EYEWITNESS TRAVEL HUNGARY

. Dome/Cupola ESZTERGOM  149
A steep flight of
steps leads up to VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
the dome’s viewing
platform, from Practical Information
where there are Szent István tér 1. Road Map C3.
superb views over Tel (33) 40 23 54. Open Cathedral:
Esztergom and the Mar: 8am–5pm daily; Apr: to 6pm;
Danube Bend – and May–Aug: to 7pm; Sep & Oct: to
Stúrovo in Slovakia on 6pm; Nov & Dec: to 4pm. Cupola
the northern bank. & Bell Tower: Mar: 9am–5pm daily;
Apr: to 6pm; May–Aug: to 7pm;
Sep & Oct: to 6pm; Nov & Dec: to
4pm. Treasury: Mar–Oct: 9am–
4:30pm daily; Nov & Dec: 11am–
3:30pm Tue–Fri, 10am–3:30pm
Sat & Sun. Crypt: Mar–Oct: 9am–
4:30pm; Nov & Dec: 10am–2:30pm
daily. & 8 7 ^ Treasury,
Crypt. 0 _ Jun–Aug.

Transport
£@4

Basilica
Esztergom Basilica is distinguished by its
outer simplicity and inner beauty. A grand
but plain façade gives way to priceless
treasures and superbly rich decoration.

Entrance Main entrance . Bakócz Chapel
The red-marble Bakócz chapel
opens to the basilica’s nave.
Built in Florentine Renaissance
style, it is named after Cardinal
Tamás Bakócz (c.1442–1521),
who is laid to rest here.

Primates of All Hungary
Former archbishops commemorated in
statuary include the 15th-century Dénes
Szécsi (left) and the 19th-century János
Simor, whose vast, private Christian art
collection formed the basis of the
Esztergom Christian Museum (see pp146-7.



HUNGARY REGION BY REGION  151

NORTHERN
TRANSDANUBIA

For centuries, Northern Transdanubia was Hungary’s
golden triangle, the conduit in trade and commerce
between the twin capitals of Vienna and Budapest; it was
where the empire’s greatest families built their mansions with profits made
in the region’s factories. Recently, tourism has surpassed industry as a main
source of income, with Bük’s thermal baths and Lake Fertő the main attractions.

Much of the western part of this region One of Hungary’s most historic complexes,
is classic frontier territory. The Őrség its Benedictine monks resisted all invasions
region, Kőszeg, Szentgotthárd and Sopron, and tests of their faith. The abbey at Zirc,
Hungary’s most westerly city, were for further south, is no less important.
centuries bulwarks against invaders.
Nowhere else in Hungary is it more In recent times the west of the region has
apparent that Austria and Hungary were seen a determined search for oil. Although
once parts of the same empire. Sopron, in some oil has been found, many probes
fact, is closer to Vienna than to Budapest – found little except hot water; indeed, the
its street signs are often in German and springs that serve the thermal resort of
well-dressed Viennese throng its charming Bükfürdő were discovered this way.
old town. Further south, in Szombathely,
German as well as Hungarian can be The east of Transdanubia includes
heard, and, at the popular Lake Fertő, Székesfehérvár, where for 500 years
Hungarians are outnumbered by visitors Hungarian kings and queens were
in summer. Yet this is proudly Hungary. crowned, and Lake Velence, a quiet spot
and a favourite with all nature-lovers.
Close to Győr, a city of legends that is as The real natural wonder of Northern
far from Vienna as it is from Budapest, is Transdanubia, however, is the Bakony
the astonishing abbey of Pannonhalma. Forest, which offers some of the most
spectacular driving routes in the country.

A verdant landscape in the rolling Northern Transdanubia hills
The Firewatch Tower on the corner of the town hall, Sopron

152  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

Exploring Northern Transdanubia Bratislava

The most varied region of Hungary, Northern Transdanubia is Vienna
characterized by its gentle hills, green valleys, lush forests and MOSONMAGYARÓVÁR
beautiful imperial towns, including Székesfehérvár, one of the
country’s architectural gems. There is also the historic town of
Kőszeg to see, the fortress-like Pannonhalma Monastery to
explore, the thermal waters of Sárvár and Bük and Lake Fertő
to relax in, as well as the vineyards around Pápa to visit.

FERTŐRÁKOS Neusiedler Jánossomorja
See

SOPRON FERTŐ-HANSÁG Répce
NATIONAL PARK
CSORNA
NAGYCENK KAPUVÁR

FERTŐD

GYOR-MOSON-

Szany

Répcelak

BÜK Rába rcal
KŐSZEG Ma

SZOMBATHELY SÁRVÁR Celldömölk

TheTrinity Column in Fő tér in Sopron, JÁK VA S
celebrating relief from the plague
Jánosháza

Vasvár

Szentgotthárd Körmend SÜMEG
Zalalövő
ŐRSEG REGION Zalaszentgrót Keszthely
ZALAEGERSZEG
Szalafő

Őriszentpéter

K

erka Bak Keszthely

ZALA Principális-cs.

Lenti

Key Mura Letenye Siófok
Motorway Zagreb
Major road NAGYKANIZSA
Secondary road Kaposvár
Minor road
Main railway
Minor railway
International border
Regional border

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  153

Getting Around Bas-relief on the Széchenyi Mansion in Nagycenk

The M1 motorway between Budapest and Vienna
provides quick access to Northern Transdanubia, and
is ideal for exploring the places in this chapter,
including Győr, Tata, Mosonmagyaróvár and Lake
Fertő. High-speed trains run between Budapest and
Vienna, many of which stop at Győr. Slower, local

services serve other towns and cities in the region.
From Győr, there are good roads – but poor rail
and bus services – to the western cities of
Zalaergerszeg and Szombathely.

Mo

soni-Duna Duna (Danube)
KOMÁROM
Rábca GYŐR Lábatlan Esztergom
Budapest
Ménfőcsanak Pér TATA
Budapest
SOPRON K O M Á R O M - Tatabánya Bicske
ESZTERGOM
Tét PANNONHALMA
Kisbér
Oroszlány

Fenyőfő Csákvár Tárnok
PÁPA Mór

FBOARKEOSNT Y Cuha Budapest
Gaja MARTONVÁSÁR
VESZPRÉM
ZIRC
Ajka Veszprém SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

Várpalota VELENCEI ube)n
Veszprém LAKE Duna (D a
Puszta-
Polgárdi szabolcs

TÁC
Sárosd

Siófok FEJÉR
Dunaújváros
Enying Sárbogárd

0 kilometres 20 Sió Cece
0 miles Dombóvár Simontornya
20
Szekszárd

Sights at a Glance q Őrség Region a Fertőd
w Ják s Kapuvár
1 Martonvásár e Szombathely d Csorna
2 Lake Velence r Sárvár f Mosonmagyaróvár
3 Székesfehérvár pp156–9 t Bük g Győr pp178–9
4 Tác y Kőszeg pp168–9 h Pannonhalma pp180–81
5 Zirc u Nagycenk j Komárom
6 Pápa i Sopron pp172–5 k Tata
8 Sümeg o Fertő-Hanság National Park
9 Zalaegerszeg p Fertőrákos Tour
0 Nagykanizsa
7 Bakony Forest pp160–61

For additional keys to symbols see back flap

154  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

Brunswick Mansion in Martonvásár, housing a small Beethoven Museum though all offer a variety of
places to stay. Agárd is the
1 Martonvásár 2 Lake Velence most developed, and has an
excellent thermal bath complex.
30 km (19 miles) southwest of 50 km (31 miles) southwest of Most non-Hungarian visitors
Budapest. Road Map C3. * 5,500. Budapest. Road Map C4. £ from to Velence head for the western
£ from Budapest. @ from Budapest to Velence or Gárdony. shore. More than 30,000 birds
Budapest. @ from Budapest to Velence or spend the spring here, nesting
in the marshes and reeds.
Gárdony. n Tourinform, Szabadság Species to be spotted include
The village of Martonvásár has út 24, Gárdony, (22) 57 00 77; Halász spoonbills, herons and geese.
existed since medieval times, utca 37, Velence, (22) 47 03 02. Since 1958 the lake has been
a protected bird reserve. The
but its principal attraction is Tourinform office in Gárdony can
put birdwatchers in touch with
Brunswick Mansion. Towards Velence means “Venice” in local tour groups and guides.

the end of the 18th century, the Hungarian, although there 3 Székesfehérvár

entire village was bought by the similarities end. See pp156–9.

the German Brunswick family, A shallow body of 4 Tác

and the original Baroque water with no islands, 11 km (7 miles) south of Székesfe-
hérvár. Road Map C4. * 1,500.
palace was built Lake Velence is popular @ from Székesfehérvár. _ Floralia
Festival (late Apr–early May), Ludi
for Antal Brunswick. with day-trippers from Romani Festival (mid-Aug–mid-Sep).

A century later, Budapest. It is less On a vast site a 10-minute walk
outside the tiny village of Tác
in 1875, it was crowded than are the impressive remains of
the Roman city of Herculia.
totally rebuilt, Lake Balaton, Uncovered during excavation
work in 1934–9, Herculia began
this time in the attracting mainly life in the 1st century AD as a
military base called Gorsium,
Neo-Gothic style. anglers and swim- growing in size and importance
to become the capital of the
While the house mers, the latter province of Valeria (Lower
Pannonia) by the 3rd century.
is closed to the Piano in the Beethoven enjoying the
public, the superb Memorial Museum warm water (up to Set up as the Gorsium
parklands can 26° C/80° F in high Open-Air Museum (Gorsium
Szabadtéri Múzeum in Régészeti
be enjoyed by visitors. summer). Three small beach Park) since 1962, the site is well
cared for though lacking in
The estate’s church, built in resorts on the eastern shore,

1775, is largely unaltered. Its Velence, Gárdony and Agárd,

interior is decorated with more or less blend into each

well- preserved frescoes. other. None has any great charm,

Ludwig van Beethoven was

a regular visitor to the original

mansion and gave music les-

sons to the daughters. Some

rooms adjoining the mansion

now house a small Beethoven

Memorial Museum (Beethoven

Emlékmúzeum).

P Brunswick Mansion The mooring jetties on Lake Velence, popular with visitors from Budapest
Brunszvick utca 2. Open (park only)
8am–5pm daily (to 4pm winter).
&7

E Beethoven Memorial Museum
Brunszvick utca 2. Tel (22) 56 95 00.
Open 10am–noon, 2–4pm Tue–Fri,
10am–noon, 1–4pm Sat & Sun. & 7

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  155

major attractions. While it is Façade of the Zirc Cistercian Abbey, home 6 Pápa
possible with the naked eye to the Reguly Antal Library
to make out the shapes of 51 km (32 miles) northwest of Vesz­
houses, the theatre and the from 1750. The altar paintings prém. Road Map B3. * 34,000.
forum, the guidebook available and frescoes inside are the work £ from Budapest, Tatabánya, Győr.
from the ticket office is a must of Franz Anton Maulbertsch. @ from Tatabánya, Veszprém. n
to understand how it all worked. The most visited part of the Tourinform, Márton István utca 10, (89)
Digs continue: unearthed abbey, however, is its Reguly 77 70 47. ∑ papa.hu
treasure (including pottery, Antal Library, complete with
coins, masonry and weaponry) 80,000 volumes kept on lush, An important fortified town first
is displayed in a small museum cherrywood bookshelves. mentioned in 1051, Pápa was held
by the entrance. There are Greek The abbey is also home by the Turks from 1594 to 1683. It
and Roman plays and other to the Bakony Natural History fell into decline after being razed
performances held as part of Museum, with exhibitions by fire in 1685. In the 18th century
the ancient Floralia and Ludi on the flora and fauna of it was rebuilt and found new pur­
Romani festivals. Details are the Bakony hills and forest. pose in 24 watermills driven by the
available from the Tourinform Tapolca river. The mills served
office in Székesfehérvár. In the town of Zirc itself is an the corn, textile and paper
extensive arboretum, with more industries of the region. Pápa’s
T Gorsium Open-Air Museum than 60 kinds of trees and shrubs, two most important sights stem
Fő utca 6, Tác. Tel (22) 31 55 83. including an over 400­year­old from this boom period.
Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm daily; oak tree. The Reguly Antal
Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm daily. & 7 Museum, a small but interesting The Esterházy Palace
exhibition, is dedicated to the (Esterházy Kastély), on Fő tér,
life of the early 20th­century was constructed in 1783–4 by
pioneer in Finno­Ugric József Grossmann for Count
linguistics and explorer. Ferenc. Baroque in style, it was
badly damaged in World War II
and neglected under the
Communists. Guided tours take
visitors through the renovated
baroque rooms and halls.

The giant Great Church of
St Stephen, built in 1774–86
to designs by Jakab Fellner,
dominates everything.
After Fellner’s death, József
Grossmann completed the
work. The statue above the
gable and the frescoes inside
feature St Stephen the Martyr.

Excavated Roman ruins, at the Gorsium R Zirc Cistercian Abbey P Esterházy Palace
Open-Air Museum in Tác Rákóczi tér 1. Tel (88) 59 36 75. Fő tér 1. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm
Open 9am–5pm Tue–Sun. & 8 Tue–Sun; Nov–Mar: 9am–5pm Tue–
5 Zirc ∑ zirciapatsag.hu Sun. ∑ esterhazykastely.papa.hu

51 km (32 miles) northwest of
Veszprém. Road Map B3. * 7,500.
£ from Veszprém, Győr. @ from
Veszprém. n Tourinform, József Attila
utca 1, (88) 41 68 16.

The small town of Zirc, on the Statue of a lion outside the Esterházy Palace in Pápa
northern fringes of the Bakony
Forest (see pp160–61) is
dominated by its Cistercian
Abbey (Római katolikus
cisztercita templom, Nagy­
boldogasszony). Standing on
a hill above the town, at an
altitude of 400 m (1,312 ft), the
abbey was founded as early
as 1182, although the current
complex (including the twin­
spired Baroque basilica) dates

156  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

3 Street-by-Street: Székesfehérvár Town Hall
Székesfehérvár’s
The cobbled, car-free streets of the old town in 18th-century town
Székesfehérvár are packed with historically and hall was originally
religiously significant buildings. For 500 years built as a palace for
this was the location of Hungary’s coronation the Zichy family.
church; the sarcophagus of the country’s first
Christian king, St István, is still here today. As Hetedhét Toy
one of the last stands of the German Army Museum and
during World War II took place in these streets, Hiemer-House
it is little short of a miracle that the medieval
and Baroque buildings surrounding Városház tér UTCA
survive. Around them everything was destroyed
– hence the bland feel of the rest of the city.

.St Anne’s Chapel JÓKAI JUHÁSZ
Dating from the

15th century, St Anne’s
Chapel is the only part of
medieval Székesfehérvár

to have survived the
Turkish occupation.

