Page 210 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

208  HUNGAR Y REGION B Y REGION VESZPRÉM  209

j Veszprém former market square, it is E Laczkó Dezső VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
surrounded by some fine little Museum
The site of the nation’s first bishopric, and for centuries the houses, many of which are Laczkó Dezső Múzeum Practical Information
seat of the Queen of Hungary’s household, Veszprém is one today cafés. The Pósa House Erzsébet sétány 1. Tel (88) 78 81 91. 44 km (27 miles) southwest of
of Hungary’s great historical towns. It was all but razed by the at No. 3 was built for a local Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. & 8 Székesfehérvár. Road Map B4.
* 60,000. n Tourinform,
Turks as they fled Hungary in the 17th century. Spread over merchant, Endre Pósa, in 1783. The County Museum, designed Óváros tér 2, (88) 40 45 48.
Its showy decoration, espe cially
by the local architect István
five hills, the most picturesque part of the city is the Vár the two cherubs below the roof, Medgyaszay, was opened ∑ veszpreminfo.hu _ Gizella
(Castle District, see pp210–11), but the lower city offers some was to offset the linearity of in 1922. Its collection consists Art Days (May), VeszprémFest
fine Baroque architecture, great museums and quaint streets. the building. The contours of local artifacts, including (Jul); Street Music Festival (Jul).
The twin towers of St Michael’s Cathedral, visible from afar, are of the Secession-era house folk costumes dating back Transport
£ Jutasi út; from Budapest,
a symbol of Veszprém and of the Balaton and Bakony regions. next door are gentler. Opposite to Celtic times. Most of the Székesfehérvár. @ Piac tér; from
collection was donated
is the Neo-Classical town hall,
Visitors need to be fit to explore this city, as many sights are at built in 1896 as church offices, by local Piarist monks, for Budapest, Székesfehérvár.
the top of long staircases or at the end of steep, cobbled streets. but renovated and converted whose leader, Laczkó Dezső, Panoramic shot of the historical town of
in 1990. Behind the town hall, the museum was named. It Veszprém, during summer
P Archbishop’s Palace up a flight of stairs, is Lenke also housed Hungary’s first O Veszprém Zoo
Érseki Palota Kiss’s fountain Girl with a Jug, public library, still a leading P St István Viaduct Veszprémi Állatkert
Vár utca 16. Tel (88) 42 60 95. which is affectionately known research facility. Szent István völgyhíd Kittenberger Kálmán utca 15–17.
Open May–Oct: 10am–6pm daily. as “Zsuzsi” by locals. Stretching over the Tel (88) 56 61 40. Open May–Sep:
& 7 E Bakony Regional Folk Fejes Valley, from 9am–6pm daily; Oct–Apr: from 9am
This Baroque mansion (1764) House Dózsa György utca daily, closing times vary with season.
was designed by Fellner and Bakonyi Ház to the St László & 8 7 ∑ veszpzoo.hu
has his trademark rounded Erzsébet sétány 3. Tel (88) 56 43 10. Church, the St István Hungary’s best zoo, named
four-columned loggia. It houses Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. Viaduct was built in after Africa explorer
the Arch bishop’s archive and & 8 1938, a major engineering Kálmán Kittenberger
only a few rooms are open to Hungary’s first ethnographic achieve ment at the (1881–1958), is spread
the public, with a fine collection museum, the Bakony House time. Designed by a over 130,000 sq m
of Baroque furniture and (1935) was modelled on the Hungarian, Róbert (155,500 sq yards) in the
The restored, grand interior of frescoes by Johann Cymbal. 19th-century houses of Öcs, Folly, it rises 50 m lovely Fejes Valley. It is
St Michael’s Cathedral south of Veszprém. The house (164 ft) above the River A giraffe in home to 120 species,
P Heroes’ Gate is built on high foundations Séd at its highest point. Veszprém Zoo includ ing Sumatran
R St Michael’s Cathedral Hősök kapuja A late Secession-era stained-glass window and has a full-length covered It affords magnificent tigers and Kamchatka
Szent Mihály Bazilika Vár utca 2. Tel (88) 61 05 16. in the Petőfi Theatre terrace. A small staircase leads views of the castle, the bears, giraffes and elephants,
Főszékesegyház Open 10am–5pm daily. & 7 to a single door. Inside, items Betekints Valley and the Bakony seals, penguins and fine
Vár utca 20. Tel (88) 32 80 38. This restored city gate, F Petőfi Theatre on show date back to 1700. Mountains to the north. exotic birds.
