Investments for Visitor Purposes at Archaeological Sites and Historical Monuments in Hungary

Abstract

Proper management of monuments and archaeological sites as well as how to present them to the wider public have been critical issues for years in Hungary. Discussions on monument protection have focused mainly on the problems posed by the relationship between research into buildings and their surroundings and redevelopment programmes. In cultural tourism, the interests and needs of these two fields can meet or clash. In Hungary, this is most conspicuous in relation to so-called heritage development undertaken within the framework of the National Program for Mansions and Castles, coordinated by National Heritage Protection and Development Ltd (Nemzeti Örökségvédelmi és Fejlesztési Nkft, NÖF). Two sites, Sárospatak and Szabadkígyós, are presented in this article as examples of such archaeological research projects undertaken in preparation for the further development of an area.