Page 222 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

220  HUNGAR Y REGION B Y REGION EGER  221

7 Eger E Lyceum rounded, tiered façade and VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Líceum, Eszterházy Károly Főiskola twin towers are the work of
Situated off the main road, 90 minutes’ drive from Budapest Eszterházy Károly tér 1. Tel 32 52 11. Bohemian architect Johann Practical Information
to the east of Hungary, Eger is a charming town known today Open Library: Mar, Apr & Oct: 9:30am– Ignaz Dientzenhofer, who Road Map E3. * 56,000.
1:30pm Tue–Sun; May–Sep: 9:30am–
n Tourinform, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky
for its 1,000-year-old-history and diverse cultural heritage. 3:30pm Tue–Sun. Tower: Feb–mid-Mar completed the church in 1773. utca 9, (36) 51 77 15. ( Dobó
The town is famous for its thermal waters, baths and wines – & Nov–mid-Dec: 9:30am– 1pm Sat & Dedicated to St Anthony of István tér; daily.
Padova, scenes of the saint’s life
especially the iconic Cuvée wine, Bull’s Blood wine (see p223), Sun; mid–Mar–Oct: 9:30am–3pm Tue– feature in the ceiling frescoes Transport
which has a ruby red colour and an enticing aroma. During Sun (to 4:30pm May–Aug). & 8 7 painted by Márton Reindl. He is £ Vasút utca; from Budapest. @
the siege of 1552, the brave soldiers of the town protected The Lyceum was founded in 1765 also depicted alongside the Pyrker János tér; from Buda pest.
it from the invading Ottoman armies, a force 30 times larger, as a Catholic university, but impe- Virgin Mary on the altar, in a
making it a legendary town in the history of Hungary. This rial authorities opposed the idea painting by the Austrian P Minaret
of a church university and rele-
Johann Kracker.
pleasant town also offers a number of programmes for gated it to the rank of lyceum. The Knézich Károly utca 4. Tel (70) 202
families, culture lovers and active holiday-makers. ceiling of the library boasts Johann Kossuth Street, Eger’s smartest address, 43 53. Open Apr–Oct: 10am–6pm
Kracker’s fresco depicting the seen from the air daily. &
R Eger Cathedral and were the work of the Italian meeting of the Council of Trent The most northerly Ottoman
Főszékesegyház – Szent János sculptor Marco Casagrande. (1545–63). The library itself holds take the city’s waters. He is also relic in Europe, Eger’s minaret
apostol és evangélista Szent Inside, the cupola is decorated over 150,000 volumes, including responsible for most of the is a classic of its genre. Sleek
Mihály főangyal with frescoes of the Kingdom of the first book ever printed in ironwork that typifies many of and perfectly symmetrical, the
Pyrker tér 1. Tel (36) 42 09 70. Heaven by Viennese artist Johann Hungary, in 1473. In the 53-m the buildings on Kossuth Street, 14-sided sandstone tower rises
Open 8:30am–6pm daily. 7 Kracker. The cathedral also has (174-ft) “Magic Tower” is Hungary’s as well as the Hungarian National on an incline to its needle-like
Although its garish yellow Hungary’s largest organ; from April leading centre of astronomy, with Gallery in Budapest (see pp62–3) point 40 m (131 ft) above the
colour and architectural mixture to October there are performances a museum, a planetarium and a and Festetics Castle in Keszthely street. It is topped with a crescent
of Neo-Classical and Neo- on Monday to Saturday at 11:30am 19th-century camera obscura. (see pp202–3). moon and a cross. Closed for
Romanesque styles may not and on Sunday at 12:45pm. 150 years after the mosque next
be to everyone’s taste, there is R Minorite Church to it was demolished in 1841,
no doubt that Eger Cathedral – P Bishop’s Palace Szent Antonius Minorita templom the 17th-century minaret is
the second-largest church in Római katolikus érseki palota Dobó István tér now open to visitors, who are
Hungary – is the most aston- Széchenyi utca 9. Tel (36) 51 73 56. Set against the background of rewarded for climbing the 97
ishing sight in the city. It was Open Apr–Sep: 10am–6pm Tue–Sun; the open spaces of Dobó István steps up to the balcony with
built from 1831 to 1837 to a Oct–Mar: 10am–2pm Tue–Sat. & tér, the ornate exterior of the fine views of the city.
design by the architect József The second element of central former Minorite Church is far
Hild, who would later design Eger’s ecclesiastical architectural more pleasing on the eye than Main façade of the former Minorite Church, + Castle
the even larger and more triumvirate is the former that of Eger Cathedral. The built in the 18th century See pp222–3.
stunning basilica at Esztergom Bishop’s Palace on Széchenyi
(see pp148–9). The cathedral at utca. Like the Lyceum, it was
Eger is unique in Hungary, built in Baroque style to the The antique book section and the painted Eger City Centre Serbian
having a cupola – at 40 m (131 ft) designs of Jakab Kellner, and ceiling of the Lyceum library 1 Eger Cathedral Orthodox
Church
– that is shorter than the two completed in 1766. Inside, the 2 Bishop’s Palace
western towers, measuring 44 m palace houses the Ecclesi astical P Kossuth Street 3 Lyceum LE N KEY UT C A K N É ZIC H KÁ ROLY UT C A DAY KA G . UT C A SERVI TA
(144 ft). At the other end of the Collection of the Eger Bishopric, Kossuth utca. 4 Kossuth Street
building, three gargantuan sta- which includes the coronation Kossuth utca, a wide boulevard, K O V Á C S J . U T CA Castle
tues loom over the colonnad ed cloak of Habsburg Empress has long been Eger’s best 5 Minorite Church ÁRVA KÖZ TORONY UTCA UT C A
Neo-Classical façade. They repre- Maria Theresa (r. 1740–80) and address. For cen turies it was 6 Minaret Korona Hotel Minaret Under-
Wine Cellar
ground
sent Faith, Hope and Charity other price less objects. where the richest and holiest 7 Castle pp222–3 and Museum Casements
men in the city lived. At No. 4 MACZKY UTCA MARKHOT U. D O B Ó I S T VÁN U T C A
is the Vice-Provost’s Palace, a CS IK Y U TC A Eger
pastel-shaded Rococo mansion SÁNDOR IMRE U. Turkish
Bath
with a façade of hewn stone ZALAR UTCA DÓZSA
TÉR
DOBÓ
dating from 1758, which today S Z É C H E N Y I U T C A ISTVÁN DR HIBAY K. UTCA
TÉR
is closed to the public. B R O D Y S . U T C A SZENT JÁNOS UTCA Minorite KOSSUTH UTCA
Church
On the same side of the VARO S FAL U T CA GÓLYA U.
street, at No. 14, is the Franciscan ÉR SEK UTCA
Church and Monas tery, a B AR K O C Z Y UT C A Hall Local History
single-nave church built in BAJCSY-ZS ILINSZKY U. County Museum
1738 on the ruins of a former
JÓKAI UTCA
mosque. Opposite (at No. 9) 0 metres 100 Bishop's
Palace
is the Baroque County Hall, 0 yards 100 Lyceum
completed in 1758. It is famed Bus Station Eger KOSSUTH UTCA
for its two grand wrought-iron Cathedral
gates, crafted by the blacksmith TÖRV É N Y H Á Z U T C A
Henrik Fazola (1730–79), who Train Station
The sombre interior of Eger Cathedral, brightened by ceiling frescoes moved to Eger from Würzburg to 1 km (0.6 miles)
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 For keys to map symbols see back flap
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