September 2015 - Pécs City Guide

Pécs City Guide Sep 2015 / Issue 06 / Free

INSIDE

Refugees in Pécs, Coffee shops, Magasház-saga continues, Blöff Bisztró, Design week

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4 In Brief Rental prices increasing, Sharks in the Mecsek, Magasház-update

6 Feature Refugee crisis

8 Drink&Dine Coffee times, Blöff Bisztró

12 To Do Design week, Pécs City Carnival, Premium wines from Villány

14 Essentials Gloves on

HI

Contents&Co

, this is the sixth issue of Pécs City Guide magazine and I warmly welcome all new and regular readers. I hope you will like what you read and see in this and all the upcoming magazines.

In September, Pécs City Guide celebrates its first birthday. Sure, we started the print magazine in February 2015 but the idea of introducing some kind of information channel in English about Pécs came to my mind in fall 2014. Actually, the idea was to create a blog for international students in Pécs.

The plan was to start and run the project with the help of crowdfunding. The initial campaign failed but nothing was lost: these first steps made it possible to start the print magazine some months later. (Once again, I have to thank the

guys at the publishing company Mediaworks for all the help and for believing in the project.)

But back to the present: this is the first issue after the summer break and operation is normal again.

In this issue you’ll find a short summary of the last two months of the refugee crisis in Pécs. In the news section you can read about the new Pécs Zoo, hopefully opening in a month. Once again, I have to tell you about the Magasház: this time there is a real chance that the building gets demolished. Really.

Several new spots opened in recent months but I can write in this issue about only a few of them.

The next magazine is coming in the second week of October. Until then every feedback or question is appreciated and feel free to contact me at info@pecscityguide.com.

Ervin Gűth, editor

Pécs City Guide / September 2015 The free, insert magazine of Dunántúli Napló in English.

Editor-in-chief/Publisher: László Póré Managing editor: Ervin Gűth Published by Mediaworks Regionális Kiadó Kft. Baranya Megyei Irodája Sales manager: Gyöngyi Nagy Phone: +36 72 505 060, +36 30 9971 006 E-mail: gyongyi.nagy@mediaworks.hu ISSN 08659133 Printed by Érdi Rózsa Nyomda, Érd

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September 2015 Pécs City Guide

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In Brief

APARTMENTS ARE 33% MORE MAYBE THIS EXPENSIVE THAN IN 2014 TIME?

In Budapest and especially in university towns rental prices had a significant increase in the last 12 months in Hungary. In Pécs, Debrecen, and Szeged the increase is radical, reaching up to 33 percent.

Flats between 40-59 m2 are 33% more expensive in Pécs than in September 2014. That is a rise from HUF 60,000 to HUF 80,000 in median prices.

The most expensive flats are located in Budapest, but if we take a look at the capital we see that the rise in prices is somewhat more modest.

40-59 m2 apartments cost an aver-

age of HUF140,000 to rent opposed to last year’s HUF126,000. While larger flats around 60-79 square meters have seen only a 4 percent increase.

Experts say a big factor is the popularity of the online social rental site Airbnb that exploded in the Hungarian market in the beginning of the year.

SHARKS IN THE MECSEK!

PÉCS

Actually, our illustration lies. This is not a real sneak peek, there is no sequel to the Sharknado franchise filming but the biggest attraction of the new Pécs Zoo that is expected to open in October.

And not just sharks but snakes, crocodiles, alligators will also find a new home in the Mecsek hills when after a 1.5 years long pause the new Zoo and Ecotouristic Centre will open its gates.

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The renovation of Pécs Zoo was a long overdue project since the animals used to reside in terrible settings. The overhaul started in April 2014 and is expected to end late October 2015.

Pécs City Guide September 2015

Once again there are talks about the demolition of the Magasház.

The never ending story continues, and Pécs City Guide hopes that it will never end. Really.

It was not an accident that the first print issue of Pécs City Guide (Feb 2015/p14 or see online) covered the Magasház-story in detail. Fun fact: ever since, all issues had a picture of the building. We just love the Magasház. It’s such a great symbol of the incompetence of Hungarian politics. We would love to see it for decades as a reminder for forthcoming generations.

But once again local politicians say that in the near future demolition works will start. Local officials claim they have already the demolation company and the process will cost 1 billion HUF and take more than a year.

The start of the works would be an interesting development since the ownership of the building is still disputed by loan companies.

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Feature

About 2,000 asylum seekers cross Hungary’s Southern border almost every day.

Since officials are overwhelmed some of the refugees are escorted and registered in other parts of the country and then sent to refugee camps or to Budapest via trains. The situation in Pécs used to be not as dramatic as in the capital but without the help of volunteers it could have been much worse.

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WELCOME TO PÉCS?

The migration crisis is making headlines all around the world. The problem isn’t new at all but intensified last year when Syrian refugees started to leave Turkey in much bigger numbers. Currently about 1.9 million refugees of the Syrian Civil War are hosted there, but more and more of them decide to leave for Europe.

