Baranya Fun Tour

• Bikal Experience Farm
• Parts of the Experience Farm
• Weekday programme
• Weekend programme
• Bikal Experience Festivals 2010
• Project owner

Bikal Experience Farm

The Experience Farm is an interactive mediaeval theme park, currently the only one of its kind in Hungary, which offers unique day-long comprehensive services that will entertain, relax and educate all three generations.
The purpose of the Experience Farm is to use its themed areas and programmes to offer adventures and activities or, in short, a positive experience to all of its visitors.

Its mission is to nurture traditions and provide visitors with unique experiences in a contemporary environment:

• Spectacular and exciting re-enactment of historical events
• Nurturing, presenting and transmitting artisan traditions in the highest quality
• Re-enactment of mediaeval lifestyles and everyday events
• Transmitting traditions between generations

And all this in a manner that ensures the creation of new values and demand for future activities.

The first few years of operation at the Experience Farm have been dedicated to the Renaissance. This era was characterised by a celebration of life and humanist thought, the arts as well as sciences and crafts, along with a variety of activities that were all seen as sources of joy. The Renaissance heralded rebirth and openness to both Europe and the rest of the worlds. This exciting and eventful age can be an excellent example to follow for people who live in our modern age.

The Renaissance Experience Farm rests on three pillars, each of which is of particular importance on its own. This programme does not only serve as a venue for leisure and conference tourism, but also goes beyond that, and offers a range of possibilities in the fields of training and education that have so far not been utilised to their fullest potential, if at all:

• Entertainment and catering: Spectacular and exciting re-enactment of historical events, high-quality catering at three different venues, in three different environments.
• Traditional crafts: Organising and implementing exhibitions, fayres and sales of folk art, folk craft and applied art products. Nurturing historical traditions and traditional crafts in high quality. Presentation and transmission of these traditions using interactive methods.
• Education: Organisation and implementation of talent shows, education for children in the framework of themed traditional craft activities.

The operation of the Experience Farm is supported by actors, extras, animators, craftsmen, instructors, falconers and horse riders, who bring the Experience Farm to life, and provide visitors with a veritable time-travel experience.

Maximum number of visitors to the Experience Farm per day 1500.

Those wishing to stay overnight at the Experience Farm can find excellent four-star accommodation in the 83 rooms of Puchner Palace Hotel.

Details of the Experience Farm:

• Plot area: 72 962 m²
• Green surfaces: 23 414,12 m², 32,09 %
• Tallest building height: 7,50 m
• 107
• Parking for 254 cars and 5 coaches

Parts of the Experience Farm

Mediaeval village

The village is a life-sized display of traditional old peasant cottages. It is also home to three workshops: a potter, a basket weaver and a blacksmith work here. The artisans practise their crafts in the traditional manner, and the buildings, the tools and their clothes are all as close to period designs as possible. Visitors are invited to try their hand at the crafts that our artisans practise, and they can create their very own artefacts.

Additional attractions include a petting zoo with traditional village animals, a water-mill, which serves as a venue for atmospheric and contemporary village feasts, and the Green Walnut Tree Inn, where visitors can try their hands at making traditional village dishes. They can also learn more about how honey, jam, cheese, butter, vinegar and other local products are made.

Bird stage

The bird stage is one of the most spectacular attractions of the village, with colourful bird presentations and falcon flying demonstrations to amaze visitors. The audience will be treated to a first-hand spectacle of swift and agile birds of prey and how they interact with humans. Additional informative programmes are available to those who wish to learn more of the characteristics of these birds.

Falconry was a favourite pastime in the Renaissance, and was ubiquitous in European courts. By this era, it had grown into an art form. To paraphrase Renaissance Hungarian poet Balassi, the falconry demonstration is a “relaxing diversion”.

In addition to running the daily performances, our experts are involved in providing professional care to the birds, and cooperate closely with the local environmentalists. Our long-term plans include contributing to the preservation and breeding of local bird populations.

Old Town

The narrow streets of the town are lined by period workshops, a mediaeval inn and a page school. The craftsmen who work in this mediaeval environment include a sculptor, a baker, a honey-bread maker, a chandler, a tailor, a bead weaver, a wood carver, a jeweller and a tanner.

If you are hungry, you can enjoy lángos (Hungarian flat bread), pies and other baked delicacies in our mediaeval inn. The Page School is open to youth between the ages of 3 and 18 who wish to take part in themed group activities and become true pages under the supervision of qualified instructors. Our young trainees can learn more about the culture of olden days, traditional village customs, games and dances. They will be introduced to knightly virtues, and can learn the basics of duelling.

The Experience Farm is an ideal venue for a wide variety of educational programmes, including school trips, summer camps, excursions, outdoor classes and professional experience, which can be extended and developed in different ways. Additionally, it offers an excellent environment for researching topics, collecting data and performing direct observations to gather first-hand information in the course of the project-based approach to education (skill-based teaching) that is currently being introduced in both primary and secondary schools. As a link to professional training, it also has great potential for use in skill-based education, general education, professional experience and specialist training. The implementation of education projects at the Experience Farm can be an exemplar and model to be followed nationally with regard to the cooperation of business and public education.

Going even beyond education and training, the Experience Farm aims to place great emphasis on identifying and nurturing talent.

At the request of the Association of Institutions in Hegyhát, and with the cooperation of Sándor Petőfi Lutheran Secondary School of Bonyhád, the Experience Farm invited a competition in 2010 called “In Praise of Pannonia”, a title taken from Renaissance Hungarian poet Janus Pannonius. The goal of the competition is to identify and nurture talent at Hungarian schools, both within the national borders and abroad.

Main Square

Mediaeval knights have set up camp on the Main Square, right in front of the Renaissance Palace. Visitors are treated to a glimpse into their everyday lives and martial games. Next to the military camp, there is a bustling mediaeval marketplace.

Renaissance Palace

Visitors can partake in chivalric feasts at the grand hall of the Palace, the most beautiful building of the Experience Farm.

Jousting area

The most spectacular part of the Experience Farm is the jousting area, where visitors can watch contemporary martial games, and enjoy exciting battle scenes and horse-riding demonstrations.

Opening hours in 2011

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Project owner

Hella ’91 Ltd.

Renaissance Theme park at Bikal
7346 Bikal, Rákóczi u. 22.
Tel.: +36-72/459-546
info@elmenybirtok.hu
www.elmenybirtok.hu

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