. St István’s MEGYEHÁZ UTCA
Cathedral ARANY J. UTCA
The entrance to
the cathedral was
remodelled in the
1770s by Franz Anton

Hildebrandt. The
statues above the
door are of István,
László and Imre.

Carmelite Monastery 0 metres Clockwork
The magnificent altar (1768), 0 yards
featuring scenes from the life of the Budenz
Virgin Mary, is the work of Viennese House
master Franz Anton Maulbertsch.
50
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 50

Deák Black Eagle Pharmacy Museum SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR  157
Collection Hundreds of old medicine
bottles and an amazing VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
frescoed ceiling adorn this
Baroque pharmacy, which Practical Information
operated until 1971. 60 km (37 miles) SW of Budapest.
Road Map C4. * 99,000.
n Tourinform, Oskola utca 2–4,
(22) 53 72 61. ( daily, Piac tér.
∑ szekesfehervar.hu

Transport
£ from Budapest. @ from
Budapest. Piac tér.

OSKOLA
UTCA

FŐ
UTCA
UTCA
VÁROSHÁZ LAKATOS UTCA Cistercian Church and
TÉR Monastery
The Baroque 18th-century altar
fresco in this church was painted
by local artists under the
direction of the German-born
painter Caspar Franz Sambach.

KOSSUTH UTCA

Garden of Ruins
The vast size of the Royal
Basilica and burial chapel that
once stood here can be easily
imagined by tracing the

outline of the ruins.

Key
Suggested route

. Bishop’s Palace
The Baroque palace, designed by Jakob
Rieder, was built in 1801 using stone taken
mainly from the ruins of the Royal Basilica.

158  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

Exploring Székesfehérvár P Hiemer-House
Hiemer-Ház
Around 897, the Magyar chieftain Árpád (see p39) created Oskola utca 2–4. Tel (22) 53 72 61.
a permanent settlement, and with it the first Hungarian Open by arrangement only. 7

town, on the Székesfehérvár plain. Prince Géza, his great- The Hiemer House, with its
grandson, built a castle here in 972, and St István, Géza’s Baroque-Rococo main façade,
son, erected a vast basilica. The walled city that grew up consists of three medieval
around it was the site of Hungary’s Diet, or Parliament, buildings on Hungary’s National
for 500 years, until the Turks occupied the city and the Heritage list. One building,
inhabitants fled in 1543. Székesfehérvár flourished in adjoining Jókai Street, once
functioned as a parsonage;

the 1800s and 1900s. In World War II much of the town was another, the Font house, was
destroyed, but the historic centre (see pp156–7) was spared. a school and store. The Caraffa
building was a combination

E St István Király Museum E Deák Collection of school, flats and stores. One
Szent István Király Múzeum Városi Képtár Deák-gyűjtemény part of the complex houses the
Fő utca 6. Tel (22) 31 55 83. Oskola utca 10. Tel (22) 32 94 31. Hetedhét Toy Museum (below).
Open 10am–6pm daily. & 8 Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. & 7

German and Hungarian only. An overview of the history of
∑ szikm.hu modern Hungarian art, Dénes
Deák’s (1931–93) collection
The friary of the Cistercian

church (see p157) houses a features early 20th-century
collection of artifacts from artists Rippl-Rónai and Gulácsy,
the Fejér region. The earliest modern European School artists

exhibits go back as far as the Imre Ámos and Margit Anna

Neolithic Age, and there is and Tihamér Gyarmathy’s
also a significant collection contemporary abstract art.
of Roman treasure. The most Sculpture and graphic art are

recent finds include parts of also represented.
the sarcophagus of St István, R St István’s Cathedral
most of which is in the Garden

of Ruins (see p157). The friary Szent István Székesegyház Exhibits from the Hetedhét Toy Museum,
itself was built at the same time Arany János utca 9. Tel (22) 31 displaying fascinating detail
as the church, and completed 51 14. Open Apr–mid-Oct: 9am–
in 1751. It first housed Jesuit, 5pm Tue–Sun. E Hetedhét Toy Museum
then Franciscan, and finally
Cistercian monks. The museum Béla IV founded this church,
later renovated in Baroque style,

has temporary exhibitions at in which parts of the original Hetedhét Játékmúzeum
the Ceremonial Hall, Hungarian coronation ceremony
Országzászló tér 3. took place. After 1777 it became Oskola utca 2-4. Tel (22) 20 26 01.
a cathedral and its prominent
E Black Eagle Pharmacy twin towers were added. The Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. &
Museum statues show István, László and The museum, located in part of
the Hiemer-House (above), holds
Hungary’s largest collection of

Fekete Sas Patikamúzeum Imre. The city’s coat of arms sits dolls (mainly from the 18th-
Fő utca 5. Tel (22) 31 55 83.
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. 7 above the main portal. century), plus doll’s houses, tin

The city’s pharmacy moved
into this elegant two-storey

Baroque house in 1774. It

remained open for business
until as late as 1971, when

it was bought by the State

and renovated and reopened
as a museum two years later.
The museum has a collection

of old medicine bottles and
medical implements, but
much more interesting

are the colourful frescoes
on the arched ceiling, and
the gorgeously intricate

original wooden fixtures and Interior of St István’s Cathedral, with ceiling frescoes by Johannes Cymbal
fittings dating from 1758.

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR  159

soldiers and castles and other Detail on the clock at No. 9 Kossuth Street area and of Székesfehérvár’s Serb
toys, which have all been community, of its traders and
assembled by Éva Moskovszky, a clock is the focal point of a craftsmen, with exhibitions on
retired librarian of the Hungarian colourful Secessionist house shoemakers, leather-workers and
National Museum. The detail and that has become increasingly furriers. Also on Rác utca is the
opulence of these toys are aston- hemmed in by the less inter- Ráctemplom, the single-nave Serb
ishing – the dolls wear genuine esting buildings surrounding it. church, a Baroque 18th-century
pearl necklaces and the tiny The interior of the building can building with colourful, fully
homes, copies of homes built be visited by prior arrangement. restored icons. Many of them
between 1800 and 1930, are had been hidden by soot for the
immaculately furnished with real E Open-Air Ethnographical best part of a century.
Herend porcelain (see p207). Even Museum
the clocks on the doll’s house Palotavárosi Skanzen + Bory Castle
walls are in full working order. Rác utca 11. Tel (22) 31 55 83. Bory Vár
Open by arrangement. & 8 7 Máriavölgy út 54. Tel (22) 30 55 70.
R Carmelite Church Open Mar–mid-Oct: 9am–5pm daily;
Karmelita templom Unlike other village museums in late Oct–mid-Nov: 9am–4pm daily.
Hungary, which are usually located Closed late Nov–Feb. & ∑ bory-
Petőfi Sándor utca 2. Open Apr–mid- outside towns, Palotavárosi is set var.hu
close to the city centre, in the
Oct: 9am–6pm Tue–Sun. 7 suburbs of Székesfehérvár. Visitors The most-visited sight in
entering the cobbled streets of Székesfehérvár is the whimsical
Not fully completed until 1769, the museum (which for centuries Bory Castle, built over two
the church was designed by was the Rácváros, or Serb area of decades by the sculptor and
an anonymous architect. The the city) find themselves in a lost architect Jenő Bory (1879–1959).
Carmelites were so desperate world. At No. 11 Rác utca, a small Construction first began in the
for a place to worship that museum tells the story of the mid-1920s, when Bory had a
they began holding their group of his students build him
services in the unfinished (but a small cottage and plant a
consecrated) church in 1732, a vineyard. He then added various
year after construction began, parts to it, the designs becoming
when the building was little gradually more colourful and
more than a shell. The exterior daring, until, at the time of his
is Baroque, with a single, death, the cottage had grown
modest tower. The real glory into a veritable fantasy land,
of the church, however, are part Roman forum, part Gothic
the colourful, dramatic ceiling castle, with touches of just
frescoes inside, most of which about every other architectural
are the work of Franz Anton style thrown in. Some of the
Maulbertsch, a native of Vienna castle’s rooms exhibit Bory’s
who worked on a number of sculptures, as well as paintings
churches in the area around by his wife, Ilona Komócsin,
Lake Balaton. He also painted also responsible for most of
the altar and the crucifix in the exterior art.
the oratory. The ceiling frescoes
were damaged during a
minor earthquake in 1800,
and suffered further during
the Napoleonic wars when the
church was transformed into
a hospital. They were restored
during the 1950s. Outside the
church, set into the southern
wall, is a statue of Louis the
Great, the work of Hungarian
sculptor Ödön Moiret.

P Clockwork The romantic Bory Castle, a blend of architectural styles
Órajáték

Kossuth utca 9. 7

The vivid and playful clock in the
small pedestrian square behind
No. 9 Kossuth Street chimes every
2 hours from spring to autumn,
while small figures dressed as
hussars march by every two
hours from 10am to 6pm. The

160  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

7 A Tour Around the Bakony 5 Bakonykoppány
A centre of the Bakony
The Bakony refers to the volcanic mountain range that rises wine-making industry,
the area is famous for its
behind the northern shore of Lake Balaton, as well as to the dense full-bodied white wines.
Visitors should look out for
forests that cover the hills and valleys of the region, stretching the wine-press houses,
which are dotted amongst
from Balaton in the south as far as Pannonhalma Abbey in the the vineyards.

north. Dotted with vineyards and old wine-press houses, it is one Csót

of the most scenic parts of Hungary. It Győr
was devastated during the Turkish

withdrawal from Hungary in the

17th century, and resettled

with Saxons from Germany

in the 18th century. Many Pápa Nagygyimót Béb
of the villages today have Ugod
Bakonyszücs
a distinctly Germanic feel. Borsosgyőr

6 Pápa Kéttornyúlak
The Viennese

artist Johann Ignaz

Mildorfer is resp- Tapolcafő

onsible for the beautiful Pápa- Tapol
ceiling fresco found at the kovácsi ca
Esterházy Palace Chapel.

The town is also known for its

rich, royal blue cloth, made here

by the Kluge family since 1783, for

seven generations until 1956. Ganna Iharkút

Döbrönte

7 Bakonyjákó Németbánya
Set in a picture-postcard spot, this village was one of many
in the Bakony that was popular with German settlers in the Farkasgyepű
18th century. Many of the houses are typically Saxon, set at
a right angle to the main road.

8 Városlőd Csehbánya
At the meeting point of the Northern and
Southern Bakony stand the ruins of the Magyarpolány
11th-century Hölgykő Castle, destroyed
Bakonygyepes
by the Turks in the 16th century.
Városlőd was repopulated by German Ajkarendek Kislőd
Torna
settlers in the 18th century.

Körmend

9 Ajka Padragkút
Fine handmade glass, crystal and

porcelain have been produced in
Ajka since German settlers set up

a factory here in 1878. Although
the factory itself is not open to

the public, there are two
shops in the village selling
wares made at the factory.

0 Úrkút
The route from Ajka to Herend, passing through
Úrkút and the Szentgál Valley, is one of the most

scenic in Hungary, offering up a wealth of
gentle hills and wonderful views.

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  161

4 Kőris-hegy Tips for Drivers
An easy hiking trail
takes walkers from Tour length: 130 km (81 miles)
Bakonybél at the foot All the roads on the tour are in
of the hill up to the good condition, though the
summit of Kőris-hegy; minor routes from Zirc to Pápa
at 704 m (2,309 ft), the and from Ajka to Herend get very
highest of the Bakony narrow and twisty in places.
hills. The path leads Stopping-off points: Zirc, with
back down to Zirc on its museum, Cistercian Abbey
the other side. and arboretum, is a good choice
for a short stop, while the larger
3 Bakonybél and busier town of Pápa, with its
The gently sloping, grassy hills above the pretty pretty historic centre, offers a
village of Bakonybél are accessible via a number wealth of choices for lunch.
of well-marked hiking trails, and make superb
spots for picnic lunches.

J 2 Zirc
Famous for its large

Cistercian Abbey, Zirc is
Győr also home to the

Borzavár Bakony Natural
History Museum.
Cuha
Gerence Tündérmajor Nagyesztergár

J
Zirc

Pénzesgyőr Akli Olaszfalu

Lókút Eplény
Hárskút
Középső-Hajag
646 m

Herend Márkó Gyulafirátót 1 Veszprém
Szentgál Séd Hungary’s best-preserved
Székesfehérvár, castle district rises above
Budapest one of the country’s most
prosperous cities. With
Kádárta many fine restaurants, this
is a good place to start and
end the tour.

Veszprém 0 kilometres 5
0 miles
5

q Herend Key
The hand-painted porcelain Motorway
made here is famous the Tour route
world over. Visitors may visit Major road
the museum and exhibitions, Other road
and also watch some of the 600 Main railway
artists who work here in action.
For keys to symbols see back flap

162  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

8 Sümeg Zalaegerszeg’s city centre is
brightened up by the former
43 km (27 miles) north of Keszthely. synagogue, today a concert
Road Map B4. * 7,000. £ from and exhibition hall. Designed
Keszthely, Tapolca. @ from Keszthely, by József Stern, its bright and
Zalaegerszeg. n Tourinform, Kossuth lively motifs betray its late
Lajos utca 15, (20) 417 63 46. Secession-era construction
(1904), though the two domes
This pretty town has been Decorative elements on the former add a little religious dignity.
inhabited since Roman times synagogue in Zalaegerszeg
and is dominated by its castle, E Göcseji Village Museum &
which sits atop the 270-m- 9 Zalaegerszeg Finno-Ugric Ethnographical
(885-ft-) high Castle Hill. Sümeg Museum
Castle (Sümeg Vár), first built in 44 km (27 miles) east of Keszthely. Falumúzeum utca. Tel (92) 70 32 95.
the 13th century though almost Road Map A4. * 60,000. £ from Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun;
completely reconstructed in Budapest. @ from Keszthely. Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm Tue–Sat. & 8
the 16th, is one of the best n Tourinform, Széchenyi tér 4–6, Hungarian. 7 ∑ gocsejiskanzen.hu
preserved in Hungary. It houses (92) 31 61 60. ( Piac tér, daily.
an exhibition on the town’s ∑ zalaegerszegturizmus.hu Statue of Sándor Petőfi and a soldier,
history, weapons, and coaches, in Nagykanizsa
as well as a hair-raisingly realistic Zalaegerszeg, capital of the
torture chamber. During the Zala region and Hungary’s 0 Nagykanizsa
summer there are lively re- leading oil town, has a number
enactments of historic battles, of attractions that make a stop 50 km (23 miles) south of Zalaeger-
jousting contests and medieval here worthwhile. The first is szeg. Road Map A5. * 53,000. £
dancing in the courtyard. the Göcseji Village Museum from Budapest. @ from Keszthely,
Tourinform will have details (Göcseji Falumúzeum), the Zalaegerszeg. n Tourinform,
of performances. oldest such in Hungary, Csengery utca 1–3, (93) 31 32 85.
located on a tranquil back
The town’s main attraction, water of the River Zala. Set Originally a castle town,
however, is the Roman Catholic up in 1968, it displays more Nagykanizsa found wealth in
Church of the Ascension than 40 buildings, brought the late 17th century first as a
(built 1756–7) on Bíró Márton here from 22 nearby villages. cattle-trading town, then in the
utca. Though unspectacular The famous Nodding Jennies late 19th century as a hub for
from outside, inside it has a are part of the Museum of the food processing. The city centre
series of frescoes by Austrian Hungarian Petroleum Industry, around Szabadság tér was built
Franz Anton Maulbertsch, a the second significant oil and over the site of the castle, used
leading figure in late Baroque gas museum in Europe. as a mosque by the Turks and
art. The frescoes, perhaps his destroyed by the Habsburgs in
greatest work, were painted in 1705. The fountain in the middle
1757–8 and tell the story of the of the square marks the former
gospel, from the Annunciation castle entrance. The Baroque
below the organ gallery to the Catholic church, on Zárda utca,
Ascension in the dome. was built in 1702–14 using
remnants of the castle. The
+ Sümeg Castle city’s Neo-Classical synagogue,
at Fő utca 6, built in 1807–10,
Tel (87) 35 27 37 or (30) 625 70 03. is being restored. In the
middle of Déak tér is a statue
Open daily, subject to weather. & of the Hungarian poet Sándor
Petőfi (1823–49).
Courtyard of Sümeg Castle, now the site of re-enactments of medieval battles
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  163

(Őrségi Népi Műemlékegyüttes).

