Sárospatak

www.sarospatak.hu

Status: City
County: Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén

Population: 14718 (2001)
Area: 139,07 km2
Population Density: 104,29 people/km²
Flats No.: 4700
Postal ZIP code: 3950


"A jewel among the historic towns of Hungary, Sárospatak lies at the foot of the Zemplén Hills on the River Bodrog and is a much visited cultural and tourist centre. Its very name conjures up those lions of the War of Independence, Prince Rákóczi and his followers.
The present face the town offers is a happy blend of the modern and the many buildings designated as historic monuments. Buildings designed by Imre Makovecz in his hallmarked style sit comfortably in the historic townscape.

Rákóczi Castle

Patak was a royal possession from the 11th century on. Between 1534 and 1541 Péter Perényi erected a large five-floored tower as residential quarters at the south-east corner of the walls. Hungarian master builders completed the castle complex in a late Renaissance style, to the plans of Allessandro Vedani, the Italian architect.
The fragments of Romanesque and Gothic carvings are what remains of the Dominicans monastery and the castle. The Perényi wing on the north was built between 1540 and 1567. In 1616 its proprietor, Zsuzsanna Lorántffy wed the later Prince of Transylvania, György Rákóczi II. In this way Patak became the centre of the Rákóczi possessions. From 1640 the castle was held by Ferenc Rákóczi, its defences were ordered torn down by the emperor in 1702. It was restored in the Romantic (from 1807) by the Bretzenheim princes, while preserving its Renaissance elements. From 1875 it was owned by the princes Windischgratz and from 1945 by the Hungarian state. Since 1950 the Museum has held the Rákóczi inheritance.

Calvinist Collegium

The first phase of the history of the Collegium, begins in 1531 with the munifiscenceof the lord of the castle, Péter Perényi and later with the generosity of György Rákóczi and his wife Zsuzsanna Lorántffy. They provided approriate buildings for the school, its teachers, its magnificent library and drew up the regulations under which it was run. In the Collegium, primary, secondary and higher education were built on each other, from time to time different types of school were established. In Patak, alongside Theology, Arts and Law, later Pedagogy received emphasis. Over the centuries, the Collegium has been the centre of the town's life. A citadel of classical education, Hungarian writers have bestowed on Patak titles such as Athens on the Bodrog, the seat of the Muses and later, because of the English diplomas it began to award, the Hungarian Cambridge.
In 2006 has come home from Russia about 85% of the book rarities vanished during Word War II.

Arts and Leisure Centre

Makovecz's Arts and Leisure centre dates from 1983. In the Cairo International Architectual Meeting of 1985, this ranked fifth among the world"s finest and most interesting buildings.

Thermal Baths

The Thermal Bath of Sárospatak has a 38 Celsius thermal water which is inclouding many minerals, suggested by aftercare of joint and vascular system diseases. The Thermal Bath has a swimming pool, training pool, children pool, pool with a slide and a thermal pool with medicial elements.