Eger is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hungary. Situated in the northeast, the town is rich in historic monuments and famous for its wines and medicinal waters.
The first castle was built on the high hill named Várhegy at Felsőtárkány near Eger. During the Mongol invasion in 1241, this castle was ruined, and the bishop of Eger moved it to a rocky hill in the city of Eger. On the hill, a new castle was built, and it developed rapidly. In 1470 a Gothic palace was built. In 1552, a Turkish army of 80,000 soldiers attacked the castle which had 1,935 defenders. The siege failed as the defenders killed more than 8000 Turks. A total of 1700 of the defenders survived. In 1701, the Austrians exploded half of the castle (the Külső vár). Between 1899-1901, Géza Gárdonyi published his novel Eclipse of the Crescent Moon. Archaeological excavations only started in 1925 and the castle was used by the army as barracks until 1957.