Open May–Oct: 10am–6pm (enter which was built in 1938 to Petőfi Szinház
via side door). Closed Nov–Feb. commemorate the Hungarian Óvári Ferenc utca 2. Tel (88) 56 42 20.
There was a church here as early dead of World War I, houses a Open during performances only. 7 Veszprém City Centre Benedek
as 1001, when St István created small exhibition on the history The late Secession-era (1908) 1 St Michael’s Cathedral PATAK Hill Ú R K ÚT UT C A 0 metres 200
TÉR
a bishopric, but the cathedral’s of the city and its original municipal theatre, set in well- 2 Gizella Chapel St George's 0 yards 200
Chapel
present look is early 20th fortifications. The gate’s tower kept gardens, is named after 3 Archbishop’s Palace St Michael’s Cathedral
century. Remains of earlier styles affords fine views of the city revolutionary playwright and Gizella Gizella Chapel
include the Gothic under croft from the top. poet Sándor Petőfi (see p46). 4 Heroes’ Gate Museum Archbishop's Séd
Palace
(under ground store) and the The theatre was designed by 5 Óváros tér and Town Hall St István Piarist
crypt’s vaulting, both from 1380. P Óváros tér and Town Hall István Medgyaszay, who studied 6 Petőfi Theatre Viaduct Church D E Á K F E R E N C U T C A FENYVES U. Train Station
Follow ing sensitive restoration Városháza in Vienna under Otto Wagner. 7 Laczkó Dezső Museum Veszprém VÁR UTCA
Zoo
of many older features, the Óváros tér. It has intricate folk motifs on 8 Bakony Regional Heroes' VÖGYI K Ú T U T CA 2 km (1.25 miles)
Bus Station
cathedral has returned to its Óváros tér sits directly below the façade, typical of later Folk House Gate TH Ö LÖ K Y U T CA
former glory, crowned by two the Castle District. Veszprém’s Secessionist buildings. 9 St István Viaduct JÓ KA I MÓR U T C A Town Hall B U HIM UC TA CSAPL A R JÁNDS UTCA Covered
Market
Firetower
tall towers dating from 1723. 0 Veszprém Zoo Pósa
House ÓVÁROS
TÉR
R Gizella Chapel RANOLDER V AS UTCA RÁKÓCZI U. J U TA SI Ú T
JÁNOS
F ESTO UTCA
Gizella Kápolna TÉR
Vár utca 16. Tel (88) 42 60 95. BEM UT C A VIRÁG UTCA KOSSUTH LAJOS UTCA
HORGOS UTCA
Open May–Oct: 10am–6pm daily. & BUDAPEST
7 ^ T OB OR Z Ó U TC A SZABADSÁG
TÉR
The 13th-century Gothic Chapel Key D Ó Z S A G Y Ö R GY ÚT
commemorates the life of Gizella, Ó VÁ RI FEREN C ÚT County B U DA PEST Ú T
wife of István and first Queen of Street-by-Street pp210–11 Theatre Hall
Petőfi
BRUS ZNYAI U T CA
Hungary. The chapel was lost and MEGYEHÁZ KORKÁZ U C TA
TÉR
rediscovered only in the 1760s. Its I SKOLA UTCA New Laczkó Dezső
Library
faded Byzan tine frescoes of the ERZSÉBET Museum MÁRTÍROK UTCA
apostles on the walls are original. Façade of the Neo-Classical town hall, built in 1896 TÉR
Bakony Regional
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 For keys to map symbols see back flap Folk House
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