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  • Bodrog
  • Bodrog
  • Bodrog
  • Bodrog

Bodrog

It is evident that the Bodrog has always shaped the lives of those living along its banks. Fearing floods, the former centre of Bodrogkeresztúr was located well above the river level, and the main road we see today only began to be built in the 19th century. At the same time, the river provided the mist necessary for the development of aszú grapes in autumn and supplied part of the food needed for survival throughout the year.

More information

In the first half of the 20th century, 15-20 families made their living in the village by fishing on the Bodrog. The names of the fishing tools they used are still widely known today: net, hook, fish trap, bait, clatterer, line, casting net, landing net, dragnet, flasher, feeler, and harpoon. The river is tied to numerous legends and tales, passed down from generation to generation in the wine region. One such story explains why the riverbed of the Bodrog is so rocky between Bodrogkeresztúr and Tokaj. “According to the tale, long ago, when fairies still lived on the Tokaj hill, shepherds grazed their flocks there too. There was a massive rock, which was the fairies’ favourite place to stay. They enchanted the rock so that anyone who touched it would instantly turn to stone. One day, a great storm arose, and the shepherds sought shelter under the rock. Unaware of the curse, one of them accidentally touched it. Instantly, all of them turned to stone! As time passed, storms and rains rolled the stone-turned shepherds down the hill into the Bodrog’s riverbed. However, the fairies were not malicious and felt sorry for the shepherds. They went down to the Bodrog, where the stone-turned shepherds stood as large rocks in the water. The fairies took the shepherds’ souls back to the hill, touched them to the great rock, and the shepherds immediately came back to life. But the rocks symbolising their bodies remain in the river to this day, which is why the Bodrog’s riverbed is so rocky between Tokaj and Bodrogkeresztúr. The birdlife of the Bodrogzug is of exceptional value: rare birds of prey, as well as numerous species of waterfowl and wading birds, live here. The floodplain is also an important stopover for migratory birds. As a result, in 1989, it was added to the RAMSAR list of wetlands of international importance as a vital waterbird habitat.

Sights, programs

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Philip the stork - stork nests Philip the stork - stork nests A few years ago, the main street of the village had many overhead cables, which posed a constant threat to birds in the area. The proximity of the Bodrog river makes Bodrogkeresztúr a popular habitat for storks. However, the death of Fülöp the stork, who had lived in the village for 12 years, in 2018, has also highlighted the problem of overhead cables.
3916 Bodrogkeresztúr, Kossuth utca 16
The Calvinist Church The Calvinist Church The Louis seize style church was built in the late 18th century. At that time, the present Felső street was the main street of the village, and according to Joseph II's decrees, Protestants were only allowed to build the church 30 metres further down the street, with its back to the main street. History has served justice to the Reformed community in such a way that the lower street, closer to the river Bodrog, became the main route for the wine merchants, and eventually the lower street, going by the river, took over the role of the main street.
3916 Bodrogkeresztúr
Former Synagogue Former Synagogue According to the census of 1723-24, there were already 7 Jewish families living in Bodrogkeresztúr, and their number increased steadily during the 18th century. The strengthening of the community and the religious life is shown by the fact that the first rabbi of the Jewish community of Pest, Israel Wahrmann, was the rabbi of Bodrogkeresztúr prior to 1765, and there are records from the same year that the Bodrogkeresztúr fair was visited by Jewish merchants from Pest county. A few decades later, in 1786, 256 Jewish inhabitants were recorded in the settlement, in 65 households.
3916 Bodrogkeresztúr, Kossuth utca 30