Avas Church and its Bell Tower

The Reformed church at the northern foot of Avas Hill is the oldest building in downtown Miskolc. Originally a Catholic church, it was built in honour of King St Stephen, founder of the state in the 13th century, and was rebuilt three hundred years later after the Reformation, when the bell tower, originally built to be a chapel, took on its present function. The tower's distinctive chimes have been a part of everyday life in Miskolc since 1941, but its original story is not an everyday one: it was a special gift from Lajos Győry Nagy, a lawyer, and his brother István to their parents on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

The church and the bell tower, which have been renovated inside and out in recent years, are one of the city's most beautiful monuments and a dominant feature of the downtown panorama.