Here, visitors can see an Őrség

house as it would have looked

in the early 19th century,

complete with cooking utensils

and other domestic items.

Other settlements worth visiting

are Velemér, which has a

14th­century church with fine

frescoes, and Hegyhátszent­

jakab, where visitors can admire

a splendid medieval church.

Nearby, Lake Vadása is

popular with swimmers and

anglers. On the northern

borders of the Őrség are two

towns of note: Szentgotthárd

and Körmend. Both are good

Őriszentpéter, the largest of the villages in the Őrség region access points for the Őrség, and

q Őrség Region is rightly proud of its both have attractions of their
own: Körmend is home to the

50 km (31 miles) west of Zalaegerszeg. 13th­century Romanesque Baroque Batthány Mansion
Road Map A4. £ to Szentgotthárd St Peter Church, at Templomszer built for the family in the
from Körmend. @ to Őriszentpéter 15. It is almost entirely original, 17th century. A small part of
Őrség from Szentgotthárd and containing fragments of the building is open to visitors.
Körmend. n Tourinform Őrség, Siska­ 16th­century frescoes, which, At Szentgotthárd the ceiling
szer 26A, Őriszentpéter, (94) 54 80 34. given the number of fires frescoes of the Cistercian
that have plagued the village Monastery Church, painted

Since the 10th century and the over time, is little short in 1785 by István Dorfmeister,

first Magyar excursions into of miraculous. are outstanding.

the region, the Őrség has been Six km (4 miles) away, Szalafő

a frontier land, populated by is the second­largest village in E Szalafő Open­Air

hardy warriors who swore to the region, consisting of six Ethnographical Museum

defend Hungary’s borders in szers. The largest of these is Pityerszer 12. Tel (94) 54 80 34. Open

exchange for a lifetime’s tax today the Szalafő Open­Air Apr–Oct: 10am–5pm daily (to 6pm

exemption. Covered in lush Ethnographical Museum Jun–Aug). & 8 Hungarian only. 7

forests, the gently sloping

hills of the Őrség – today

designated a National Park –

were traditionally sprinkled

with small hilltop settlements,

never comprising more than

10 houses. Some 18 of these

settlements remain, almost all of

which are beautifully preserved,

many containing wooden

houses with characteristic

overhanging roofs, dating

back to the 13th century. The

settlements, called szers, all

follow the same pattern: the

houses are grouped around

a courtyard, in the middle of

which are stables.

The largest of the Őrség

villages is Őriszentpéter, which

in June hosts the Őrség Fair,

a weekend of folk music, craft

fairs and traditional dancing

competitions. Őriszentpéter

is, in fact, a collection of

timber and thatched szers

that came together to form

one community. The village The grand façade of the 17th-century Batthány Mansion in Körmend

The library at Pannonhalma Abbey, a magnificent repository of Hungarian scholarship





166  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

The impressive hilltop Benedictine abbey church in Ják collection of ecclesiastical
art. Another room contains
w Ják e Szombathely a series of frescoes by István
Dorfmeister based on life in
12 km (7 miles) south of Szombathely. 101 km (60 miles) southwest of Győr. ancient Savaria.
Road Map A4. * 2,400. @ from
Road Map A3. * 115,000. £ from A short walk from the
Szombathely. cathedral is Fő tér, today
Sopron, Győr. @ from Zalaergeszeg. the main centre of the city
and a shopper’s paradise that
The Benedictine St George’s n Tourinform, Király utca 1/A, (94) 31 is popular with mothers and
children. There are further
72 69. _ Bartók Classical Music Roman ruins at the Iseum Ruin
Garden on Batthány tér, featuring
Abbey Church (Jáki Szent Festival (Jul); Savaria Carnival (Aug). a temple to the goddess Isis,
believed to be one of only three
György Bence’s Apátsági ever found in Europe. Next door
is the Szombathely Gallery. In
Templom) is the best-preserved Founded by the Romans in May, when more than 50 kinds
of rhododendron are in full
and most impressive example AD 43, and known as Savaria, bloom, the Kámoni Arboretum
north of the city centre is well
of Romanesque architecture in Szombathely was an important worth a visit.

Hungary. Built in 1214–56, this trading and staging post on Szombathely Cathedral, Hungary’s largest
Baroque church
twin-towered masterpiece, the “Amber Road” from the
r Sárvár
influenced by late Norman Baltic Sea to Italy. Every August
25 km (16 miles) east of Szombathely.
architecture, sits imposingly on the Savaria Carnival recreates Road Map A3. * 15,000. £ from
Szombathely. @ from Szombathely.
a hilltop above the village. The those ancient days, and n Tourinform, Várkerület 33, (95) 52
01 78).
western façade is worthy of note hundreds of volunteers don
The Magyars built an earth
with its recessed doorway, a Roman costumes and engage castle (sárvár translates quite
literally as “mud castle”) here in
richly decorated portal featuring in battles, dancing and music. the 10th century. Long before
that it appears the Romans
almost life-size carvings of Jesus The remains of the once-vast had some fortifications here,
and even the Celts found this
and the Apostles. This style, Roman Forum (Savaria was confluence of the Rába river a
sound defensive position. The
called the Porta Speciosa the capital of Roman Pannonia Sárvár Castle that now attracts
visitors is far from the mud of
technique, was refined here Superior) are among yore, however, having been
built in the 16th century. Its
before becoming a model the city’s leading patrons were the Nádasdy

for Romanesque sights, with mosaic

churches all over floors and the

Hungary. Inside the public baths clearly

church are original visible. There is

14th-century more Roman

frescoes showing treasure on show

the church’s at the Savaria

founder, Jáki Nagy Detail on the portal of the Museum. Standing

Márton, and his Benedictine abbey in Ják next to the ruins is

family. The church the city’s cathedral,

was fully restored in 1890 Hungary’s largest Baroque

by Frigyes Schulek, who also church, built in 1791–4. Its

restored the Mátyás Church interior suffered great damage

in Budapest (see pp66–7). The during World War II and is

tiny St Jakab Chapel opposite undergoing continuous resto-

was built in 1260 for the use ration work. However, it is open

of non-monastic villagers. to the public. Next to it is the

Bishop’s Palace, an attractive

R St George’s Abbey Church Rococo building whose Sala

Fő tér. Tel (94) 35 60 14. Open 8am– Terrena houses the Diocesan
6pm daily. 7
Museum, which has a fine

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  167

family, who bought the town in One of the outdoor pools at the Bükfürdő Health and Adventure Centre
1534. Patriarch Tamás Nádasdy
brought in Italian architects to t Bük disorders, and the grounds are
create a genuine Renaissance well laid out with grassy areas,
masterpiece, which, with 24km (15 miles) northeast of Szom­ children’s playgrounds, snack
various additions, survives more bathely. Road Map A3. * 3,100. bars and restaurants. A fair­sized
or less intact to the present day. £ from Szombathely, Sopron. @ resort has also grown up around
from Szombathely. n Tourinform, the pool complex, and the
Much of the castle is given Eötvös utca 11, (94) 55 84 19. Greenfield Hotel Golf and Spa
over to the Ferenc Nádasdy (see p293), a short walk from
Museum, the highlight of which Thermal springs were discovered the thermal baths, is home to
are two series of frescoes: at this village near the Austrian Hungary’s finest golfing centre.
17th­century works showing border in 1956 during a search It is the only 18­hole course in
the Hungarians in battle with for oil. Since then the Bükfürdő Hungary to have hosted a
the Turks and scenes from the Health and Adventure Centre professional golf tournament.
Old Testament painted by István has grown to become one of
Dorfmeister in 1769. There are Hungary’s largest and most  Bük Medicinal Baths
also exhibitions of the family’s attractive medicinal bath Termál körút 2. Tel (94) 55 80 80.
and town’s histories, regional complexes. There are 32 indoor Open winter: 8:30am–6pm daily;
folk art and period furniture. and outdoor pools of various sizes summer: 8:30am–7:30pm daily.
The castle is reached via a long and temperatures, offering treat­ &7
stone bridge over what was ments for a variety of different
once a moat.
Oil and Water
In 1961, during a search for
oil (see below), hot springs Many of the largest thermal
(44 °C/111 °F) were found in bath complexes in Hungary,
Sárvár, and the Sárvár Spa such as those at Bük and
and Wellness Centre is now Sárvár, have only been in
one of the largest bath com­ existence since the latter
plexes and, after its renovation part of the 20th century,
and extension, the most mod­ when the thermal springs
ern in Hungary. It comprises that serve them were
indoor and outdoor pools, found during oil searches.
leisure and splash pools, a Desperate to fuel its
sauna and a treatment centre industrialization, Hungary’s
offering various therapies. Communist government
hoped that the discovery of
E Ferenc Nádasdy Museum the Nagylengyel oil field in
Várkerület 1. Tel (95) 32 01 58. the west of the country in Indoor thermal baths in Sárvár
Open Jul–Aug: 9am–9pm; Sep–Jun: 1951 would be the first of
9am–5pm. & 8 many oil strikes in the region. Vast sums of money were spent
 Sárvár Spa and Wellness foraging for oil, though all that was found was what became known
Centre as “white gold”: thermal water. Some small deposits of crude oil
Vadkert utca 1. Tel (95) 52 36 00. were eventually located, but although Hungary does produce
Open 8am–10pm daily. & 7 oil (Zalaegerszeg is the centre of the industry; see p162), domestic
production accounts for less than 10 per cent of consumption.
The Knights Hall in Sárvár Castle, with
superb battle frescoes

168  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

y Kőszeg

Nestled in lowland hills just minutes from the Austrian border,
modern-day Kőszeg is a small, quiet town, whose citizens
are proud of its past. It is probably the only town in the world
where the bells toll at 11am – in honour of Captain Miklós
Jurisics, who led the Hungarians during a 25-day Turkish
siege of Kőszeg Fortress in August 1532. The memory of
Jurisics dominates the city, with its main square, castle and
one of its museums carrying his name. Spared during World
War II, Kőszeg is the most attractive town in the region.

+ Jurisics Castle P Miklós Jurisics Square Medieval wall painting in the southern
nave, Church of St James
Jurisics-vár Jurisics Miklós tér
At the northern end of the
Rajnis utca 9. Tel (94) 36 01 13. In the heart of Kőszeg’s square is the Baroque St Imre
Church, completed in 1640
Open 10am–5pm Tue–Sun. & old town is this enclosed by Hungarian Lutherans who
8 Hungarian only. 7 charming square, surrounded had been expelled from
St James’s Church (see below)
It was here, in the carefully on all sides by churches, by German Lutherans.

preserved Jurisics houses, museums R Church of St James
Szent Jakab templom
Castle, that Miklós and courtyards. The Rajnis utca 2. Tel (94) 56 33 97. Open
10am–6pm daily. & donation. 7
Jurisics and 450 impressive entrance
Standing next to the more
Hungarian soldiers to the square, the recent Church of St Imre, the
Church of St James was com-
held a 30,000-strong Heroes’ Gate, pleted in 1407, but much
reconstructed in the 18th
Turkish force at bay was erected to century. It remains clearly a
Gothic building, however.
for 25 days in August commemorate the The most important historic
building in Kőszeg, the church
1532. The Hungarians 400th anniversary has served Jesuit, Protestant
and Roman Catholic congre-
eventually had to of the Turkish Siege. gations. The faded frescoes
inside, by an unknown artist,
abandon their stand, Though built in 1932 depict the Magi, and are
original, dating from 1403.
only to return the it recreates much Overpainted during the
Crest above the gate older towers, and 17th century by the Lutherans,
following spring to to Jurisics Castle blends in impeccably who disapproved of such
ostentatious decoration, the
retake the castle with frescoes were forgotten and
only uncovered during interior
Austrian help. with the surrounding – restoration in the 1950s.
The wooden statue of the
A fire in 1777 destroyed part mainly Baroque – buildings. Madonna is also an original
from the Gothic era.
of the castle: the interior arcades Of these, the Arcade House
u Synagogue
were built after the blaze. The (Lábasház) next to the tower Zsinagoga
Várkör 38. Tel Anikó Béres (20) 934
Castle Museum has displays at No. 2 Jurisics tér is a 87 30. Open by appointment.

on the town’s history, including highlight, complete with its Completed in 1859, this
well-sized and imposing
various depictions of the siege. It courtyard colonnades. The red-brick synagogue once
served the considerable Jewish
also has 18th- and 19th-century Jurisics Museum on the other population in Kőszeg, which

interiors and displays on the side of the tower, housed in

region’s viticulture. the late Renaissance General’s

House (Tábornok), has a fine

collection of memorabilia of

the various guilds, artisans and

tradesmen who inhabited the

town. Next to the museum is

the Town Hall, originally built

in 1487, though the façade

was remodelled in the Baroque

style in the 18th century.

Today a pizzeria, the

ornate Sgraffito House at

No. 7 Jurisics tér dates from

the 16th century. Sgraffito

was an Italian method of

creating lavish decorations

by scratching through several

layers of plaster. This is one of

only few sgraffito houses in

Hungary and, while time has

Heroes’Gate, a local landmark, not been kind to the façade,

in Miklós Jurisics Square the effect is just still visible.

