Vértesszőlős brings together a site dating back around 400,000 years, a restored farmhouse and a distinctive historic object. Local points of interest range from archaeological traces and the environment in which they formed to folk furniture and a bell in the cemetery chapel. This gives you a clear profile for planning your trip: history and culture are at the heart of it, but on different scales.
Archaeological Finds and Their Setting
The open-air exhibition at the MNM Vértesszőlős Archaeological Site presents archaeological, anthropological and palaeontological remains from a site dating back around 400,000 years. The setting in which the finds originated is also part of the exhibition. This connects individual objects with the place where they were found and gives the archaeological perspective a tangible context.
The two excavated and exhibited sites showcase a wide range of finds, including millions of stone tools, hearths maintained with fatty bones, and bones of hunted animals. Human milk teeth and an occipital bone have also been found. The many tools and animal bones are displayed alongside individual human remains—a distinction worth bearing in mind when viewing the finds.
A Restored Farmhouse with Local Furnishings
The tájház in Vértesszőlős is a restored farmhouse furnished with local folk furniture and objects. Six of its seven rooms are furnished. This gives the house a different focus from the archaeological exhibition: attention here is on a farmhouse and its furnishings, not the remains of a prehistoric site. If you are particularly interested in local folk furniture and objects, you can take this focus into account when choosing what to visit.
A Bell in the Cemetery Chapel
One historical object is the 38-kilogram Saint Joseph Bell in the cemetery chapel in Vértesszőlős. It was cast in 1903 at the Csepeli Szivattyú- és Gépgyár. If you would like to see the bell, arrange your visit in advance. This makes it different to plan for than the exhibitions described above: seeing the bell requires an appointment in advance.
The three local points of interest offer different ways to explore the past: the open-air exhibition connects finds with the environment in which they originated, the tájház showcases local folk furniture and objects, and the bell draws attention to a single dated object. The themes that interest you most can therefore guide your choice of places to visit in Vértesszőlős.
Landscape and Culture in the Wider Komárom-Esztergom Destination
In the wider Komárom-Esztergom destination, the Gerecsei Tájvédelmi Körzet adds a landscape and geology perspective to the cultural themes. This protected area in Komárom-Esztergom is of national importance, has its own designation and covers 8,676 hectares. Triassic limestone predominates in the Gerecse; Jurassic limestone, especially rich in fossils, is also found there. The geological details offer a different way to explore the region from Vértesszőlős’s archaeological and folk-cultural themes.
The Majki Kamalduli Remeteség offers another focus on culture and history in the wider Komárom-Esztergom destination. This Baroque monumental complex includes seventeen hermit cells, a church tower and a monastery; an exhibition explores the general and Hungarian history of the Camaldolese Order. The complex is open Tuesday to Sunday: from 1 April to 31 October, 10:00–18:00, and from 1 November to 31 March, 09:00–17:00. Check the opening hours again before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Gyermely, Környe, Vértessomló, Tatabánya, Tarján, Várgesztes.
View the wider travel guide: Tatabányai.
