Nagyharsány Sculpture Park

The founding charter stipulated that each artist should donate one of his or her works produced at the camp to the public collection of the symposium. This meant the basis for what has become today’s open-air sculpture park.

In the early years, emerging Hungarian artists were invited to participate, and later sculptors from abroad, from Norway to Italy, from the United States to Japan, also joined in. The workshop has become an excellent place for artists to network and develop their skills.

The works on display are free of the ideology of socialist art management system, but instead they raise issues of exclusively aesthetic and artistic nature, thus outlining a picture of the real art of the period. Among the artists are such renowned masters as Gyula Bocz, István Bencsik, Sándor Kígyós, Wladislaw Tumkiewicz (Poland), Vittorio di Muzo (Italy), Pierre Székely (France/Hungary).

Made from local stone in the most spacious studio possible, in the open air, the works of art almost come to life in the sculpture park, the discontinued quarry thus having become a real home for the artworks. The backdrop for the sculptures to the north and west is given by a steep wall of Upper Jurassic limestone surviving from the abandoned quarry, while to the south stretches the endless landscape of the Drava lowland.
In 2009 the collection of artworks became a listed monument.
Since spring 2012, the Nagyharsány Sculpture Park has been managed by Duna-Drava National Park Directorate. In 2020, a new, modern visitor building, in a style that was thought to be fitting the landscape, replaced the former simple ticket office, and a panorama walkway structure was built along the edge of the rock wall surrounding the sculpture park. The new visitor facility houses the ticket office, restrooms, an exhibition and a central hall with a video projector, display boards about NATURA 2000 values and the history of creative work in the sculpture park, and a small rock exhibit. From the roof terrace of the building you can view the sculpture collection which has been growing since 1967, now including 130 pieces of art work. The ’Kikerics’ panorama walkway, built on the cliff edge, allows visitors to move around safely while protecting the area's flora from trampling damage, as they walk on a metal structure with handrails, raised above ground level. Information panels at the beginning of the walkway and at the uppermost viewing point which overhangs startlingly atop the sculpture park, provide visitors with a wealth of information about the walkway structure itself and the endemic Hungarian crocus living there.
About the name

The sculpture park is known by public under a variety of names: “Nagyharsány Sculpture Park”, “Villány Sculpture Park” “Villány Sculpting Camp”, or “Villány Art Camp”. Because the sculpture park is located in the administrative area of Nagyharsány, the creative activities of the symposia took place here, the finished works of art can be viewed here, and the Gyimóthy Villa, which served as the artists' residence, is also located in Nagyharsány, the name “Nagyharsány Sculpture Park" was chosen.

Information
szoborpark@ddnp.hu
+36303096855

Opening hours
1 April – 30 September: 9.00-19.00 daily
1 October – 31 March: 10.00-16.00 daily

Prices
Adults: HUF 1000/person
Up to 18 years, students, pensioners, teachers: HUF 500/person
Children up to 3 years of age: registration ticket: 100 HUF/person

Tickets are valid for both the Sculpture Park and the Kikerics Panorama Walkway.