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  169

Window detail on the front façade, shops, but only rarely is one VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Kőszeg Synagogue as deserving of interest as this Practical Information
particular example. As well as 50km (31 miles) south of Sopron.
was entirely wiped out during being set in a fine Baroque Road Map A3. * 12,000.
the Holocaust. Closed for house on Jurisics tér, it contains n Tourinform, Rajnis utca 7,
some time, the synagogue is a superb late 18th-century (94) 56 31 20.
to undergo major restoration wooden apothecary counter, Transport
work, but parts of it can be complete with old medicine £ from Szombathely.
visited by calling ahead to bottles. It looks not unlike @ from Sopron.
make an appointment. The something from a film set. interior, beautifully decorated,
synagogue’s striking façade Upstairs the exhibition is filled with delicately patterned
and Neo-Gothic towers can still continues with a display marble columns.
be admired from the outside. showing how the medicines
were cleaned, dried, stored Interior of Jesus’s Heart Church
E Golden Unicorn and prepared. Most were
Pharmaceutical Museum remedies made from natural
Arany Egyszarvú Patikamúzeum ingredients and plants grown
Jurisics Miklós tér 11. Tel (94) 36 03 37. in the pharmacy’s own
Open by appointment. & 8 7 herb garden.

Hungarians tend to be R Jesus’s Heart Church
fascinated with old chemist Jézus Szíve templom
Fő tér. Tel (94) 56 33 97. Open 9am–
6pm daily. & 7

This fantastical, Neo-Gothic
wedding-cake church is famous
for its colourful stained-glass
altar windows depicting Saints
István, Imre and Elizabeth.
Built in 1892–4 to designs by
the Austrian Otto Kott, its
60-m- (196-ft-) high tower is
the tallest in the city. The

Kőszeg City Centre UNULETCNAECKER ARPÁD GYÖNGYÖS
TÉR
1 Jurisics Castle
2 Miklós Jurisics Square UTCA PÉK UTCA Lutheran UTCA
3 Church of St James
4 Synagogue ZRINYI M. UTCA Church
5 Golden Unicorn
H E G YA L J A VÁRKÖR Synagogue
Pharmaceutical Museum
6 Jesus’s Heart Church SCHNELLER

TÁBLAHÁZ KELCZ ADELFFY JÁNOS UTC A

KÁROLY R. Church of ISTVÁN KISS TÁNCSICS
TÉR St James
UT BEM JÓZEF UTCA V ÁRKÖR M I H Á LY
Jurisics
Castle CA UTCA
RÁJNIS
HUNYADI UTCA MIKLÓS Golden Unicorn
VÁRKÖR JURISICS Pharmaceutical Museum UTCA

TÉR KELCZ A. UTCA
UTCA
Town Hall

SZENT VHeroes’UÁ RT CO AS H Á ZFŐ TÉ R KOSSUTH
CHEMEL I. UTCA Gate

IMRE

HERCEG VÁ RKÖR GYŐN J. UTCA Jesus’s RÁKÓCZI FERENC UTCA LAJOS Bus Station
YAD Heart LISZT FERENC UTCA
Church UTCA
ENDRE
0 metres 100 UTCA UTCA SZÜK UTCA
0 yards 100

TEMETŐ UTCA Train Station
1.6 km (1 mile)

For keys to map symbols see back flap

170  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

The façade of Széchenyi Mansion and lumber wagons evoke lake has completely dried up
in Nagycenk the history of narrow-gauge a number of times; the last, in
railway lines. 1867–71. There are numerous
u Nagycenk rare plant species – the park
P Széchenyi Mansion is famous for its “gallery” of
15 km (9 miles) southeast of Sopron. Kiscenki út 3. Tel (99) 36 00 23. snowdrops – and more than
Road Map A3. * 1,900. £ from Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm daily; 200 species of birds nest here,
Sopron. @ from Sopron. _ Nagycenk Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm Tue–Sun. & including the Hungarian ibis,
Art Days (Aug). 87 spoonbill and little egret. Many
parts of the park can only be
There are probably more public E Széchenyi Museum Railway visited with special permits
squares, streets, boulevards and Hársfasor. Tel (99) 57 72 44. or on organized guided tours.
avenues named after Count Open Apr–Oct: Sat & Sun only. & Visitors can find out about
István Széchenyi (1791–1860), both visits and tours at the park’s
often called “the greatest i Sopron administration office in Sarród.
Hungarian”, than any other public
figure, including St István himself. See pp172–5. The lake is circumnavigated
A philanthropic industrialist, his by one of Europe’s best
family home was the Széchenyi o Fertő-Hanság cycle paths, which takes
Mansion at Nagycenk, which is National Park in spectacular landscapes in
today a museum dedicated to both Hungary and Austria.
his life and works. Stuffed with 16 km (10 miles) east of Sopron. Road Favourable, frequent winds
his personal effects, portraits, Map A3. Rév-Kócsagvár, Sarród (Park also make the lake a popular
furniture and family history, the Administration). Tel (99) 53 76 20. 8 place to sail, while the shallow
enormous Baroque mansion, 7 £ from Sopron, Győr. @ from waters are inviting to swimmers.
built in the late 18th century Zalaergeszeg. The main resort on the Hungarian
for Széchenyi’s grandfather, side is Fertőrákos, where there
was all but destroyed in World Based mainly on Lake Fertő, are sailing boat launches, grassy
War II, but was rebuilt as an which for 40 years was one beaches for sunbathing and
exact replica of the original of the most heavily guarded many attractive nature walks.
in the 1950s. parts of the Iron Curtain,
Fertő-Hanság National Park p Fertőrákos
In 1815 the mansion was (Fertő-Hanság Nemzeti Park)
the first home in Hungary to is now a protected nature 8 km (5 miles) north of Sopron. Road
benefit from gas lighting. reserve. As one of Europe’s Map A3. * 2,300. £ from Szom-
Széchenyi made sure that most significant water habitats, bathely. @ from Sopron. n Tour-
the ordinary townsfolk of it became part of UNESCO’s list inform, Joseph Haydn utca 2, Fertőd,
Nagycenk benefited from this of World Heritage Sites in 2001. (99) 53 71 40. ∑ fertorakos
technological wonder too, With the eastern Alps as its ikofejto.hu
and they repaid his generosity dramatic backdrop, the lake is
by building him a mausoleum shallow, in most places less The main resort on the coast of
in the village cemetery. The than 1 m (3 ft) deep, and is Lake Fertő, Fertőrákos is best
Neo-Romanesque church, famous for its vast expanses known for its quarry, opened in
next to the cemetery, was of tall reeds. The lake’s main 1628, which provided limestone
designed by Miklós Ybl (see p93). sources of water are rainfall and for Vienna’s St Stephen’s Cathe-
two small streams. In fact, the dral, among other buildings. The
Nagycenk is also the starting
point of the Széchenyi Museum Cave theatre in the former limestone quarry at Fertőrákos
Railway, a steam-powered
train operation that runs along
narrow-gauge tracks to Fertobőz.
In the locomotive museum
at the terminus, steam engines,
passenger coaches and freight

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  171

valuable Lajta rock was hewn
here from the time of the
Antonines, though quarrying
ended shortly after World War II.
What remains is a surreal series
of man-made, uneven caverns,
colonnades and porticoes. In July
the superb acoustics of the main
cavern are put to perfect use as
the setting for musical, dance and
opera performances as part of
the Sopron Festival Week.

A nature trail across the
grasslands above the quarry
offers magnificent, panoramic
views of Lake Fertő and is also
the site of the Pan-European
Monument, a stark metal sculp-
ture representing part of the
Iron Curtain that commemorates

the opening of the border in 1989.

a Fertőd The bedroom of the prince in the Esterhazy Palace in Fertőd

25 km (16 miles) east of Sopron. European cultural centre. The composer’s work. The focus
Road Map A3. * 3,400. £ from main ballrooms and drawing is on his chamber music,
Szombathely. @ from Sopron. rooms have already been performed by outstanding
n Tourinform, Joseph Haydn utca 2, restored to their glorious best – musicians in the Grand Gallery
(99) 53 71 40. _ Haydn Festival priceless French furniture, and the gardens.
(Jun–Sep). Venetian mirrors and Flemish
tapestries abound. P Esterházy Palace
The small town of Fertőd was Joseph Haydn utca 2. Tel (99) 53 76
created in 1950 when two for- Joseph Haydn’s presence at 40. Open Nov–mid-Mar: 10am–4pm
mer estates belonging to the the palace from 1766 to 1790 is Fri–Sun; mid-Mar–Oct: 10am–6pm
Esterházy family, called Süttör celebrated by the annual Haydn daily. & 8 7
and Esterháza, were merged. Festival with concerts of the
It was for the Esterházy family
(see box), the wealthiest family The Esterházy Family
in the region, that the town’s
masterpiece, the Esterházy For three centuries the Esterházy family was one of the richest
Palace (Esterházy Palota), was
built. First constructed as a and most powerful in Hungary. It flourished under the Habsburgs,
two-storey hunting lodge in
1720, the grand palace is the whom family members served in a variety of political and military
result of vast extensions by
the architect Melchior Hefel offices. The dynasty was founded by Count Nikolaus Esterházy
in the 1770s. The Neo-Baroque
French gardens were laid out (1582–1645) and his son, Prince Paul Esterházy, who sided with the
at the same time, though these
were much remodelled along Habsburgs during the Counter-Reformation (see pp44–5). The family
English ideas of garden design
at the beginning of the originated in – and derived its name
20th century.
from – the settlement Esterháza
The wrought-iron entrance
gate, with its Rococo stone in modern-day Slovakia. The
vase separating columns, is the
perfect front to the palace, at Esterházys moved to Eisenstadt,
which the visitor arrives along
a yew-tree-lined path. The in Austria, in the 17th century,
palace was badly damaged
during World War II; however, and set up home there. It was
a restoration project, parts of
which have been completed, Paul Esterházy who decided
will transform it into a Central
to build the palace at Fertőd.

After World War I, the family

lost influence and was further

weakened by internal feuds.

Much Esterházy property is still Crest from the Esterházy Palace
bitterly fought over by various in Fertőd
family branches.

172  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

i Street-by-Street: Sopron Belváros

When visitors step through the Gate of County Hall
Loyalty into Belváros – the Inner Town – they Vencil Hild designed this
arrive in another world. Surrounded entirely elegant Classical building,
by the modern city that has grown up around constructed in 1829–34.
it, this historic part of Sopron is compact and
easy to explore on foot. Belváros is centred
around Fő tér and includes just four other
streets, yet contains most of the city’s main
sights. There is a wealth of Secessionist
architecture to see, as well as the Firewatch
Tower, from where stunning views of Sopron
unfold. A genuine city within a city, it is one
of Hungary’s treasures.

Museum of Mining UTCA
The museum, at Templom M
utca 2, is housed in the
TEMPLO
former town residence of
the Esterházy princes.

The Lutheran Old Synagogue
Church (1782)
ÚJ UTCA
was made
possible by
József II guaran­
teeing freedom
of worship to
his subjects.

. Benedictine Church
Known as the Goat Church
(see p174), this large
Gothic church was built
by Franciscan monks in
1280. It is the best
remaining example
of Gothic architecture
in Hungary.

O R S O LYA
TÉR

Ursuline Church
This former convent,
founded by Ursuline
nuns in 1747, is one of
the most impressive

buildings in the
town. It holds an outstanding
collection of ecclesiastical art.

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

Holy Trinity . Storno House SOPRON  173
Statue King Mátyás lived here in
VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
1482–3. Originally a
Renaissance building, it Practical Information
was remodelled in the Road Map A3. * 56,000.
n Tourinform, Liszt Ferenc
Baroque style in 1720. utca 1, (99) 51 75 60. ( daily,
Csarnok utca. _ Spring Days,
KOLOSTOR including Liszt Festival (Mar);
UTCA Sopron Festival Weeks (Jun–Jul);
Volt Pop Festival (Jul); Christmas
Market (Dec).

Transport
£ Állomás utca 2.; from
Győr, Vienna, Wiener Neustadt.
@ Lakner Kristóf utca; from Győr.

. Firewatch Tower
and Gate of Loyalty

The symbol of the
city, the tower rises

to 61 m (200 ft),
offering stunning
views of Belváros.

ÖRGY The pharmacy
UTCA here was founded
GY in 1642 and still
SZENT boasts the original
wooden counters.
HÁTSÓKAPU
Town Hall
0 metres 50 Sopron’s town hall,
0 yards 50 designed by Károly
Hintrager and built
for Hungary’s 1896
millennium celebrations,
houses a fine art gallery
in its southern wing.

Fabricius House
Named after Sopron’s mayor
in the early 19th century, the
Fabricius House was built over
the ruins of a Roman bath.

Key
Suggested route

174  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

Exploring Sopron R Benedictine Church
Kecske-templom
A border town of the Pannonia province, Austrian number Templom utca 1, Fő tér. Tel (03) 667 41
plates and German-language shop and street signs are much 01. Church: Open daily. Exhibition:
in evidence in Sopron today, and it is easy to forget that this is Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; call ahead
still Hungary. In 1921, the people of Sopron voted to stay in to check. & 7 ∑ bencessopron.hu
Hungary rather than join Austria, and the Gate of Loyalty is Built by Franciscans in 1280, this
dedicated to the result of that plebiscite. One of Hungary’s Gothic church was given to the
oldest cultural centres, Sopron has remains of Roman edifices Benedictines in 1787, when József
and city walls as well as grand medieval buildings, including II dissolved the Franciscan Order.
both churches and a synagogue. Among other sights are a It has remnants of medieval fres-
Pharmacy Museum and an outstanding art collection. coes inside and a Kapisztrán pulpit,
unique in style. The church is
E Collection of Roman u Old Synagogue known as Goat Church – a goat-
Catholic Church Art Ó-Zsinagóga herd is said to have financed it
Római Katolikus Egyházművészeti from treasure found by his flock.
Gyűjtemény Új utca 22. Tel (99) 31 13 27. Open Apr
Várkerület 25. Tel (99) 31 22 21. The Benedictine Church, originally
Open May–Oct: 2–4pm Tue, 9–11am & May: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; Jun–Sep: belonging to the Franciscan Order
Thu. & 8
10am–8pm daily; Oct: 10am–6pm E Fabricius House Museum
This fine collection of ecclesias- and Apartments
tical art is owned and managed Tue–Sun. & Régészeti kiállítás és római kori kőtár
by Sopron’s Catholic Convent. Fő tér 6. Tel (99) 31 13 27. Open Oct–
Most items are from the Baroque Thought to have been built May: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; Jun–Sep:
period, complemented by an around 1300, the medieval 10am–8pm daily. &
early 19th-century collection. synagogue of Sopron is one of The highlight of this museum’s
There are liturgical cups, crosses, the oldest in Europe. In line with archaeological collection is the
christening bowls, historical anti-Semitic legislation of the day, lapidarium, with headstones,
altars and paintings. The finest the local Jewish community had sarcophagi and altars from all
painting, of St Dominic (1710), to build their prayer hall set back eras of Sopron’s history. Another
is by the Neapolitan Rococo from the main buildings on the display features Sopron and
master Martin Altamonte. street, which is why it stands the Amber Road. In a street-side
behind two Baroque houses. wing are apartments furnished
E Museum of Mining Abandoned in 1526 when the and decorated in the typical
Központi Bányászati Múzeum Jews were expelled from Sopron, bourgeois styles of the 17th
Templom utca 2 Tel (99) 31 26 67. many of its original features and 18th centuries.
Open Apr–Sep: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; remain intact, however, including
Oct–Mar: 10am–4pm Tue–Sun. & the recess in the east wall holding
a replica Ark of the Covenant.
This engaging museum
presents the history and science Across the road, the New
of mining in Hungary over the Synagogue was built in 1370
course of a thousand years. for the private use of a Jewish
banker. It, too, fell into disuse in
1526, and though its exterior is
in reasonable repair, it is closed
to the public.

