Eger: Baroque Beauty and Beautiful Wines

 

In Hungary, Eger is basically known for two things.  One, it is generally considered one of the most beautiful small cities in Hungary and two, it is one of the most famous wine districts in the country.  Both made it appealing, and so we went on an overnight trip to see the town and drink the wine.

The older part of Eger is almost completely Baroque, which makes it unusual in Hungary.  The city has a homogeneous feel to it that reminded me of other old towns, such as those we saw in the Baltics, as well as others in Eastern and Central Europe (e.g., Sibiu, Cracow, Dubrovnik, Bratislava).  There are many churches and plazas, and the bright colors shone in the gorgeous sunshine we have had throughout our time in Hungary.

And in the midst of all this Baroque splendor, the remains of one small synagogue.

And a minaret.  The northernmost left in Europe after the retreat of the Ottoman Empire.

However, I would be lying if I said that Baroque architecture was the main reason for going to Eger.  We went first for the wine.  Eger makes some of the very best wines in Hungary--wine that never leaves the country.  The yield is just too small to export.  Any Hungarian wine that makes it to the Us US is nothing like the real thing.  In particular, Eger is known for Egri Bikaver, or Eger Bulls Blood.  Bulls Blood is a blend of grapes, and the proportions are strictly regulated.  It is nothing like what you think you know is Bulls Blood, unless you have been to Hungary.

We went to one winery in Eger that has a tasting room in the town itself: Gal Tibor.  There, we did a tasting of two whites and four reds.  And it was a terrific experience. 

We also drank Eger wine at dinner and lunch the next day.  And at lunch, we also had the best "fried" cottage cheese dumplings I have tasted--and believe me, I have tasted a lot!

#Eger
#EgriBikaver
# GalTibor

A Walk on Bela Bartok ut; Or, It's All About the Light

This morning we got up to bright sunshine again.  How lovely is this February, and so unlike last year when every day was gray.  Let's go to Buda.  By the time we got out, it was gray and snowing.  Oh no!  But we could see blue sky behind us. The wind was blowing hard, and we persevered.  We walked over the Freedom Bridge--that connects Fovam ter and the Central Market with Gellert ter--and we walked up the main street, Bela Bartok ut.

The light kept shifting between gray clouds and the brightest sunshine imaginable.  All of a sudden a shaft of sunlight would hit a spot and everything changed.  Bela Bartok utca is known as one of the most architecturally rich streets in Budapest.  It is particularly gorgeous in the sunshine. 

#Buda
#BelaBartokUt
#BudapestInTheSunshine

A Walk in the Budapest Sunshine to Gyula Fodor's Steinhardt Udvar

After Szekesfehervar, the brilliant sunshine continued, and we set out to find a house by Gyula Fodor that I had never heard of on a street whose name was equally unfamiliar:  Also erdosor utca.  To get there we walked down Kossuth Lajos utca til it turns into Rakoczi utca, then turn toward the Jewish quarter.  The sun was shining bright, bright, bright and even though those streets are a little rundown, the sunshine made them gorgeous. We passed a beautiful building (recently renovated) by Emil Vidor in 1905, and then an intriguing building by Gyula Kosztalanyi-Kahn from 1902 to 1904.

Eventually we arrived at Also erdosor utca 8, and its large house by Gyula Fodor from a large house by the architect Gyula Fodor (who I have written about elsewhere on the blog) built in .

The house is large and sits on a narrow street and is hard to photograph with the lens on my camera.   It is called the Steinhardt Udvar or haz for the owner.  The sculptor was Simon Ney.  Steinhardt was a famous actor, and Fodor designs the façade to suggest a theater.  At the very top are two masques--representing tragedy and comedy.  And underneath are two scenes--one sad, the other happy.  The sculptor was Simon Ney. 

Also decorating the building are Art Nouveau motifs such as flowers and Fodor's characteristic dancing girls.

The interior (luck was with me) is equally beautiful.

#FodorGyula

#SteinhardtUdvar

KossuthLajosUtca

RakocziU