Gyula Castle Festival
25-27 July 2025 (Friday-Sunday)
Traditionalist festivities and war game
Year after year, during the last weekend of July, some 300 traditionalists re-enact the 1566 siege of the Gyula Fortress.
One of the most spectacular war games of Hungary revive real events with live commentary and explanations about the unfolding story.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Between July 2nd and September 2nd 1566, some 30 thousand Ottoman soldiers surrounded and assaulted the castle of Gyula which was protected by 2-2.5 thousand Christian soldiers. In the military history of Hungary, this was an exceptionally long siege. The battle ended with the signing of the surrendering treaty by László Kerecsényi, constable of the Gyula fortress and Pasha Pertev, the brother-in-law of Sultan Suleiman II. Due to the depletion of stock in the castle and the dysentery epidemic, the Hungarian captain handed the castle over to the Ottomans in return for free passage.
In its time, what Kerecsényi did was considered to be high treason, but historical sciences today look at this event differently. The memory of these 16th century heroes is kept alive daily, through the professionals who work at the castle, and yearly, over a three day period, by traditionalists and the ever growing number of those who attend these unforgettable events.
The Border Fortress Days of Gyula
During this festival, the Turkish era Gyula comes alive. On the last weekend of July, one can gain insight into the lives of the heroes who fought on the battlefields. Through the re-enactment of the war scenes, the tradition keepers evoke the spirit of the battles. They retell the story of the castle and its surroundings, the legends of the defending heroes and the lives of the defenders and the attackers. On the castle grounds, one can look into the traditionalists’ camps in order to see from up-close how they dressed, what they ate, and how they passed time 500 years ago.
The most interesting and spectacular part of the festival is the war game which revives the moments of the attack sequences.
At night, the visitor can decide whether they want to listen to a concert on one side of the castle or to party with the traditionalists on the other.
Programs 2025
25 July (Friday)
10.30 Guided tour (in Hungarian)
13.30 Guided tour (in Hungarian)
Castle tickets are required for the visit.
19.30 Opening ceremony of the XIII. Gyula Castle Festival
Gun salute in memory of the heroes defending the castle
Parade in the historical area of town
Route: Várkert – Harruckern square – World Clock – Kossuth square – World Clock –
Harruckern square – Várkert)
Gun salute by the traditionalists during the parade at Kossuth square and in front of the Directorate of Water Management (Vízügyi Igazgatóság) building.
21.30 Show&Bors band
26 July (Saturday)
Events at the moat
10.00-19.00 Life on the moors – presentation of traditional moorland life
Reed huts of Hortobágy – presentation of pastoral life in Hajdúság and in the Plains
Events in the castle
10.00 Forged in Fire – operating smithy
10.30 Guided tour (in Hungarian)
11.00 Falconry show
12.30 Fencing – we introduce you to the weapons and their history, show you how they used to fence and also teach you a few moves.
13.00 Not even in 150 years have we become Turks – history of culture and gastronomy presented by Históriás Asszonyok
15.00 Prison visit – selected torture methods and manners of death in the middle-ages. How much could you have taken?
19.00 Fencing – we introduce you to the weapons and their history, show you how they used to fence and also teach you a few moves.
The events can be visited with the entrance tickets to the castle (armband with unlimited entries for the day: +500 Ft/person).
Ticket price: 5600 Ft/person
16.00 Raiding Turkish marauders – the Seymens of Tata Castle
The events can be visited at the current ticket prices of the Castle Bath.
Events at the northern plank bastion
10.00-20.00 Historical activities
Kahvehane – eastern cafe
10.00-19.00 Glimpse into the life around hospitals and monasteries
14.00-15.00 Visiting the Baroque show kitchen
21.00 Camp festivity with the bands Keleti Szél and Sonivius Vappae
Events at the western plank wall
10.00-12.00 Historical game yard
Crafts, tricky puzzles, games of skill with Bábika Playhouse
Tale-path of wooden toys, arranged based on a traditional village house
Hungarikum exhibition (felt cloak, bullwhip, tools of shepherding)
13.00-20.00 Historical game yard
Crafts, tricky puzzles, games of skill with Bábika Playhouse
Tale-path of wooden toys, arranged based on a traditional village house
Hungarikum exhibition (felt cloak, bullwhip, tools of shepherding)
Events in the historical area of town
17.00 Sonivius Vappae concert
Location: World Clock
10.00 Marksman demonstration by archer József Mónus the Wolf
11.00 Greyhound show – demonstration of coursing
13.00 The kidnapping of the girls of Gömör – presentation by the Militia Christi cultural and traditionalist association
14.00 A basa bora – farce by the Nánai Sólymos Warriors
15.00 Foam archery battle for children with the warriors of Thury Castle
16.00 00 Marksman demonstration by archer József Mónus the Wolf
17.00 Battle of squires vs. marauders
18.30 Re-enactment of the siege of Gyula Castle with the participation of military traditionalist groups
21.30 Follow The Flow concert
27 July (Sunday)
Events at the moat
10.00-19.00 Life on the moors – presentation of traditional moorland life
Reed huts of Hortobágy – presentation of pastoral life in Hajdúság and in the Plains
Events in the castle
10.30 Guided tour (in Hungarian)
11.00 Keleti Szél concert
11.30 Weapons in hand – you can hold the weapons in your hands
12.30 Siege tour – we introduce you to defensive lines, to the siege of 1566 and the Ottoman rule at the most exciting and spectacular parts of the castle
13.30 Guided tour (in Hungarian)
The events can be visited with the entrance tickets to the castle (armband with unlimited entries for the day: +500 Ft/person).
Events at the western plank wall
10.00-12.00 Historical game yard
Crafts, tricky puzzles, games of skill with Bábika Playhouse
Tale-path of wooden toys, arranged based on a traditional village house
Hungarikum exhibition (felt cloak, bullwhip, tools of shepherding)
13.00-18.00 Kalandozó Historical game yard
Crafts, tricky puzzles, games of skill with Bábika Playhouse
Tale-path of wooden toys, arranged based on a traditional village house
Hungarikum exhibition (felt cloak, bullwhip, tools of shepherding)
Events at the northern plank bastion
10.00-16.00 Historical activities
Kahvehane – eastern cafe
10.00-16.00 Glimpse into the life around hospitals and monasteries
12.00-13.00 Visiting the Baroque show kitchen
10.00 Naszreddin hodzsa igazságot tesz – historical performance with the warriors of Thury Castle
10.30 Not even in 150 years have we become Turks – history of culture and gastronomy presented by Históriás Asszonyok
11.30 Heptathlon and squire training for children with the warriors of the Thury Castle 13.00 Falconry show
14.00 Battle of squires vs. marauders
15.00 Artillery presentation by Zsarátnok Zsoldosai
16.00 Recapturing of Gyula Castle
17.00 Sonivius Vappae concert
20.30 Róbert Szikora and the R-GO concert
Events can be visited free of charge with the exception of the programs in the Gyula Castle and Castle Spa.
We reserve the right to change the program.