The Old Synagogue, its prayer hall set back from the street E Storno House & Exhib-
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 ition of Regional History
Storno-gyűjtemény és Helytör-
téneti kiállítás
Fő tér 8. Tel (99) 31 13 27. Open Oct-
May: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; Jun–Sep:
10am–8pm daily. &

This grand 15th-century
house, the one-time home
of King Mátyás, displays a fine
collection of art, antiques
and period furniture.

SOPRON  175

the remnants; some of the most
impressive can be seen at the
Várkerület, opposite Árpád utca,
where there is an 8­m­ (26­ft­)
thick portion of wall and part of
a fortified tower or barbican, the
Great Round Bastion.

Painting of St Dominic above the main altar of the Dominican Church E Zettl–Langer Collection
Balfi utca 11. Tel (99) 31 11 36.
P Firewatch Tower easily missed if approaching Open Apr–Oct:10am–noon Tue–Sun;
Tűztorony from the railway station – was Nov–Mar: 10am–noon Fri–Sun. &
Fő tér. Tel (99) 31 13 27. Open Oct– designed by Lorenz Eysenkölbl A century and a half ago,
Apr: 10am–6pm daily; May–Sep: and built in 1719–25, with the Gusztáv Zettl had to choose
10am–8pm daily & spires added in 1775. A local between his first love, art, or
artist, Stephan Schaller, painted his father’s business empire.
The symbol of the city, the the picture of St Dominic above He chose business, but never
Firewatch Tower was built on the altar. The adjoining two­ lost his love of art. Much of the
the remains of the Roman wall storey building is the Baroque money he made in business
in the 13th century. Balcony Dominican Priory, built in 1750. was invested in some of the
and spire are Baroque; they Across the road stands the finest art of the period.
were added after the building Széchenyi Palace, built in 1851
burned down in 1676. The for Ferenc Széchényi. Today His collection, which
Gate of Loyalty, at the foot of housing administrative offices encompasses works from all
the tower, was added in 1928 and closed to the public, many genres, periods and fashions,
to designs by Rezső Hikisch. of the first exhibits in Hungary’s has been exhibited in the Zettl
National Museum collection family home since 1955
E Pharmacy Museum (see pp102–3) came from here. (Zettl himself died in 1951).
Patika Múzeum István Széchenyi is honoured The house itself has artisan
Fő tér 2. Tel (99) 31 13 27. Open Apr– with a huge bronze statue in windows, frescoed ceilings,
Sep: 10am–2pm Tue–Sun; Oct–Dec: the middle of the square. On Biedermeier furniture and
by arrangement only. & 7 the north side is the Ferenc paintings by Rembrandt, Paolo
Liszt Cultural Centre (Művelődési Veronese and István Dorfmeister.
The former Angel Pharmacy Ház), built in 1872. Liszt
(1601) opened as a pharmacy performed here regularly, A room in the Zettl family home, housing
museum in 1966. It displays and the centre hosts cultural the Zettl-Langer Collection
fascinating medical items, old events today.
manuals dating back to 1572 P Károly Lookout Tower
and beautiful Altwien china jars P Old City Walls Károly-magaslati Kilátó
from Vienna. Várkerület Lővérek. Tel (99) 31 30 80. Open daily;
Mar: 9am–5pm; Apr–Oct: 9am–6pm
P Széchenyi tér and Having survived many attacks, (May–Aug: to 8pm; Sep: to 7pm);
Dominican Church Sopron’s city walls – built by the Nov–Feb: 9am–4pm. &
Domonkos templom Romans and once encircling The 23­m­ (75­ft­) high tower,
Széchenyi tér. the entire Belváros – were built in 1876, offers panoramic
dismantled by locals at the views of lush forests, Lake Fertő
Spacious and green, Széchenyi end of the 19th century in order and the snow­covered Schnee­
tér at the southern entrance to to improve access to the city. berg range in Austria’s Wienerwald,
Belváros is surrounded by out­ A walkway, the Castle Wall west of Vienna. A small exhibition
standing architecture on all Promenade, takes in many of outlines the unique natural
sides. The Dominican Church features of the Sopron Nature
on its southeastern corner – Conservation Area.

176  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

f Moson-
magyaróvár

37 km (23 miles) northwest of Győr.
Road Map B3. * 32,000. £ from
Győr. @ from Győr. n Tourinform,
Kápolna tér 16, (96) 20 63 04. _
Voluta International Water Festival
(Jun); Summer Festival (Aug).

St Anne’s Church in Kapuvár, built in the Neo-Baroque style The Romans built a fortress at
Magyaróvár in the 3rd century AD.
s Kapuvár for the Premonstratensians. It was later extended by the Huns
and then the Magyars, who con-
47 km (29 miles) west of Győr. The site of their monastery structed a large mud-brick fortress
Road Map B3. * 11,000. is now occupied by the here. In 1271 Ottocar of Bohemia
£ @ from Győr, Sopron. magnificent 19th-century replaced this structure with the
Neo-Renaissance Premon- present stone Magyaróvár
Castle. Currently being used by
This small town’s name stratensian Csorna Palace. the Faculty of Agricultural and
Food Sciences of Széchenyi
translates as “Gate Fortress”, The palace contains an István University, the castle has
been extended and renovated
and that is exactly what it exhibition of local folk art. many times since, and little of
what remains is original apart
was: a fortress protecting Here, visitors can find from the two southern towers.
Over the bridge from the castle
the gate that controlled out about local wood (which is on an island) is Fő utca,
on which stands at No. 19 the
access to the border area. carvings and so-called Gothic Cselley House (Cselley
Ház). Inside is part of the Hanság
Built in 1270, the fortress “spider embroidery”, Museum collection (the rest is at
Szent István Király utca 1, further
was dismantled in 1884 as well as the blue- along Fő utca). Highlights include
the Tibor Gyurkovich Collection,
to prevent it being used dyers of Csorna and as well as a fine exhibition of
Hungarian paintings, including
by Austrian forces. It the potters of Dör. works by Oszkár Glatz, Mihály
Munkácsy and Gyula Rudnay. A
was replaced with a Together with the short walk east on Szent Laszló tér
is St Gotthard’s Church. Its founda-
Neo-Baroque mansion. church order, these tions were laid in 1668, although
it was not completed until 1778,
This today is the office of were two groups that when the Baroque interiors were
finished. The Habsburg prince
the mayor and home to contributed significantly Frederick and his wife Isabelle
are buried in the crypt.
the Rábaközi Museum, to the town’s wealth and
The town’s long name, even
which has an exhibition on growth in the 18th by Hungarian
standards,
the history of the town, a and early 19th centuries. dates back
to 1939,
collection of regional folk Next to the palace is the

art, as well as work by complementary
the sculptor Pál Pátzay, Regional costume in Premonstratensian
the Rábaköz Museum St Helen’s Church,
who was born in in Kapuvár

Kapuvár in 1896. Rising built in 1938 after

above the mansion is the original

St Anne’s Church, built at the 19th-century church on this

same time as the museum, also site had burned down.

to a Neo-Baroque design, and

replacing a wooden chapel.

d Csorna

30 km (19 miles) west of Győr.
Road Map B3. * 11,000. £ from
Győr. @ from Győr.

Csorna is one of the oldest The Magyaróvár Castle in Mosonmagyaróvár, on the site of a Roman fort
Christian towns in Hungary: a
Premonstratensian Order settled
here shortly after the Magyars,
and in 1802 Csorna became
one of the Hungarian centres

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  177

k Tata

60 km (37 miles) east of Győr.
Road Map C3. * 24,000. £ from
Budapest. @ from Budapest.
n Tourinform, Ady Endre utca 9,
(34) 58 60 45.

Aerial view of the largely hidden Monostor Fortress in Komárom Sitting on the banks of Lake
Öreg, Tata is often referred
when the two separate towns of largest fortress in the country, to as the Hungarian Venice,
Moson and Magyaróvár became and one of the largest in Europe. mainly for the moated castle
one and the two names simply Most of it is invisible from outside, on the lake’s north bank. Little
joined together. as it is buried underground. It except one tower and a wall
was sparsely used by the Habs- remain of the 15th-century
+ Magyaróvár Castle burgs before becoming the original: most of the current,
Vár utca 2. Tel (96) 56 66 37. property of the Hungarian army, nevertheless impressive,
Open 7:30am–6pm Mon–Fri. who used it as a training camp. building dates from 1893.
& 7 to the grounds. After World War II, the Soviet
army held political prisoners The lake was once surrounded
g Győr here. The story of the fortress is by water mills, but only a few
told clearly in the museum that remain; the Cifra Mill next to
See pp178–9. now occupies much of the main the castle is the oldest, dating
bastion. There is also a bread from 1587. Another mill a
h Pannonhalma museum, where visitors may short distance north houses
Abbey taste the “ration bread” given the German Minorities Museum,
to the soldiers who had to man with interesting artifacts from
See pp180–81. the place in the 19th century. The the region’s once numerous
fortress hosts cultural events and German population.
j Komárom battle recreations throughout
the summer. On the other side of the
38 km (24 miles) northeast of Győr. castle, on central Hősök tér,
Road Map C3. * 20,000. + Monostor Fortress is the eclectic Esterházy
£ from Budapest, Győr. @ from Monostori Erőd, Dunapart 1. Tel (34) 54 Mansion, built in 1777. Used
Győr. n Tourinform, Igmándi út 2, 05 82. Open 9am–6pm daily. & 8 as a mental hospital for years,
(34) 54 05 90. Tue–Sun; book tours in English a week it has now been largely restored.
in advance. ∑ fort-monostor.hu
Across the square is the
Greco-Roman Statue Museum,
a former synagogue containing
full-size replicas of classical
statuary, from David to Zeus.

On the shore of Tata’s second
lake, Lake Cseske, stands the
folly of a ruined church.

E Greco-Roman Statue Museum
Hősök tere 7. Tel (34) 38 12 51. Open
Apr–Oct 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; Nov–
Mar by appointment only. & 7

A real border town, split in two by Replicas of famous statues in the Greco-Roman Statue Museum in Tata
nature (the Danube) and politics (it
straddles the Hungarian-Slovakian
border), Komárom is the main
crossing point between the two
countries. Until 1920 this was one
town, and on both sides of the
river the two languages appear
to be spoken inter-changeably.
The Hungarian part of the
town is known for the colossal
Monostor Fortress (Monostori
Erőd), built by the Habsburgs
2 km (1 mile) upriver from the
city centre after the 1848–9
uprising. Covering approximately
4 hectares (10 acres), it is the

178  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

g Győr in 1257–67. The 15th-century
Gothic Chapel houses the Holy
Located exactly halfway between Budapest and Vienna, Herm, the remains of St László,
where the rivers Danube, Rába and Rábca meet, Győr has one of Hungary’s most sacred
long been the place where empires met, and often clashed. relics. A fire destroyed the towers
Celts founded the city, and called it Arrabona, before giving around 1580, and the cathedral
way to the Romans. The Magyars saw the value of the town’s was remodelled by the Italian
position and created a bishopric here, while during the architect Giovanni Rava in the
Turkish wars it became the home of the most impenetrable 17th century. The Baroque
fortress in Hungary at the time. Full of monuments and interior dates from the time
buildings that tell of its eventful past, Győr is also a modern, after the Turkish period,
vibrant city. Outstanding communications make it an when the altarpieces and
excellent base for exploring the Győr–Moson–Sopron region. superb frescoes by Franz Anton
Maulbertsch were added.
+ Bishop’s Palace The stunning 18th-century Baroque interior The painting of the Virgin Mary
Püspökvár of Győr Cathedral above the Baroque altar is one
of Hungary’s most significant
Káptalandomb 1. Open Museum R Győr Cathedral sites of pilgrimage. It allegedly
Székesegyház wept blood in March 1697.
10am–4pm Tue–Sun. & 7 Káptalandomb. Tel (96) 61 83 04.
Open 8am–noon, 2–6pm daily. 7 P Ark of the Covenant
The first castle on this imposing Frigyláda emlékmű
site was built during the reign St István created the Győr Gutenberg tér. 7
of St István; nothing of it remains, Episcopate in the early 11th
however. The tower, known as century, and the foundations Built on the orders of Charles III
the Runway Corridor, dates of Győr Cathedral were laid in 1731, the Baroque Ark of the
from the 14th (lower) and 18th then. Originally a three-aisled Covenant monument shows two
century (upper part). The chapel church with a raised sanctuary, angels holding the Ark in their
was built from 1481 to 1486, it was destroyed by the Mongols hands. It was erected as an act
and unusually extends over in 1240, and rebuilt in Gothic of atonement for the violation
two levels. The fortifications style, with two imposing towers, of the Blessed Sacrament when
were largely added during Habsburg soldiers knocked the
the 16th century by the Italian monstrance from the hands
architect Pietro Ferrabosco, of the priest during the Corpus
to keep out the Turks. He Christi procession in 1727. The
completed his work in 1575, soldiers were chasing a deserter
but by 1594 the Turks had taken and adulterer who had sought
the castle and the city. During sanctuary in the procession.
the 18th century, Bishop Ferenc
Zichy renovated the castle in E Győr Diocesan Treasury
the Baroque style. In 1984 and Library
further renovation was carried Győri Egyházmegyei Kincstár
out. A museum in the treasury és Könyvtár
is dedicated to Hungarian priest Káptalandomb 26. Tel (96) 52 50 90.
Vilmos Apor, shot by Soviet Open 10am–4pm Tue–Sat. & 7
soldiers in 1945 while trying
to prevent rape and pillage. Hungary’s finest collection of
manuscripts is kept among this
treasure trove of liturgical items.
Alongside the Gothic chalices
and Renaissance mitres is a
codex from the 11th century,
and the Korvina, an illuminated
manuscript originating from the
personal library of King Mátyás.