They usually try to get to Germany, France, UK and their route crosses Hungary. As border country of the European Union asylum seekers have to be registered and according to international regulations have to be taken care of in refugee camps until they get official refugee status or are detained to their country of origin.

Until then refugees should be informed properly, treated with re-

Pécs City Guide September 2015

spect and given food and shelter.

The problem is that the Hungarian government seems to fail to do its job in this issue.

Hungarian governments have been criticised for years because the camps for asylum seekers don’t meet international standards. Also, the United Nations refugee agency said recently it is “deeply concerned” about a set of proposals to amend Hungary’s asylum laws.

Meanwhile the situation in Pécs was not as bad as in Keleti Railway Station in Budapest but like in the capital volunteers were left alone with asylum seekers.

For two months the procedure was the following: about 40-120 new refugees were escorted to the local bureau of the Office Of Immigration And Nationality. After register-

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Feature

ing them they were escorted to Pécs railway station and left alone. From there they should have gone to refugee camps on their own. In possession of their fresh documents they had 24 hours to do so. They got very little official information and had to wait for their trains. Neither local officials nor the government helped them much. They wouldn’t have

supplies at all if Hungarian civil groups wouldn’t have helped them.

For the last two months activists organized professional help to the railway station. From a small tent they could give food, soap, toothpaste, clothes etc. There was also an emergency car every day, that again was not supported by the government. The biggest fear of the volun-

teers was that the situation would worsen much with the autumn weather. Colder days and storms are coming and there was no real solution where to accommodate the refugees during their waiting time.

According to a leader of the volunteers, the Hungarian train company MÁV didn’t want let the asylum seekers indoors.

In the first weekend of September the situation changed drastically. The march of the refugees from Keleti Railway Station in Budapest to the Austrian border brought a lot of other changes. In one weekend thousands of asylum seekers were escorted to Vienna and most of them to Germany.

The situation has changed in Pécs, too. The asylum seekers registered in Pécs are escorted directly to refugee camps by the police and aren’t left at the railway station. The volunteers aren’t allowed to help them at the local bureau of the Office Of Immigration And Nationality. Until this doesn’t change civilians can’t help them.

For updates on the situation in Pécs you can join the closed Facebook-group ‘Students help refugees Pécs’ or visit pecscityguide.com.

September 2015 Pécs City Guide

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Drink&Dine

COFFEE TIMES

Coffee chains are great since they can give you always the same quality but if you are interested in more exciting expriences, then you have to try something else. Little, new line coffee shops in Pécs are on the rise and we collected the three best newcomers of 2015.

Pécsi Kávé

This is how you kick-off: Pécsi Kávé (Irgalmasok str 6) opened just a few weeks ago and the success was instant. Unlike their coffee.

The spot - although not far from Széchenyi sqr - is a little bit hidden and you have to look for their logo to find it, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Professional young baristas’ helpful guidance comforts you from the very first moment. You can choose from many very different brewing techniques and coffee types, just let the coffee masters guide you. From the excellent Italian style espresso to the fruity drip brewed coffees everything is without flaws. Their Pécsi Török is a very unique brew since they use the Turkish coffee making method with lightly roasted beans, and a touch of cardamom.

Next Step Coffee

A real one-man-show on Kórház sqr, between two currency exchange shops. Next Step Coffee is a really tiny place but doesn’t lack anything to meet all the criteria needed to let us call it a great coffee shop. This is not a place to sit for hours but where you can get a quick and satisfying breakfast. The self made frittata and grilled sandwiches are the guarantee. And the coffee: two roasts (Italian style 10-90% Robusta-Arabica blend and a 100% Arabica variety) are just enough to choose from but a third one is on its way. Until then you can grab your coffee to go with a superb chocolate cake that also qualifies as a breakfast, all together for under HUF500.

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Pécs City Guide September 2015

Block Coffee Room

We already covered Block Coffee Room (Ifjúság str 9/A) in detail in the April issue but when it comes to a listing of great coffee-houses in Pécs then this place can’t be left out. No doubt the owner is a real coffee enthusiast - some might say fanatic - and this is a very good condition for customers. After just two minutes you know that you are in the hands of a professional who is very passionate about coffee. Besides his two roasts (again an Italian style 10-90% Robusta-Arabica blend and a 100% Arabica variety) he has always something interesting to offer. And the inventory of Block is still getting bigger, so it’s worth to watch how the place is evolving.

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Drink&Dine

AND OTHER FISH NEWS

BLÖFF BISTRO IS YOUR BEST SOURCE OF GRILLED FISH

The lack of quality, fresh fish dishes in Pécs used to be quite an annoying fact for years. That’s why I’m happy to say that Blöff Bistro is another place that is an affordable and great option.

To be clear: Blöff Bistro, located at Jókai sqr, is not a fish restaurant. Other grilled dishes on the menu like cevapcici or the rib-eye steak are equally important but I think there is no other restaurant in Pécs right now that has such a big inventory of fresh grilled fish to choose from.

