or as a simple tourist you will surely wish to come back to this fabulous valley filtered with centuries old miracles.

We are looking forward to welcome you!