The Basilica and Bishop’s Palace, built to defend the town from Turkish invaders E Margit Kovács Exhibition
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 Kovács Margit Állandó Kerámia
Kiállítás
Apáca utca 1. Tel (96) 32 67 39.
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. & 7

A vast collection of ceramics
is on display in a monumental
16th-century mansion that
underwent renovations in
1977. The exhibited works are

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  179

by Margit Kovács built by the Jesuits VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

(1902–77), a local-born in 1627. The beautiful Practical Information
120 km (74 miles) west of
ceramic artist who Baroque pulpit was Budapest. Road Map B3.
* 125,000. n Tourinform,
is Hungary’s leading added in 1757. After Baross Gábor utca 21, (96) 33 68
17. ( daily flower market, Arany
20th-century abstract the Jesuit order was János utca. _ Four Seasons
Festival (summer).
sculptor. Items on dissolved in 1802, the
Transport
display range from Benedictines added £ Révai Miklós utca; from
Budapest.
vases to religious the two towers. Next
R Carmelite Church
pieces, with personal to the church stands & Monastery
Karmelita templom
items and a model Ceramics on the stairs a working Pharmacy Aradi vértanúk utca 2. 7
of her workshop. at the Margit Kovács Museum boasting The Carmelites settled in Győr in
the beautifully carved 1697. Their church, a wonderful
P Széchenyi Square Exhibition ceiling. The Maria mixture of the Baroque and the
Italianate, was built in 1721–5 to
Széchenyi tér 4. Imre Patkó Collection: Column outside was built the plans of Athanasius Wittwer,
Tel (96) 31 05 88. Open 10am–6pm in 1686 to celebrate Buda’s a member of their order. The
Tue-Sun. Esterhazy Palace: Tel (96) 32 recapture from the Turks. monastery was completed in
26 95. Open 10am–6pm Tue-Sun. 1732. Neapolitan master Martin
Altomonte painted the main
&7 altarpiece featuring saints István
and Imre. In the church’s chapel
Once the city’s marketplace, The Maria Column, in the centre of is a statue of Mary made in
this cobbled square is ringed Széchenyi Square Rome and blessed in the
by splendid buildings. On the Vatican’s Loretto Chapel before
north side, in the so-called Iron being brought here in 1717.
Stump House, is the Imre Patkó
Collection with ethnic pieces
from Asia and Africa and 16th-
century applied arts exhibits.
Nearby, at Király utca 17, the
Baroque Esterházy Palace,
famed for its early example
of a bay window, houses the
Municipal Museum of Arts, which
has several themed exhibitions.
The south side of the square
is dominated by the Baroque
Ignatius Benedictine Church,

Győr City Centre s o n i - D una ZSIGMOND R A K PA R T UTCA
B Á S T YA
1 Bishop’s Palace M o MOR I C Z VÖRÖSMARTY UTCA UTCA
2 Győr Cathedral TELEKI LASZLÓ
3 Ark of the Covenant JEDLIK ÁNYOS UTCA DUNA-KAPU APÁCA UTCA ÚJKAPU
4 Győr Diocesan Treasury TÉR

and Library Rába Győr Margit Kovács RÁKÓCZI UTCA UTCA
5 Margit Kovács Exhibition Cathedral Exhibition
6 Széchenyi Square KÁPTALANDOMB Ark of the LISZT UTCA
7 Carmelite Church Covenant
Győr Diocesan PÁLFFY UTCA
and Monastery Treasury and Library

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TÉR ÁRPÁD C TELEKI SÁNDOR

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A J JÓKAI V INGER
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ÚTJA AI
MUNKÁCSY MIHÁLY U T C A RÉ S

UTCA V

ISTVÁN ÚT

SZENT Train Station Bus Station
100 m (110 yards)

M I K LÓ S UTCA

RÉVAI For keys to map symbols see back flap

180  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION Basilica
The Basilica’s stained-
h Pannonhalma Abbey glass windows were
added in around 1860.
The story of Pannonhalma Abbey is as old as This one depicts St
Hungary itself. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since Ladislaus, or László I,
1996, there has been an abbey here since 1002, a pious knight-king
the same year St István brought Christianity to the of the 11th century
Magyars. The original abbey burned down and was canonized a century
replaced in 1137 with a Romanesque construction, after his death.
itself superseded by the late Romanesque–early
Gothic basilica still in existence today. The basilica’s
main portal of receding arches is one of the most
important surviving examples of a Porta Speciosa
extant in Hungary.

. Arboretum
The arboretum on the
eastern slope has been
the site of more than
1,200 rare tree, shrub and
herbaceous plant species
since 1802. Most of the
species have grown wild
in the abbey’s grounds.

. Porta Speciosa . Library
Though now hemmed in by The Neo-Classical library holds
extensions to the complex, the 400,000 volumes, including the
Porta Speciosa is an outstanding Tihany Manuscript, the earliest
example of its kind – an example of written Hungarian.
ornamental portal held in red
marble with rich wood carvings.

KEY

1 The Benedictine Grammar
School was founded in 1802 and
is one of the finest in Hungary. The
entrance exams are famously tough.
2 The Treasury is home to a rich
collection of ecclesiastical art and
historical artifacts.

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

NORTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  181

Cloister VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Late Gothic vaulting in the
cloister was added during Practical Information
renovation of the abbey, Vár 1, Pannonhalma, 20 km (12
carried out during the reign miles) SE of Győr. Road Map B3.
of King Mátyás, in 1486. Tel (96) 57 01 91. Open 21 Mar–
Apr & Oct–11 Nov: 9am–4pm
Tue–Sun; May: 9am–4pm daily;
Jun–Sep: 9am–5pm daily; 12
Nov–20 Mar: 10am–3pm Tue–
Sun. Library: Tel (96) 57 01 91.
& 8 7 ^ Abbey. 0 =

Transport
£@

Our Lady Chapel
On the far side of the abbey, Our Lady
Chapel has three Baroque altars and a tiny
organ. The abbey’s monks are buried here.

Main entrance Western Tower
Very much the abbey’s calling card,

and its most recognizable feature,
the Western Tower, added in 1832,

can be seen from far away.

The Benedictine Order

The Order of St Benedict, oldest of the religious orders, was founded by
Benedict of Nursia, who set up the first monastery at Monte Cassino, Italy,
in 529. Benedict wanted to re-establish a sense of community in the
turmoil after the collapse of the Roman Empire, and ever since commu-
nity and hospitality have been the hallmarks of the Benedictines.
Benedictine monks are known for living by their labour; Pannonhalma
is no exception. The 40 monks who still live at the abbey oversee
the production and sales of the wine (vineyards surround the
abbey), Benedictine liqueur, honey, tea and lavender products.

A wine produced at Pannonhalma



HUNGARY REGION BY REGION  183

SOUTHERN
TRANSDANUBIA

Shallow and warm, the waters of Lake Balaton have
attracted visitors for centuries, and today the long,
narrow lake is surrounded by holiday resorts. South of
Balaton, the region is sparsely populated, with Pécs the only city of any
size. Great wines are made in this, the sunniest region of the country; the
Villány-Siklós wine route offers a chance to sample some of them in
superb surroundings.

Lake Balaton has something for every- There is more fauna, and flora, at the
one, from brash beach resorts such as Duna–Dráva National Park, especially in
Siófok on the south bank to the serene the ancient Gemenc Forest, perhaps
tranquillity of the Tihany Peninsula that Hungary’s lushest and most accessible
juts into the lake from the north. It is not nature reserve. To the south, human history
difficult to see why so many Hungarians takes centre-stage at the towns of Mohács
choose to spend their holidays here. and Szigetvár, both of which are known for
Motorized water sports are forbidden, so the heroic battles that were fought and
swimmers, anglers and sailors have the lost against the Turks here. In Pécs, the
lake pretty much to themselves. Though largest city in the region, the enormous
the main Balaton season is limited to high former mosque is a permanent reminder
summer (the only time hot, sunny weather that Sultans once held sway here.
can be guaranteed), the nearby cities of
Keszthely, Tapolca and Veszprém are year- Many of Hungary’s best wines are made
round destinations for visitors. in Southern Transdanubia, both in the
volcanic hills on the western shores of
To the west of the lake is Kis-Balaton, Balaton, and in the sun-kissed vineyards
a nature reserve of world renown; in of the far south, in the Villány hills.
autumn, birdwatchers flock here like the Visitors will have ample opportunity
migrating birds they come to watch. to taste them all.

Vineyards near Badacsonytomaj with Mount Badacsony in the background, Lake Balaton
The magnificent interior of St Peter’s Cathedral, Pécs

184  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

Exploring Southern Transdanubia

Outside the capital, Southern Transdanubia is Hungary’s

most-visited region. Most holiday-makers are attracted by

the vast Lake Balaton and the many activities it offers. One

of the nicest resorts to visit here, and to enjoy the clean,

warm waters of the lake, is the elegant town of Keszthely.

The region has great topographical diversity, with the

Gemenc forest, the Villány hills and the Dráva river all Győr

having an impact. The old town of Veszprém has narrow, HEREND

cobbled streets and the picturesque Vár Castle, while Pécs is VESZPRÉM

home to many fine galleries. Steeped in history, Southern

Transdanubia witnessed a crucial battle: the Ottoman rout VESZPRÉM

of the Habsburg rulers at Mohács in 1526. Sopron BALATONALMÁDI

NAGYVÁZSONY

BALATONFÜRED

TAPOLCA TIHANY PENINSULA
SZIGLIGET
HÉVIZ BADACSONY AL ATON Zamárdi
KESZTHELY MOUNTAIN
Balatonszemes
B

BALATON- LAKE
EDERICS Fonyód

Balatonfenyves Karád

Kis- Kéthely Lengyeltóti
balaton Marcali Somogyvár

Zalakaros

Nagykanizsa SOMOGY

Böhönye Nagybajom KAPOSVÁR

A glazed bull’s head on the Zsolnay Segesd Taszár
fountain in Pécs SZENNA

Zakány Csurgó
NAGYATÁD
Lábod Kadarkút
Boldogasszonyfa

Rinya SZIGETVÁR
Szentlőrinc
Barcs
Fekete-
Sellyevíz

Key Dráva

Yachting on Lake Balaton Motorway
Major road
Secondary road
Minor road
Main railway
Minor railway
International border
Regional border

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

SOUTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  185

Balatonkenese Sights at a Glance

Interior of the Secession-style town hall, Kaposvár 1 Dunaföldvár
2 Paks
SIÓFOK 3 Mohács
4 Duna–Dráva National Park
Budapest 5 Villány
6 Siklós
Ádánd Székes- 7 Harkány
fehérvár 8 Pécs pp190–93
Sió 9 Dombóvár
Ozora DUNAFÖLDVÁR 0 Kaposvár
q Szenna
Cece Bölcske w Szigetvár
Simontornya e Nagyatád
r Siófok
Iregszemcse Madocsa y Keszthely pp200–3
u Héviz
Tamási Pincehely i Balatonederics
o Szigliget
Nagydorog PAKS p Badacsony Mountain
a Tapolca
Szakcs T OLNA s Nagyvázsony
Gyönk d Tihany Peninsula
Szakály f Balatonfüred
po s Hőgyész Fadd g Balatonalmádi
Szedres h Herend
Ka j Veszprém pp208–11
DOMBÓVÁR KarasicaZomba Tolna
Tour
DSió
na t Lake Balaton pp198–9
Mágocs a nuSzekszárd
Getting Around
Bonyhád Decs The M7 (E71) motorway serves Lake Balaton,
though it literally creaks under the pressure
Sásd Hidas of traffic during the summer, especially in
July and August and at the weekends, and
Komló Bátaszék Szeged jams can be long. There are also trains from
PÉCS Pécsvárad Budapest-Keleti to the southern Balaton
be) resorts, departing every 15 minutes or so in
Báta summer. Pécs is served by route 6 from the
capital, which is particularly pretty, as it
Dunaszekcső (D follows the Danube for much of the way.
Public transport connections in the far
Lánycsók u south of Transdanubia are poor, and a car
MOHÁCS is needed to explore the area around Pécs.

B A R A N YA DUNA-DRÁVA
NATIONAL PARK

SIKLÓS VILLÁNY

HARKÁNY

0 kilometres 20
0 miles
20

Bathing in the Thermal Lake in Héviz
For keys to map symbols see back flap

186  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

1 Dunaföldvár 2 Paks experimental and fine artists,
dating from 1980 onwards.
69 km (43 miles) south of Budapest. 21 km (13 miles) south of Dunaföldvár. E Paks Gallery
Szent István tér 4. Tel (75) 83 02 82.
Road Map C4. * 9,500. £ from Road Map C4. * 21,000. £ from Open 10am–6pm Tue–Fri, noon–6pm
Sat & Sun. 7
Paks. @ from Budapest. n Tour- Dunaföldvár. @ from Budapest.
Entrance arch to the Mohács
inform, Rátkay köz 2, (75) 34 11 76. Memorial Park

There would be little reason to 3 Mohács

With its elegant central square, visit Paks were it not for the town’s 46 km (29 miles) east of Pécs. Road
Map C5. * 20,000. £ from Villány.
Béke tér, surrounded by well- strikingly modern Catholic @ from Budapest. 4 cross-Danube
car ferry. n Tourinform, Széchenyi
kept Baroque and Secession Church. Designed by the contro- tér 1, (69) 50 55 15. ( daily,
Szabadság tér. _ Busó CarnIval
buildings, especially the versial late Hungarian architect (Shrove Tue; Feb).

spire-topped town hall, Imre Makovecz, it was completed

Dunaföldvár is one of the in 1988 and is constructed entirely

most attractive towns on of wood. Resembling the wooden

the southern stretch of the churches of the Romanian

Hungarian Danube. Maramures region, it has three

Overlooking the town spires, which are topped

is the Ruined Tower, all with a cross, a sun and

that remains of a fort a crescent. The presence

which stood on the of the crescent – a

site in the 16th symbol of Islam –

century. The tower, caused much furore

on Rátkai utca, when it was unveiled.

affords superb views The town, which

of the city centre, is the site of Hungary’s

and of the Danube. only nuclear power

It is reached by station, is also home

way of the ornate to the Paks Gallery

wooden castle (Paksi Képtár) of

gate, a 19th- Town hall clock tower contemporary art.

century replica of in Dunaföldvár Inside the slightly

the original. In the worn but still

same courtyard is the Fafaragó imposing Neo-Classical building

Gallery, dedicated to the are four permanent exhibitions

town’s woodcarvers. dedicated to the works of local

The organically shaped Catholic Church in Paks with its three spires On 29 August 1526, in a field
7 km (4 miles) south of the
small town of Mohács, the Turks
comprehensively defeated
the Hungarians, clearing the
last obstacle on their march
to Buda (see box opposite). To
commemorate the 400th
anniversary of the Battle of
Mohács, a Byzantine church
was erected in the main square,
Széchenyi tér, opposite the
Gothic town hall. The site of
the battle itself is marked by a
memorial to the soldiers who
fell, both in 1526 and in a lesser
battle in 1687. Their mass
graves are indicated by painted
wooden headstones. Five such
graves have been uncovered
so far, and work is ongoing in
the Memorial Park.

