The outer and inner castle system was developed in the 1540s. The passage between them was the Dark Gate which is still visible today. The outer castle was destroyed in 1702, but the gate continued to be used and was only walled up at the beginning of the 19th century. By progressing further from the Dark Gate you arrive in the ground floor Barrack Halls, which provided effective protection against artillery attacks. The halls are now the venue for interactive exhibitions with multimedia elements presenting the story of the construction of the Castle’s gothic style Cathedral and the bishopric castle, as well as the military history and castle architecture in the era of the Ottoman occupation. The upper Barrack Hall hosts a popular exhibition, entitled "Eclipse of the Crescent Moon" - the novel and reality’. From the Barrack Halls through the Gergely Bastion you arrive in the underground tunnel system built in the 1570s. These tunnels were constructed parallel to the castle walls, thus a safe underground passage was created between the bastions. The tunnels were also used for detecting enemy mines. You can see the exhibition’s introductory video material here and here.

The exhibition, presenting the Castle’s history from the era of Saint Stephen until Rákóczi's War of Independence, is housed in the upper floor of the gothic style Bishop’s Palace. Visitors can learn about everyday life in the fortress through eight (Renaissance era) halls, the details of the famous siege by the Ottomans in 1552, the consequences of the fateful battle in 1596 and the circumstances of the expulsion of the Turks 91 years later. The experience is made complete by models, dress reconstructions, sound effects and pyrotechnical elements.

Heroes' Hall, situated on the ground floor of the gothic style Bishop’s Palace, commemorates the greatest figures of Eger Castle. The red marble cover of István Dobó’s tombstone, depicting the heroic castellan dressed in battle armour, was brought here in 1965. On its two sides the tomb is surrounded by six large statues made by artist István Kiss, which symbolise the defenders of the castle during the 1552 siege: fortress soldiers, officers, a blacksmith, and the women of Eger. The stone sarcophagi of the hall safeguards the remains of those buried around the gothic style Cathedral. On the walls are the names of the 315 persons who were in the castle during the siege and whose names are known.

This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ferenc Bakó’s birth (1917- 1998). He was a famous ethnographer, the founder and first director of the István Dobó Castle Museum. During his leadership from 1952, the museum moved from the Buttler-house to the Castle in 1957. He was the director of the Museum Organisation in Heves from 1963 until 1979 and carried out significant organisational work by establishing exhibition venues in the county. He created a network of folklore houses from the relics of folk architecture.

The temporary exhibition showcases Ferenc Bakó’s biography and research fields through the objects collected by him. As a young researcher he documented the everyday life and objects of craftsmen and artisans. He was interested in folk traditions, especially the rituals related to turning points in people’s lives. The main element of the exhibition is the so-called Palóc wedding, showing a bride from the village of Boldog and the famous traditional bridal cake. The most significant results of Ferenc Bakó’s work were the documentation of Heves County’s folk architecture, the exploration of the cave houses and cellars, and the organisation of the Palóc research which lasted for 20 years. He took thousands of photographs of the disappearing folk culture, most of which are kept in the István Dobó Castle Museum. Ferenc Bakó’s work was of outstanding value and played a defining role in Hungarian ethnography.

The exhibition presents archeological findings from the territory of Heves County, from the Stone Age to the era of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. The exhibition provides an insight into the work of archeologists and restorers from the beginning of the collection to the results of the latest research, as they attempt to put together pieces of our history from the objects and phenomena discovered.

They bring the memories of the past to life through reconstruction devices, copies and short films about the work of archeologists and the results of experimental archeology. Very little is taught in schools about this era encompassing several millennia, so through the guided exhibition tours, museum classes and museum educational courses those who are interested can become acquainted through the objects on display with the history of the eras preceding the foundation of the Hungarian Kingdom and the everyday lives of the people who lived here.

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This exhibition can be visited by purchasing a HUF 300 supplementary ticket!

The exhibition presents the history of military aircraft and parachuting from the 1920s to the end of World War II. This unparalleled material is displayed here for the first time, providing one of the most complete and professionally extremely valuable compilations of this internationally known and recognised chapter in our military history.

The collection includes relics of the most successful pilots of the Hungarian air force, such as Dezső Szentgyörgyi, numerous rare documents, photographs and objects so far unknown even to the profession, the scientific research and broad publication of which can significantly enhance our current knowledge of this topic. The exhibition, presenting over 300 instruments and various memorabilia as well as thousands of photographs, also includes significant multimedia material, which we selected from the collections of local collectors as well as the Hungarian National Digital Archive (MaNDA).

In the 16th century a row of buildings stood on the west side of the palace yard, including the houses of the Canons, the bread distribution house and the bakery, as well as a large granary. Only the cellar situated under the row of houses survives to this day. This is the venue of the Prison exhibition, where we present the types of punishment used in medieval Hungary.

In the first part of the exhibition we display instruments used for humiliation, corporal punishment and mutilation, such as the pillory and various stocks. In the second part of the exhibition we present the types of medieval executions and their instruments. In the age of feudalism executions served as a form of intimidation and were, therefore, carried out in public.

The Eger Bishopric was founded by Saint Stephen between 1001 and 1009. The Cathedral, consecrated in the name of Saint John, was built on the castle hill during the 11th and 12th centuries and became the final resting place of, among others, King Emerich I.

In the middle of the 14th century the Cathedral underwent a significant gothic style reconstruction. Chapels were built on the two sides of the Cathedral and its walls were reinforced by buttresses. Plans were made for a monumental, three-aisled cathedral with a new chancel, an encircling aisle and a ring of chapels, the east side of which was completed by the end of the century. In its size and architectural design it would have competed with any European cathedral of the era, but unfortunately its construction was interrupted because of a change in foreign political conditions. In 1506 it was struck by lightning, which caused a huge fire, so its further construction was permanently halted. After Buda was occupied by the Ottoman forces, the reinforcement of the castle became a priority. Consequently the Cathedral’s gothic style chancel was converted into a bastion in 1542.

As you walk from the Ruin Garden towards the Dark Gate you can see the Rotunda, which is perhaps the most important architectural remain of Eger’s early history. The round chapel was destroyed by church constructions and modernisations, but its foundation walls mostly remained in place. The Rotunda, which was approximately seven metres in diameter, was part of the Bishop’s mansion that stood here at the time. Unfortunately, only the chapel’s south side arch survived, as well as a few wall portions of the northeast wall arch. The archeological excavations revealed a constructed tomb with a stone plate cover, which didn’t contain skeletal remains, but its location and the head support found in the tomb suggest that a high ranking church dignitary was buried here.