Ipeľský Sokolec (Ipolyszakállos)

Agriculture and viticulture have played an important role in the life of the settlement on the right bank of the Ipoly river. The wine cellars that remain on the hill above the village are a reminder of the latter, with two traditional types of press house: the tent-like gatehouse built over the cellar roof and the adobe-roofed press house with a tiled roof. But it’s not just wine lovers who should visit: the views of the Ipoly river and the Börzsöny are well worth a visit. The village has a rich ethnographic tradition, with several 19th century gabled houses with ornate facades, and an ethnographic collection can be seen in the Tájház. The neoclassical Plachy Castle, built in 1888, the Baroque Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the neoclassical Evangelical Reformed Church are also interesting for the culturally inclined. The Lower Apollo Valley still has a wealth of coastal wildlife and its adventurous water tours offer a fascinating insight into the daily life of villages burdened by the weight of the past.