Rolling in Budapest Cultural information in English … Hear everything first hand

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Rolling in the culinary of Mátra –  The Year of Gastronomic Experiences.

On a rainy day headed on the road to the north-east mountainous attractive natural environment that led to the city of Gyöngyös. The city is around 80 kms. from Budapest. It is the second largest city which in the Heves province. The residents of Gyöngyös call their City “Gate to the Mátra” (Mátra is the name collective of the Northern mountains in Hungary).

Gyöngyös is truly a peaceful townscape, a.k.a. the city of grapes and wine. The first cellars already were based in the eighteenth Century these wine cellars could speak the  stories of great revelries would come alive. The memory of the usual entertainments are not forgotten and even today from year to year are held „A Day Visiting – Drinking at Cellars” visits where wine minstrels also entertain the visitors.

The city has more than a handful of attractions to look around, taste the locals wines and visit restaurants, fill their bellies with Á la Palots style of local meals. So definitely worthwhile to stop over, look around before heading to their original destination to the highest mountain in Hungary, the Kékestető.

The notes have shown the history of the city was destroyed repeatedly by fire, but always reborn,  and  luckily from almost every historical era confirm significant and beautiful memories. The inhabitants of the city ruthless flames, as a reminder placed a statue “Red Rooster” in the center on the main street.

Throwing a glance at the city center is a prominent building of the baroque parish church – St. Bartholomew. Inside representing significant value, the treasury of the Renaissance liturgical objects are kept. The valuable monuments include the Franciscan church and monastery, which was founded in the 1370. In the crypt rests the legendary general – War of Independence Rákóczi and János Vak Bottyán. The Franciscan library is the country’s only medieval monastery library monument. Here at Gyöngyös is Hungary’s book creation, copy the code and writing the first workshop, therefore the role of the national cultural history unrivaled. The diploma dated 1475 show the Franciscans already lived in Gyöngyös. The monastery library, which is constantly working and can be found between 14 and 200 thousand volumes piece of incunabula back from the Middle Ages.

At the city’s main square former Market Place for centuries now-a-days four Fountains can be seen. In each  Fountain features the city … the golden Sun, the human faced Moon and the white wolf – decorate the corners of the square. The significant motif of the fourth fountain in the south-east corner is grape referring to the Town of Grapes and Wine. These are also coat of arms motifs of Gyöngyös.

Throughout the course of the history of Jewish-Christian times they have lived peacefully side by side. What’s more, as greater evidence of the Synagogue at Gyöngyös, which is a third of the country’s largest house of worship. The large, distinctive building was built-in 1930 on the basis of Leopold Baumhorn and György Somogyi. In the center of the building is located the large dome. For a long time it has been used as a furniture store, but now going through the period of reconstruction. Upon plans it will serve as Coexistence House and will organize events of the Christian-Jewish dialogue converted into a center. Will be housing also exhibitions and will be a center for cultural programs, and as for to-day heard already it has been completed renderings of the project. At Gyöngyös the Jews decades after the Compromise (1867) settled in a large numbers in 1910, the number exceeded to the population of 2000 that was one-fifth of the population Jewish. From the Gyöngyös ghetto in the summer of 1944, more than 1800 people were driven by the authorities, most were transported to the Auschwitz death camp, a few survivors after the war returned for a short time, and many of them left abroad to Israel or America. The war and the Holocaust abolished their memories in the surroundings. It is planned that the environment Coexistence House is rebuilt, and they try to give back to the building ’30s-edge features. At the Coexistence House, Judaism will be presented in the results of their activities of the past  centuries at Gyöngyös – Hungary. To be introduced the industry installers, architects, cultural patron, pharmacists – Gideon Richter who studied in the city. Also lived in the county Lajos Hatvany and Sándor Bródy. Hopefully, can be mention the rooted girls, former citizens of Gyöngyös the Chess champion Polgár Girls.

After the short sightseeing headed to the Kékes… Restaurant where Anita Molnár – Hungarian National Tourist Office – Regional Director of Marketing and Robert Nagy – President of Mátra Beaded TDM, Mayor György Hiesz and Tamás Kévés –Vice-President, Gábor Törőcsik – regional marketing manager welcomed the group. Also each one of the emphasised how worthwhile to stop and look, taste, enjoy the what Gyöngyös is all about, which is kinda skipped by drivers on the Highway to Kékes.

The group was ensured by entertainment during the supper, tasting local wines and enjoying the event of the Mátra gastronomic – Year of Gastronomic Experiences. Excellent food was served by Zoltán Nagy – master chef and Veronika Szabó – kitchener. Krisztián Kovácsik presented the wines – winemaker from Bardos and Son Winery. The background music was by Attila Szőke plays acoustic guitar and Gusztáv Mátra and last but not least an awesome Borostyán Palots Folk Dancers show highlighted the night.

Surely was a fine time even dispite the pouring rain and short stay, but  major attractions were shown and definitely a must stop for all before heading to the Kékes mountain to stop by at Gyöngyös to visit in the future … of course not only for the Hungarians, but to visit Gyöngyös for the tourist, foreigners working staying in Hungary would be a pitty to miss.

Update and snaps by Aggie Reiter