Discover Szirmabesenyő: Szinyei Merse Pál and Szirmay Castle
Accommodation in Szirmabesenyő
Szirmabesenyő offers cultural highlights including a public full-length statue of Szinyei Merse Pál, Szirmay Castle, and a three-day botanical exhibition. Art in the local landscape, castle architecture, and plant diversity offer different ways to explore the area. When choosing a holiday apartment, you could start by considering whether you would like to focus your stay more on local history, architecture, or nature.
File:Szirmabesenyő, római katolikus templom 2021 02.jpg
Photo: Pasztilla aka Attila Terbócs via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Art and local history in Szirmabesenyő
The painter’s full-length statue stands in a park next to the Roman Catholic church and Hősök kertje. The municipality highlights what makes the monument special: Szirmabesenyő is said to be the only place in Hungary with a full-length public statue of Szinyei Merse Pál. For art enthusiasts, the artist’s name, the form of the monument, and a specific location in public space come together here. This makes art tangible not only through exhibitions, but also through a work in the local landscape.
A distinct local milestone is the anniversary of the Greek Catholic church, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2025. Along with the Roman Catholic church setting of the statue, this adds a religious occasion to the cultural perspective.
Szirmay Castle and Botanica Exotica
Szirmay Castle is a detached building with a partial basement and four corner towers. The towers and the freestanding structure give the architecture a distinct form; the partial basement adds a further architectural detail. The exhibition “Vörös rák a kerti padon – a szirmabesenyői Szirmay-kastély, ahol Szinyei Merse Pál is festett” and a Kastélytörténeti Élménytér point were also unveiled in the castle. The exhibition title itself links the castle with the artist’s name, making the exhibition’s history a topic alongside the building’s form.
In 2026, the XIV Botanica Exotica was held at the castle over three days. Plant enthusiasts were introduced to cacti, other exotic plants, succulents, ribbon-like grasses, living stones, and air plants. The range of plants on display offers a botanical perspective alongside local art and architecture.
More things to explore in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Elsewhere in the wider destination of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, nature and excursion options are quite different from this local cultural profile. The Baradla-Domica cave system is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Caves of the Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst. The short Aggtelek Cave Tour is one kilometre long, takes 60 minutes, and is rated easy. This makes a defined-duration cave tour an alternative focus alongside art, castle architecture, and plant displays.
The Lillafüred Forest Railway route also offers a different regional perspective: it runs from Diósgyőr via Lillafüred to Garadna. A nature trail in Lillafüred introduces visitors to local historical sights and natural features. Together, these examples show the range of interests in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén: a clearly defined cave tour, a railway route, or a trail featuring local history and nature.
When looking for a holiday apartment in Szirmabesenyő, you can distinguish between the town’s specific cultural and exhibition offerings and other destinations in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén that need to be planned separately. Choose according to the focus of your stay: would you like to explore art and castle history in greater depth, or put together a range of experiences across the county?
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