Mohács comes alive every
Shrove Tuesday, when it is
the scene of the Busó Carnival
(Busójárás). Today, a colourful
event is held to mark the
passing of winter. The ritual of
dressing in rags and wearing

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

SOUTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  187

startling masks was originally
devised to scare off the Turks –
but it clearly didn’t work.

4 Duna–Dráva
National Park

Road Map C5. @ to Bárányfok
from Szekszárd. £ narrow-gauge
railway from Bárányfok to Pörböly
(regular service May–Sep only).
Gemenc Excursion Centre, Bárányfok:
(20) 566 80 76. Boat tours (summer):
(74) 49 14 83.

This 500-sq-km (193-sq-mile) One of the many wine cellars on Baross Gábor utca in Villány
game reserve in the Gemenc
Forest is Hungary’s largest 5 Villány wines predominate around
floodplain forest. A national park Villány; whites, around Siklós
since 1996, it is covered with lakes 21 km (13 miles) southeast of Pécs. (see p188). Visitors can sample
and fens, and dotted with Road Map C6. * 2,800. £ from local wines at the wine cellars
numerous islands. On many of Pécs. @ from Budapest. _ Red Wine on Bem József utca or Baross
these can be found old willow Festival (first week of Oct); European Gábor utca. Four of the town’s
trees, high oaks and poplars, Wine Song Festival (late Sep). vintners have been awarded
lilies of the valley on the forest the title of “Wine Maker of
floor, and wildlife including A village of wine cellars, Villány the Year”: Gere, Tiffán, Bock
egrets, bald eagles, herons, is the starting point of the and Malatinszky.
black storks and stags. Hunting 14-km (9-mile) Villány–Siklós
is restricted to certain areas. Wine Route, the first to be set The village of Villánykövesd,
up in Hungary in 1994. Wine 4 km (2.5 miles) northeast on
Most of the park is protected, has been made here since the road to Pécs (and not strictly
and there are four ways of Roman times, and a small Wine on the Wine Route), is even
visiting: on a nature trail from Museum, housed in one of more spectacular than Villány,
the park’s main entrance, near the village’s traditional white- as its many wine-cellar cottages
Bárányfok; with a guide from washed wine cellars, tells the are set on a split-level terrace.
the Gemenc Excursion Centre story of local viticulture. Every The village’s Batthyány cellar,
at Bárányfok; by narrow-gauge year the village hosts a Red built by Italian artisans in 1754,
railway from Bárányfok to Wine Festival, dedicated to is one of the venues for per-
Pörböly; and by organized boat promoting Villány wines, formances and events during
trip. The nature trails vary in including Kékoportó, Merlot, the annual European Wine
length from 2.5 km (1.5 miles) Blue Franc and Cabernet; red Song Festival, held in autumn.
to 40 km (25 miles). There is
also a cycle trail, and bike hire, The Battle of Mohács
canoe hire, horse riding and
carriage drives can be arranged. The Battle of Mohács is one of the most important battles in
Hungarian – and European – history. On 29 August 1526, the
An idyllic spot in the Duna–Dráva Turks, having just achieved victory in the Battle of Belgrade, faced
National Park one final obstacle before reaching Buda: the Magyar garrison at
Mohács. The Turks, however, outnumbered the Magyars three to
one, and after a day-long
battle they achieved victory
by nightfall, killing at least
two-thirds of the estimated
25,000 Hungarian soldiers at
arms. The young Hungarian
King, Lajos II, was killed during
the battle. The Turks captured
Buda soon after, and ruled
Hungary for more than 150
years. To this day the battle is
remembered as one of the
greatest Hungarian tragedies. The death of King Lajos II in battle

188  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

with sulphuric water. As it
happens, such sulphuric water –
said to be a cure for rheumatic and
gynaecological disorders – is found
nowhere else, and the Devil’s work
has become a boon for Harkány.

The town’s thermal bath
complex was opened in 1823, and
is today one of the most visited in
Hungary. There are large indoor
and outdoor pools as well as a
section for taking mud baths.
Other waters can be drunk
to cure catarrh and stomach
complaints. Solaria and a
range of beauty treatments
are also available.

 Harkány Spa and Open-Air

Baths

The impressive path to the drawbridge in Siklós Castle Bajcsy­Zsilinszky utca 2. Tel (72) 58 08
80. Spa: Open 9am–6pm daily. Open­
6 Siklós the Serb Orthodox church are Air Baths: Open mid­May–mid­Jun &
also worth seeing. early Sep: 9am–6pm; mid­June–Aug:
15 km (9 miles) west of Villány. Road 9am–8pm, subject to weather. &
Map C6. * 11,000. £ from Villány. + Siklós Castle 7 ∑ harkanyfurdo.hu
@ from Pécs. n Tourinform, Vajda János tér 8. Tel (72) 57 94 27.
Felszabadulás utca 3, (72) 57 90 90. Open Jan–Mar: 9:30am–5pm Tue–Sun; 8 Pécs
( daily, Dózsa György utca. Apr: 9:30am–5pm Tue–Fri, 9:30am–

The star attraction in Siklós, the 6pm Sat & Sun; May–mid­Jun & Sep: See pp190–93.
southernmost town in Hungary, to 6pm daily; mid­Jun–Aug: to 7pm
close to the border with Serbia, daily; Oct: to 5pm daily; Nov & Dec: 9 Dombóvár
is Siklós Castle, one of the best­ to 5pm Tue–Sun. & 7 -

preserved medieval forts in the 39 km (25 miles) north of Pécs.
Road Map C5. * 21,000.
country. The fort, which dates back 7 Harkány
to 1294, has enjoyed something

of a charmed life. Uniquely 25 km (16 miles) southeast of Pécs. Dombóvár and its surrounding
among Hungarian fortresses, it Road Map C6. * 3,400. @ from area is one of the oldest inhab­

was spared by the Turks as well Pécs. n Tourinform, Kossuth utca 7, ited regions of Hungary. The ruins
as the Habsburgs (twice). (72) 47 96 24. ( daily, Bajcsy­Zsilinszky of a 4th­century Roman fortress

The fort’s entrance is via an old utca. ∑ harkanyturizmus.hu were found underneath nearby

drawbridge and through a gate Alsóhetény and the Celts were

decorated elaborately with the According to local legend, the here before that. Relics of even

Batthyány family coat of arms. Devil ploughed the land around earlier unknown settlers from

From the immaculately preserved Harkány, and filled the furrows the Bronze Age have also been

ramparts spectacular views of the

vineyards of the surrounding area

can be enjoyed. Inside the fortress

is a Gothic chapel, decorated with

fading but impressive frescoes

from the late 15th century.

The Castle Museum, in the fort’s

south wing, is equally impressive,

containing a collection of medi­

eval items and an exhibition on

the lives of the various members

of the Batthyány family who

lived here as late as the 1940s.

Elsewhere in Siklós, the

restored 16th­century

Malkocs Bei Mosque, which is

full of memorabilia from the

Turkish occupation, and the

colourful 18th­century icons of Exercises in the outdoor pool, Harkány Spa and Open-Air Baths

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

SOUTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  189

found. These are on display at the Stained-glass window, town hall formerly the County Hall.
Dombóvár Region Historical in Kaposvár The museum also presents
Museum (Dombóvári an exhibition of local artifacts,
Helytörténeti Múzeum), which is Rippl-Rónai (1861–1927) and including folk art that predates
also home to a possibly unique János Vaszary (1867–1939), two the Magyar invasion.
exhibition on the history of the of Hungary’s most important
artificial language Esperanto. artists. It was also the birthplace Kaposvár’s town hall
of Imre Nagy (1896–1958), was built in 1904 in classic
Among Dombóvár’s other leader of the 1956 revolution Secessionist style, though
attractions are the Baroque (see pp48–9). its slender spire carries a
Catholic Church, dating from hint of the late Baroque. It
1757 and once a private chapel The city’s focal point is is not officially open to the
for the use of the Esterházy Kossuth tér. Most of the main public but it is usually
family (see p171). Szigeterdő, a sights are located around this possible to go in and admire
pretty park and nature reserve street, including the Vaszary the interior. The frescoes
on Gyenis Antal utca, houses a Gallery, which displays the above the lobby are by local
reconstructed medieval building. paintings of János Vaszary, who artist Géza Udvary, and the
was born in the building. There fine stained-glass windows
A short drive north is the tiny are more Vaszary works nearby of the ceremonial hall are
village of Gölle, the birthplace in a Neo-Classical building, the work of the Miksa
of István Fekete (1900–70), one of the former Somogy County Róth workshop.
Hungary’s most popular 20th- Museum (now renamed the
century writers, best known for Rippl-Rónai Museum), A short walk south is the
his novel Tüskevár, a charming József Rippl-Rónai Memorial
story of two boys from Budapest Museum, the elegant Roma
who spend their summers cottage where a number
around Gölle and Lake Balaton. of Rippl-Rónai’s works and
Fekete’s childhood home in personal items are on show.
Gölle is now a small museum.
E Vaszary Gallery
E Dombóvár Region Historical Csokonai utca 1. Tel (82) 51 22 28.
Museum Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat.
Szabadság utca 16. Tel (74) 46 57 15, 8 Hungarian only. 7
(mobile) (20) 910 80 66. Open 8am–
4pm Mon–Fri, by appointment Sat & E Rippl-Rónai Museum
Sun. 8 Hungarian only. 7 Fő út 10. Tel (82) 31 40 11.
Open 10am–4pm Tue–Sun.
&7

E József Rippl-Rónai
Memorial Museum
Fodor József utca 35. Tel (82) 51 00 49.
Open Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm Tue–
Sun; Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun.
8 recorded tours. 7

Bust of the Hungarian writer István Fekete, József Rippl-Rónai Rippl-Rónai’s Woman in
born near Dombóvár White-Spotted Dress
József Rippl-Rónai (1861–1927) was
0 Kaposvár one of the three most important artists
of the Hungarian Secession movement.
43 km (27 miles) northwest of Pécs. Born in Kaposvár he mastered a pastel-
Road Map B5. * 66,000. £ from like style, seen best in his celebrated
Budapest, Pécs. @ from Pécs. work Mlle Dutile (1892, József Rippl-
n Tourinform, Fő utca 8, (82) 51 Rónai Memorial Museum, Kaposvár).
29 21. ∑ tourinformkaposvar.hu He moved to France when the Art
Nouveau movement was at its peak.
Boasting one of Hungary’s His masterpiece, Woman in White-
largest pedestrian-only zones, Spotted Dress (1889, National Gallery,
Kaposvár is a superb city in Budapest, see pp62–3), was painted
which to stroll and enjoy an during this period. It is regarded as the
eclectic mix of architecture. The first Secessionist work by a Hungarian
town is the birthplace of József artist. On a visit to Italy, Rippl-Rónai
became fascinated by decorative
mosaics. His later works, including The
Manor House at Körtyvélyes (1907,
National Gallery), reflect a move to
bolder strokes and colour.

190  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

8 Pécs

Cosmopolitan Pécs, 2010’s European Capital of Culture, calls Entrance to the Zsolnay Museum,
itself “Hungary’s Mediterranean city”. Given that the sun shines in the historic centre of Pécs
here for more than 200 days a year, and that the city’s streets
have a very Turkish, even Oriental, feel to them, this is not as
strange as it may seem. Pécs was founded by the Romans, who
called the place Sopianae, in the 3rd century AD. It served as
the capital of Valeria Province and was an early centre of
Roman Christianity – as evidenced by the 4th-century tombs
on Apáca utca. It was the Turks, however, 1,000 years later, who
left the deepest marks on the city’s landscape. No other city
centre in Hungary is quite so dominated by a former mosque
as Pécs’s Széchenyi tér (see pp192–3), yet no other city seems
quite so at ease with the fact.

R St Peter’s Cathedral and frescoes in the chapels and the famous for their unique
Bishops’ Palace reliefs in the crypt by György metallic glaze. Also on display
Szent Péter Székesegyház Zala. A bronze statue of Janos are items of furniture and
Pannonius, a leading humanist, paintings produced by
& Püspöki palota stands in front of the cathedral. the family.

Dóm tér 2. Tel (72) 51 30 57. Opposite is the attractive E Csontváry Museum
deep-red, 19th-century Neo- Csontváry Múzeum
Open Apr–Oct: 9am–5pm Mon– Renaissance Bishops’ Palace. Janus Pannonius utca 11. Tel (72) 31
It has a statue of Ferenc (Franz) 05 44. Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. &
Sat, 11:30am–5pm Sun. 8 7 Liszt in a raincoat on the
southern balcony. The palace 87
The historic centre of Pécs, is home to one of Hungary’s
Dóm tér, is dominated by largest libraries. Most of Tivadar Csontváry
St Peter’s Cathedral, which Kosztka’s (1853–1919) master-
was first built as a Neo- E Zsolnay Museum pieces, including the startling
Romanesque church in 1009 Zsolnay Múzeum View of the Dead Sea from the
when St István made Pécs a Káptalan utca 2. Tel (72) 51 40 45. Temple Square in Jerusalem,
bishopric. The original church, Open May–Oct: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; have been on display in this
burned down in 1064, was Nov–Apr: 10am–4pm Tue–Sun. & Neo-Renaissance building
replaced by a Baroque since 1973. A tortured soul
cathedral built over nearly 200 87= and former pharmacist,
years. Badly damaged by the Csontváry Kosztka produced
Mongols, it was almost entirely Located in the oldest-known most of his work in 1903–9,
rebuilt as a Gothic church in house of Pécs, this museum after which he moved to
the 15th century. The current showcases the most significant Naples and went quietly mad.
edifice, with its four severe pieces of the Zsolnay Ceramic
corner towers, dates from Factory. Zsolnay tiles graced P Apáca Street and Early
1891, and is the work of the palaces of the Austro- Christian Mausoleum
Viennese architect Friedrich Hungarian monarchy and were Apáca utca & Ókeresztény
Schmidt. The interior is impres- Mauzóleum
sive, especially the Károly Lotz Apáca utca 8 & 14. Tel (30) 873 81 16.
Closed until further notice.
St Peter’s Cathedral, with its distinctive corner towers ∑ pecsorokseg.hu

Four graves at Apáca utca 14,
all from c.AD 390, mark one
of the earliest Christian burial
sites in Europe. The bodies
are buried under the chapel,
and not in sarcophagi. The
mausoleum, below an exca-
vated chapel, is even older, c.
AD 275. It is decorated with
biblical frescoes. These and
two further burial chambers
at Pécs (combined tickets are
available) have UNESCO World
Heritage status.

