Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 364

EGER
126km (78 miles) NE of Budapest
Eger (pronounced Egg -air), a small baroque city lying in a valley between the Matra
and Bükk mountains, is best known for three things: its castle, its wine, and its
women—the women of the 16th century, that is. In that dark era of Turkish invasions,
the women of Eger claimed their place in the Hungarian national consciousness by
bravely fighting alongside István Dobó's army in defense of Eger's castle in 1552.
Greatly outnumbered by the invaders, the defenders of Eger fought off the Turks for
38 grueling days, achieving a momentous victory that would stall the Turkish advance
into Hungary for nearly half a century. Forty-four years later, in 1596, the sultan's
forces attacked Eger again, this time taking the castle without great difficulty. Dobó's
initial victory, though, and particularly the role of the women defenders, is a much
cherished and mythologized historical event, recalled in numerous paintings, poems,
and monuments.
As for the wine, the area around Eger is known for producing some fine vintages.
Most famous among the regional potions is undoubtedly the heavily marketed Egri
bikavér (Eger Bull's Blood), a strong dark-red wine. There are many other wines that
are worth sampling as well—and no shortage of places in Eger to sample them.
Today Eger's landscape presents a harmonious blend of old and new. The ruined
castle, one of Hungary's proudest symbols, dominates the skyline; throughout the
summer huge groups of Hungarian children visit the castle. Eger is also home to one
of Hungary's most impressive Turkish ruins: a single, tall, slender minaret. The view
from the top of the minaret affords a wonderful vista of the town's surroundings. If
you wander beyond the confines of the old section, you'll find a small modern city.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Eger is a 2-hour direct train ride from Budapest. Sixteen daily
trains depart Budapest's Keleti Station. Tickets cost 1,624 Ft ($8.10/£4.20).
If you're driving from Budapest, take the M3 motorway east to Kerecsend, where
you pick up Route 25 north to Eger. There is a 1,400 Ft ($7/£3.60) toll; a toll ticket,
valid for a week, is available at all MOL Petrol stations.
VISITOR INFORMATION For information, visit or contact Tourinform, at
Bajcsy-Zsilinszky u. 9 ( & 36/517-715; www.eger.hu). The office is open in summer
Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm and on weekends from 10am to 1pm; off
season, the office closes an hour earlier and is closed on Sunday. For private-room
booking, try Egertourist, at Bajcsy-Zsilinszky u. 9 ( & 36/510-270; www.egertourist.
hu). This office is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
EXPLORING OLD EGER
All of Eger's main sites are within easy walking distance of Dobó István tér , the
lovely, dignified square that's the center of old Eger. Dobó István tér is home to
the Minorite Church, a fine 18th-century baroque church. You'll also find a statue of
town defender Dobó, flanked by a knight and a woman, by Alajos Strobl, one of the
country's leading turn-of-the-20th-century sculptors. Strobl's other work includes
the statue of King Stephen on Buda's Castle Hill and the statue of poet János Arany in
front of the National Museum in Pest. The larger statue in the square, erected in the
1960s, is a more recent—and less subtle—rendition of the fight against the Turks.
The reconstructed ruins of Eger Castle, visible from just about anywhere in the
city, can be reached by walking northeast out of the square; take the path out of Dózsa