Hungary
COUNTRY: Hungary
LOCATIONS: Szigetvár, Villány, Pécs, Budapest, Siófok, Balaton
DATE: August, 2023
I have to say… I’m a very lucky person. My job is my hobby, and my hobby is my job. What I needed to start the work I like? I needed a complete financial breakdown, and than I created a job that made me money and mostly happiness.
Trough my job I make friends, that i never even would’ve meet. These friends provides me real friendship, love and new experiences that i thought it don’t exist anymore, only in movies. Once again i was able to enjoy the real Hungarian hospitality by Józsi an Tünde in Szigetvár, and Gábor and Ildikó in Siófok. I’m about tell you some stories about these experiences I was able to enjoy thanks for them.
Thanks for the Kovacs Auto Centrum in Siófok, Hungary, for provided me a brand new Fiat Tipo for an entire month for my trips in Hungary. All above this the owner of the car saloon, Gabor Kovacs delivered himself for me to Tiszacsege, which is a small town on the east side of the country. This way I was able to visit Pécs, Szigetvár, Székesfeérvár, Lake Velence, Törökszentmiós, Jaszberény, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza, Szerencs, Balmazujváros, Budapest and a lot other places. On top of this Gabor provided me a house in the city of Siofok which Hungarians reefers as the capital of the Balaton. While I spent my time at Siófok, Gabor and his family spent some time with me, and introduce me the Balaton area.
One of these days I was taken trough the old Kádár resort, which was the most famous and protected resort in Hungary during the communist era. Today, mostly it’s just abandoned buildings, old movie theathre you can find. But you can feel the old shine of this place, the richness, the taste, and joyfull happiness that once it was home here.
Also I was shown the north part of the Balaton which was fun. We took the ferry to Tihany, which is the most beatiful and authentic city in the lake area. We seen an old temple the Tihany Abbey which was founded in 1055 by king I. Andras. Later we visited to the Tihany Echo, which was ruined by the buildings that built here early XX. century. Next day I’ve seen this from airplane above. Also we tried here an IPA beer ice cream and levender ice cream. Basically everyting is made out of levender over here. The IPA ice cream was like I was really licking an India Pale Ale beer.
Balaton country is interesting beside of it beauty, especially the fort of Szigliget, which is the remains of the original fort, that the Turks or Osmans never were able to take over. Once it was a border fort at the Turkish era in Hungary.
Another day Gabor, took me to spin with the fastest boat on the lake. I have to tell you, we didn’t stay dry. The owner of this boating company knows how to entertain people. He has the largest fast boat in the world ever been built, similar as you can see in Miami, FL. He spins the boat like a vortex, and he could make the front of the boat sink into the lake, which unfortunately we couldn’t experienced since the new boating rules of the lake. But the adrenaline, the experience and the fun was there. the Guy is awesome, and totally worth the price which is 10 000 Ft, (about $30) for about 30 minutes ride. For me it was also free, thanks to Gabor and the boating guy.
Next day we have flew over the Balaton, and we see Tihany, Füred and Siófok above, include the Hungarian see… AKA the Balaton which is the largest lake in Central Europe.
The South
I left home early, but it was about 4,5 hours drive which is nothing in the US but its a lot in a small country like Hungary. Finally I have arrived early afternoon to Szigetvár where Tünde and Józsi waited for me on the street with hug and two sloppy kisses, and with a real, old style Hungarian hospitality. Delicious food, Hungarian pálinka, and a nice variety cold beer and extremely good local vine waited for me in their home where I’ve resided while I spent my time in the south Hungary.
They took me to the castle of Szigetvár, which was one of the most important castle back in the days of the Turkish wars. The fort was way bigger than I thought and in wasn’t on the top of a hill or mountain than usually… it use to be in a high swamp, that was dried and the city was built on. Back at the days both fort and the city was built on islands in the swamp.
On the day we visited the castle, was an exhibition where a live presentation about the use of weapons back in the days. That was such a great time. Also we were able to try weapons, shields and dresses and armors. I could’ve spend my entire day here. But we had to go to Ofrű, witch is the small resort town in the edge of the Mecsek mountains. When I was a kid I’ve heard a lot about this place where only the lucky ones were able to visit here. I wasn’t one of them. But now, at age 45 finally I was able to see this beautiful place. We ate, had a beer and continued to go to Pécs, witch use to be a city by the ancient Romans, called Sofianne. This city is so beautiful, with those old buildings, clean streets and got some awesome vibe.
I had a special beer at a special beer place, it was a taste of “sour cherry-popyseed strudel” beer, which is really tasted as the named Hungarian cake. Unfortunately we had not much time to spend here, but we had time to go up in the old TV tower, which is a lookout and restaurant these days. From the tower which is probably stands on one of the highest mountain in the Mecsek mountains, plus the huge tower witch is about 75 meters (225 feet) tall, you have an awesome lookout top the entire city and the mountains around. then we have spent our lunch here.
Click on the photo:
#1 Zrinyi of Szigetvár and Suleiman. they both died at the siege.
#2 Street of Pécs.
#3 Theater in Pécs
#4 TV tower above Pécs that works as a lookout and restaurant these days.
#5 The view from the TV tower
A little bit late but we have arrived to town of Villány witch is one of the best vine area of the country. First we stayed at the Kecskés Winery, and we have tasted some really good red vines, and vine jam. YES! A jam made of vine. How good is that? Turned out it’s very! Tasted so good especially the rose. On the wall I find a picture of an old man, that was really familiar. It was nobody else but the last Hungarian heir to the tron, Otto von Hapsburg. He personally visited the winery of cores after our. But I have met him personally a couple of times back my Hungarian days and also here in the US, when he visited New York.
From here we visited two other wineries before we went home. So this day we didn’t stay dry either…
Unfortunately these fun days must came to an end. It was great with to be with friends and as much I wanted to stay here in Szigetvár and Siófok, I had to leave to Budapest to make my American passport in order to able to return to the US.
BUDAPEST
Budapest is one of the most interesting capital city I ever been to. Not because I was born here, but because it old history is giving a feeling that unique.
Here, you can find a statue of president Ronald Reagan and George Bush, and the monument of a the communism right between them, and all these front of the American Embassy. Also a statue of Harry Hill Bantholtz American general who served in Budapest after WWI 1919-1920 and saved the National Museum from the romanian army with a single whip. About 24 years ago read his book I really started to like this guy.
The Hungarian parliament just a few step away on the side by the Danube (Duna) river. Other side of the river is the Buda Castle which is gorgeous and the Statue of Liberty on the top of the mountain Gellert.
I spent my last night here, and it was gorgeous to walking on the Halászbástya, which basically the walls of the Buda castle. After midnight a lots of people were here and everybody was either German, or Indian, or English. Only Hungarian was me and Gabor and his family.