Kutyavár, Érd
Facts and practical information
The Kutyavár, or hunting lodge, is the oldest Gothic building in Érd, dating from the 15th century. According to legend, it was built by Mátyás Hunyadi for his hunting dogs and his hunters. Today only its ruins are visible.
It is not known whether it was actually built by King Matthias or the Elbenyi brothers. The castle was certainly not standing in 1318, when Charles I mentions Érd in a donation letter, but not the castle. In the time of Sigismund of Luxembourg, however, the castle of Diósd is mentioned, which stood here, and a fortress at Diósd is also mentioned in 1417. There was also a church, the church of St Bartholomew.
After the Battle of Mohács, Érd and its surroundings came under Turkish occupation, and Prince Hamza built a palisade castle on the Danube bank, not far from this castle. Tradition has it that a tunnel connected the two castles.
In 1684, Prince Charles of Lorraine captured and destroyed the castle after a brief siege. Its stones were scattered for building purposes, and in the 19th century its owner had a forester's lodge built with the remaining stones.
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