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

PÉCS  191

E Archaeological P Király Utca VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Museum
Széchenyi tér 12. Tel (72) 31 27 19. Király utca.
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. & 7
Largely pedestrianized, Király Practical Information
The Archaeological Museum
features Goths, Huns, Tatars, utca is an architectural show- Road Map C5. * 156,000.
Visigoths and other invaders,
but perhaps the highlight is case. Secessionist façades can n Tourinform, Széchenyi tér 7.
the story of Roman Sopianae, be seen at Nos. 5 (Palatinus (72) 51 12 32. _ Spring Festival
a popular posting for Roman Hotel; superb lobby), 8, 10, 19 (last 2 weeks Mar); Pécs
officers. A valuable treasure, and the National Theatre; the Cultural Heritage Festival
a bust of Marcus Aurelius twin-towered St Pauline Church (2nd and 3rd week Sep).
has a room to itself. at No. 44 is Baroque. ∑ iranypecs.hu

U Gazi Kasim Pasha Transport
Mosque/ Inner City
Parish Church u Synagogue £ Indóház tér. @ Zólyom utca.
Gazi Kasim Pasha Dzámi/
Belvárosi templom Zsinagóga
Széchenyi tér. Tel (72) 32 19 76.
Open 9am–5pm Mon–Sat, 1–5pm Kossuth tér. Tel (72) 31 58 81.
Sun. & 7
Open May–Oct: 10am–5pm Sun–Fri, U Jakovali Hassan Mosque
Built on the site of a Gothic or by appointment. & 7 Jakovali Hassan Dzámi
Christian church in 1579 for
Pasha Gazi Kasim, this mosque This grand Neo-Renaissance Rákóczi út. 2. Tel (20) 400 93 01.
was the largest in Hungary,
and remains its most important synagogue, built in the 1860s, Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun;
Turkish monument. Converted shows the high standing the Nov–Mar: 10am–4pm Fri–Sun, or by
into a Christian church in 5,000 practising Jews had in appointment. & 8
the late 17th century, calli-
graphy at the entrance and Pécs society until 1944, Though this 16th-century mosque
a prayer niche are reminders
of its origins. when the Arrow Cross was converted into a Catholic

government sent church in 1714, its 23-m- (75-

all of them to ft-) high minaret is still

Auschwitz. Fewer intact (but closed). A

than 500 survived. museum since 1975, it

A memorial documents the Turkish

commemorates occupation of Pécs.

those who were Many of the exhibits

killed. Services were donated by the

take place in the Turkish government as

smaller prayer hall a semi-official apology

at the side. Façade of Pécs Synagogue in the early 1990s.

Pécs City Centre KÁLVÁRIA UTCA

1 St Peter’s Cathedral ÚTJA Old Town UTCA DR.
and Bishops’ Palace Zsolnay
ARADI V É R TA N I K Walls N Ö V E L D E MAJOROSSY
2 Zsolnay Museum
3 Csontváry Museum PA P
4 Apáca Street and Early KESOZTCRESÉHaRtTBÁtAPhZiMPseehÁatEdSoelaarrpUarcM’.'lselFsyaECuRhIDsESSTorOZNTTÉiEVÉlRMsCeNRÁJtuATiENaMSmNnEÁUKTSYKÁÁSPUNMPAKSPATTeIzAhNuPCRmeÁLaÁsNAArCeMCMrLeOeNYmAusscNuuomUsasIUsneTUceeTUCntyuSCuvTAAmCámJrAÓUTyÉKTRACSI ZAÉCTÉHRENMAYrGMuIcZashoeszesouioqlmKnluoaaegsyiiPmcFEKaoARIlJRuCNÓMÁnZNZMEAULtSLYaAENNFiRKnIaAAUtCUiToSCTYnCAUAaUUTJlTTPUTÁCCThuTCNAAhCTAOpeAeAeaSqpratueUrrtatTaerCreriiAuumm-
KLIMÓ GYÖRGY UTCA HUNYADI UTCA MEGYE UTCA SZENT IMRE UTCA
Christian Mausoleum SZEPESY UTCA FLORIÁN UT CA
5 Archaeological Museum MOR
6 Gazi Kasim Pasha Mosque/
UTCA
Inner City Parish Church
7 Király Utca UTCA
8 Synagogue F E LSŐM A LO M U T C A
9 Jakovali Hassan Mosque

Jakovali VÁRADI ANTAL UTCA ZRINYI UTCA JÓKAI UTCA TERÉZ U T CAIRGALMASOK UTCA Synagogue TÍMÁR BUDAPEST
Hassan RÁKÓ
Mosque KOSSUTH
TÉR
ALSÓMALOM UTCA
0 metres 100 CZI ÚT CITROM UTCA B A J C S Y- Z S I L I N S Z K Y U T C A RÁKÓCZI ÚT
0 yards 100 Shopping
Ethnographic
Museum Centre
SZABADSÁG UTCA JÓKAI UTCA
Key RÉT UTCA
Street-by-Street pp192–3 JÓZEF A. UTCA N A G Y L A JOS K I RÁ LY Ú T J A Market Bus
Train Station Station
200 m (220 yards)

Z Ó LY OM UTC A

For keys to map symbols see back flap

192  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

Street-by-Street: Around Széchenyi tér

Once the bustling medieval heart of Pécs,
comprising a marketplace, meeting point and
general forum, today Széchenyi tér is a far more
serene and reflective place. Sloping gently from
north to south, the square is dominated – as is much
of Pécs – by the former mosque of Gazi Kasim Pasha,
the largest surviving original Islamic construction in
Hungary. It is now a Catholic church and a museum.

. Gazi Kasim Mosque Archaeological Museum
Correctly known as the Inner This large collection traces the history of
City Parish Church of human settlement in Pécs from the Early
St Mary, this was for two Stone Age to the present day.
centuries the city’s
primary mosque. Its
dome stands 28 m
(92 ft) high.

HUNYADI UTCA HEN Y I
UTCA TÉR
Z É C
SZEPESY
S

Zsolnay Museum displays JANUS PANNONIUS UTCA
exquisite examples of Art
Nouveau tiles.

APÁCA UTCA UTCA

Holy Trinity Monument FERENCESEK
The column, restored by
György Kiss in 1908, com­ JÓKAI
memorates the victims of a TÉR
plague outbreak in 1710.
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 . János Hunyadi
Monument
The largest equestrian
statue of Hunyadi in
Hungary, it was erected
by the local sculptor Pál
Pátzay in 1956, the
500th anniversary of
Hunyadi’s death.

PÉCS  193

National Theatre
This impressive theatre was
built in 1893–5, in a mix of
styles. It hosts first-class opera

and ballet performances.

. Király Utca
Traffic-free Király utca is
lined with shops and cafés,
making it ideal for a stroll. Its
buildings boast Secessionist
(Palatinus Hotel) and Baroque
(St Pauline Church) façades.

UTCA
MÁRIA

K I R Á LY UTCA

0 metres 20 Town Hall

0 yards 20 Pécs town hall was built in 1710,

though its tall, slender tower was not

added until 1907.

Key

Suggested route

Zsolnay Fountain
This outstanding example of Secessionist design pays

homage to Vilmos Zsolnay, who founded the
Zsolnay tile factory nearby in 1853. It features
the trademark Zsolnay blue glaze.

194  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

House (Török-Ház), is a small
exhibition of life in the town
during the Turkish occupation.
On the field where Zrínyi led
his forces into battle (5 km/
3 miles north of the town)
stands the Turkish-Hungarian
Friendship Park, set up in 1996
by both governments. There is
a replica of Sultan Süleyman’s
tomb, and oversized statues of
the Sultan and of Zrínyi.

E Castle Museum
Vár utca 19. Open check website for
opening times. ∑ szigethvar.hu

A typical 19th-century house in the open-air folk museum in Szenna E Turkish House
Bástya utca 3. Tel (73) 51 43 00.
&7

q Szenna were running desperately e Nagyatád
short of water did they leave
Road Map B5. * 750.
@ from Kaposvár. the fortress, and even then 28 km (18 miles) north of Barcs.

The open-air Szenna Ethno­ they did not surrender, Road Map B5. * 13,000. @ from
graphic Museum is unique in
Hungary in that it has been choosing instead to die heroic Kaposvár. n Tourinform, Széchenyi
established in a living village.
Set around the village church, though futile deaths in close tér 1/A, Nagyatád (82) 35 15 06.
five thatched houses with
wooden porches were brought combat. Part of the fortress,
here from surrounding villages
in the 1970s. The houses date restored in the 1960s, is the This city has a good thermal
from the 1850s, and with their
large kitchens are typical of Castle Museum, dedicated to baths complex, with three
post-revolutionary architecture
in Hungary. All are decorated the heroes of the siege. There covered and two large open-air
in the vernacular style. The
whitewashed Calvinist church, is also a monument to the pools as well as drinking cures,
erected in 1787 to a late
Baroque design, is famous fallen in the town’s central but Nagyatád is best known for
for its ceiling: the artist Tildy
Zoltán painted it with 117 square, Zrínyi tér. The fortress its unique Statue Park featuring
unique flowers, reflecting
the rich flora of the Somogy courtyard also houses a former the works of a local wood-
region. Visitors can also admire
the highly decorated wooden mosque, which was carvers’ collective. The
crown above the pulpit and
the pews that are installed built by the Turks park was set up in
over two levels.
after their victory. 1975, in an effort
w Szigetvár
Another former to preserve the
33 km (21 miles) west of Pécs.
Road Map B5. * 12,000. mosque, also on wood carving
£ from Pécs. @ from Pécs.
Zrínyi tér, is today a skills of the region.
At the siege of Szigetvár, in
1566, Captain Miklós Zrínyi and Catholic church. It There are 64
a small band of soldiers held
the town’s fortress against a was converted in A wooden wheel in the monumental
Turkish attacking force of over 1789, when the Statue Park in Nagyatád statues (some more
100,000 for 22 days. Only when frescoes by István than 7 m/23 ft high)
the beleaguered Hungarians
Dorfmeister were in all, laid out in a

painted. In the house at Bástya spacious and attractive park to

utca 3, the so-called Turkish the south of the city centre.

Considered living art, there are

no restrictions on touching or

even climbing the statues,

making this a great place to

introduce children to sculpture.

Another 24 wooden statues can

be found in the city’s public

squares and buildings.

The surrounding countryside

offers superb hiking routes

in the Forest Park (Parkerdő)

and the Rower Lake

(Csónakázótó) nearby.

Exhibits in the former mosque inside the E Nagyatád Statue Park
Szigetvár fortress Göröndi út. Tel (82) 35 14 97.
Open daily. 8 Hungarian only. 7

For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

SOUTHERN TRANSDANUBIA  195

Hungary’s Minorities

Some 90 per cent of Hungary’s population are Magyars, but there are also significant
minority groups of Serbs, Germans, Romanians and Jews. In all, 13 minority groups are
recognized, although some (the Palóc, Armenians and Ruthenians, for example) number
only a handful of people. The largest ethnic minority in Hungary is the Gypsies (Roma).
The official figure is 400,000, yet many Gypsies see themselves as Hungarians, which
means there could be as many as a million in the country. Until Hungary joined the EU in
2004, it had a less than fine record in its treatment of its ethnic minorities, especially of
the Gypsies. Even since then, EU-funded programmes have been only marginally suc-
cessful at integrating the Gypsy population.

The museum village of
Hollókő, while primarily a
tourist attraction, show­
cases Palóc traditions and
culture. Its inhabitants
wear traditional costume.

Szentendre was Few Roma still
founded by Serbs live the romantic
and although they life of a traveller.
no longer make up the Most are on the
majority population fringes of society,
group here, many
Serbs still celebrate with an un­
Easter according to employment
the Orthodox Julian rate of almost
calendar. 70 per cent.

People in Sopron in 1921 The popular image of Gypsy
voted to stay in Hungary rather musicians is a cigányzenekar, which is
than join Austria. Over the next a Gypsy band. It is one of the few ways
Gypsies can earn a living in Hungary.
few decades most ethnic
Germans moved away, but

since 1990 many have
returned, which has given the

city a very international feel.

Budapest today is home to one of Europe’s most Many Orthodox Romanians are
dynamic Jewish communities. Budapest’s synagogue settled in and around the eastern town
is Europe’s largest, and the city boasts many Jewish of Gyula. Although the two countries
theatres, schools and kosher restaurants. have had a strained relationship for
centuries, more than 80,000 Romanians
choose to live in Hungary.





198  HUNGARY REGION BY REGION

t Lake Balaton Tour

Lake Balaton is often referred to as Budapest-on-Sea,
and during the summer months it may seem as if half the
population of the capital has decamped here. Lake Balaton,
however, at 596 sq km (230 sq miles) the largest lake in
central Europe, is big enough to cope, and even in the high
season the visitor is never far from a peaceful spot. Most
of the southern side of the lake is very shallow, with an
average depth of just 3.5 m (11 ft), and the waters are
fairly warm, making this the most popular shore with
bathers and families.

Marina in Siófok, departure point for pleasure q Kis-Balaton
cruises and water sports The Kis-Balaton
nature reserve at the
r Siófok mouth of the Zala
river covers an area
88 km (54 miles) southwest of Buda- of 40 sq km (15 sq
pest. Road Map C4. * 23,000. miles). It is inhabited
£ from Budapest. @ from Budapest. by many rare plants
4 from Balatonfüred, Tihany. n and animals.
Tourinform, Fő tér 11, (84) 69 62 36.
_ Siófok Summer Evenings (Jun– 0 Balatonberény Tapolca
Aug). ∑ siofokportal.com One of the first genuine resorts on the
lake to become popular, Balatonberény Badacsonytomaj
The largest and liveliest resort on retains a late 19th-century charm, most
Lake Balaton’s southern coast, apparent in its delightful lakeside Lake
Siófok stretches along the shore cottages and rural houses.
for 17 km (11 miles). It is popular J
with weekenders from Budapest, Sopron
many of whom have holiday
homes in the town. The main Zalaegerszeg Keszthely J
attraction is the beach. It is split
in two parts – Aranypart (Golden J
Shore) to the north and Ezüst-
part (Silver Shore) to the south – Barcs
by the Sió canal, which was
originally built by the Romans in Nagykanizsa 8 Balatonfenyves
AD 276. Like all of Lake Balaton’s This small resort is very popular
resorts, however, Siófok offers Zalakaros with families. A miniature railway
mainly grass beaches. The runs to a nearby thermal bath.
resort’s marina is at the head of
the canal, from where pleasure 9 Balatonmáriafürdő
cruisers and ferries depart for the This lively resort attracts
Tihany Peninsula (see p206). water sports enthusiasts
The port is a good place to find and those looking for a
sailing boats for hire, and to good range of bars and
organize a variety of other water
sports (see p291). restaurants.

Visitors should note that
during the summer nights
Siófok comes alive with tens
of thousands of young people
looking for a good time in
the resort’s innumerable bars,
discos and nightclubs, many
of which are in the open air.
If an early, quiet night is
required, one of the smaller
resorts along the coast would
be a far better option.

Pontoon and pavilion on Lake Balaton at Keszthely