ABOUT  HUNGARY

Sights and towns throughout Hungary

Baja is a small town in the South of Hungary, on the east bank of the Danube. The Baroque Holy Trinity Column and the Town Hall with a neo-Renaissance façade are worth of interest.

Debrecen is Eastern Hungary's cultural center, the second largest city in the country. It is a school town with many colleges. It became a city in the 14th century with the fusion of a few villages. Markets renowned in Europe were already organized here. It is worthwhile to take a walk in the beautifully reconstructed center ( Aranybika Hotel, Kossuth statue, Reformation Great Church, Memorial Garden, College, Déri Museum). 

Eger is one of the most wonderful Baroque towns in Hungary with a glorious past and valuable groups of monuments. The town is situated in the North of Hungary. The "Valley of the Beautiful Women" with several hundred-year-old cellars and belonging to Eger, is part of the historic wine-region. Eger is famous for production of red "Egri Bikavér" (Bull's Blood of Eger) and of white "Egri Leányka" (Maiden of Eger). In Eger was built the third largest church in Hungary, the classicist Cathedral. There are many ecclesiastical buildings and palaces in Baroque and Rococo styles. In Turkish times the medieval castle has become a symbol of patriotism. Captain Dobó heroically defended the fortified castle against the vastly outnumbering Turkish army in 1552.
 

Gödöllő

Gödöllő is a town found in the capital's region, in the Gödöllő hillside. A famous building is the Grassalkovich Castle close to the town center. The castle was originally built in the 18th century. It was transformed into a royal summer home after 1867 and became the summer residence of Ferenc József and Queen Elisabeth (Sissi). The Castle has been
restored and can be visited by tourists.

 

Győr  the "town of rivers" or Arrabon, as the Romans called it, is a nearly 1000-year-old bishopric. It is famous for the battle which Napoleon won in 1809 and for its schools and industry. It has a nice downtown and beautifully restored Baroque buildings. The ancient "heart" of the town is the residence of the bishops and the Cathedral at Káptalan Hill. The Gothic chapel, the special ornaments and frescos of the old Cathedral all make it worth visiting.

 

Herend, North of Lake Balaton is famous for its porcelain manufacture, established in the 19th century. Th fine hand-made Herend porcelain always has been an exclusive gift for monarchs, princes and heads of state. The several models and patterns along with the hand-made operations can be marveled in the exhibition halls. One can even buy the products of porcelain.

 

Our king István (Stephen) founded in Kalocsa a bishopric in the 11th century.
The small town at the Danube (18,000 inhabitants) is until today an ecclesiastic
centre of Hungary. Worth of interest are the Baroque-style buildings, the neat pedestrian zone and exhibition halls of folk arts of the region.

Furthermore Kalocsa is renowned for production of paprika spice.
 

 Kecskemét in the Puszta  region (110,000 inhabitants, 87 kilometers from Budapest) has a very nice town centre with many famous Art Nouveau buildings. The outer parts of the town have a traditional market town atmosphere. In the Middle Ages it was a flourishing market town. Today is Kecskemét the most important settlement of the Great Plain between the river Danube and Tisza. Large-scale fuit production of the area is combined with prosperiong food industry (Kecskemét apricot brandy).

 

Keszthely lies on the western end of Lake Balaton. It is noted for its agricultural university, for its nice town centre and for the vicinity of the famous nearby spa, Hévíz. The Festetics Mansion, a Baroque palace, near the town centre is one of the largest and most impressive mansions of Hungary. It can be visited along with its precious exhibited items, fine furniture and its famous Helikon Library.
 

Ópusztaszer

Historical memorial place found in the southeastern part of Hungary. According to the historian Anonymus, prince Árpád held the first national assembly here. The Árpád memorial was prepared for the country's millenium (1896). The National Historical Memorial Garden was established in the 70's. An open-air folk art museum was also established here to depict the buildings, shops, workshops characteristic of the southern lowland plain.
The monuments and the Ethnographic Open Air museum lead back in nomadic times.

Mysterious crypts from Roman times, cupolated Turkish djamis, a slim minaret, exquisite Zsolnay ceramics, Csontváry paintings, decorative Vasarely patterns, almond trees blooming early in spring, atmospheric restaurants and cafés - this is Pécs, the 2000-year-old town with the Mediterranean climate and atmosphere at the southern foot of the Mecsek Hills. It has been a bishop's seat since 1009. Pécs is today famous for its universities.
 

New:
Pécs has been selected to be the European Capital of Culture in 2010 sharing the title together with Essen and Istanbul. The city's motto will be: "Borderless City".

Sümeg is a small town North to Lake Balaton.

From afar can be seen a medieval castle which stands on the hill of the town.
The castle is one of the best preserved ones in Hungary.
In Summer games of medieval knight tournaments are held here.
 

Veszprém
"The Town of Queens" - that's what this town is called. The country's first bishopric was established here because it was the duty of the Bishops of Veszprem to crown the Hungarian Queens.
Veszprém has many unique artifacts of Hungarian Church history: the country's oldest frescos can be found in the early-Gothic Gizella Chapel. We can also see the crypt of the Bishop's Cathedral which retains a precious relic of the first Hungarian Queen, Giselle of Bavaria.
Saint George's Chapel, built during the 9th and 10th centuries, must have been the first church in the country. The classicist Piarist grammar school, church and monastery were built in the 18th century.
From the old town opens a wonderful panorama on the nearby peaks of the Bakony Hills.