There were several experiments to establish good fish restaurants, or even sushi bars in Pécs and all of them failed in short time and very miserably. That is quite an awkward thing but can be explained. The distance of the sea can’t be the problem but then what? The first problem is that Hungarians eat fish very rarely. The other problem is that all the restaurants that tried to deliver a great fish experience were in the end just terrible.

For a couple of years now there are good and fresh fish dishes in quite a few locations but the quality is not always the same.

The new hope on Jókai sqr opened a few weeks ago and we tried some dishes instantly and some with a little delay. Their menu has always mackerel, trout, sardines and orada listed and these are made on the grill. The cuttlefish, tuna, salmon or the bream are prepared

All the grilled foods are equally important

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in a little bit more sophisticated ways. Their wine card is also great: all wines come from the Pannon Wine Region and are at a very good price. I didn’t count them but their number most be over 20. And you don’t have to order a whole bottle.

Pécs City Guide September 2015

Without serious fish gastronomy in Hungary, grocery chains used to be the best source of fish in Pécs. There is also a little shop with a good selection of fresh water fish near the Market Hall called H-Tenger Halbolt but they have no sea fish at all.

Recently, just a few weeks ago Tógazda Halpiac opened its doors at Rákóczi str 28. With fresh sea fish almost every day there is no doubt we are going to be regulars.

The 5 Best* Pizzas

1. Ciao Pizzeria & Rosticceria (Verseny str 1)

2. All’ Elefante (Jókai sqr 6)

3. Piazza Del Grano (Búza sqr 2)

4. Főnix

(Hunyadi str 2)

5. Grappa (Ybl M. str 7)

*Editor’s opinion, based on price, quality, and reliability.

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To Do

PREMIUM CABERNET FRANCS FROM VILLÁNY Villány’s wineries decided some years ago that the premium wine of the region shall be the Cabernet Franc. If you are into wine tastings, the V. Premium Villány Wine Show at the Kodály Centre where the best of the best are showcased is a must. Keep in mind that you really have only two hours to sip you through Vylyan, Bock, Günzer, Gere, Tiffán and others. If you are brave enough you can stand in line repeatedly and drink almost as much as you’d like. And who wants to taste about 20 different Cabernet Francs from Villány in only 2 hours? A lot of people so buy your tickets in advance for the ridiculous sum of HUF3200. Or pay additional HUF700 if you want to attend the gala concert of the Winesong Festival starting at 7pm that is promoted by the organizers as the main event.

Sept. 26; Kodály Centre (Breuer Marcell prm 4); 4.30-6.30pm. HUF3200.

PÉCS CITY CARNIVAL

The madness is back agaim! And it will be bigger and louder than ever. In 2012 hordes of people dressed as zombies, vikings and who knows what overran the city.

The same happened one year later.

Unfortunately, due to organizational problems the carnival had to take a break in 2014 but this fall PCC will return as a three-day event. On the first evening, that

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will be Sep 18, an opening concert starts the festivities. On Sep 19 the carnival starts in downtown and the route will take the masses to different spots of the city. The end of the route will be at Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, where a big concert will await the participants, also family events the following day.

Sept 18-20. Severar venues. More info: fb.com/pecscitykarneval

Pécs City Guide September 2015

DESIGN WEEK IN PÉCS

For the second time the Cultural Creative Industry Cluster joined the famous Design Week Budapest and will host several events at many locations in Pécs. Last year concrete, wood, jewellery, fashion, architecture and typography from Pécs were showchased with the help of exhibtions and presentations. This time everything is connected to the slogen “Home, sweet home”. All events are free.

Sept 25-Oct 4, Several venues. More info: designpecs.hu

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Essentials

GLOVES ON Do you know that besides their music career success Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Lady Gaga have at least one more thing in common? They all have a collection of gloves manufactured in Pécs. Just like the Danish royal family.

Winter is coming. Maybe not tomorrow but it will come and it might be a good idea to get you a new pair of gloves made of quality leather. Don’t look further: Pécs has a 150-years-old tradition of professional glove manufacturing so why don’t you go local the next time?

Leather workshops in Pécs were present in all ages but the very first official writing about glove-making dates back to 1861 when János Hamerli received business license for the production of gloves and trusses. Only self-produced, high-quality leathers were used in the family business. The small workshop evolved to a modern factory and in the beginning of the 20th century moved to Vince str. They opened shops in Pécs, Budapest and Vienna.

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The factory was on its peak for the first time in the 1930s and the company received several international and national awards for their products. The Hamerli family updated the production technology on a regular basis and quality assurance was always of great significance.

The design was equally importand and usually came from wives and daughters.

After the nationalization of the factory in the 1940s the priorities changed and only after the fall of communism could glove makers concentrate on luxury items.

Right now there are even two exhibitions about glove manufacturing. At Zsolnay Cultural Quarter

Pécs City Guide September 2015

you can learn about the phases of traditional glove production and see the permanent exhibition on the History of Gloves.

Recently another exhibition opened at Széchenyi sqr 2, where

Gloves from Pécs aren’t affordable to celebrities only you can also learn about the history of the glove factory in the communist era.

But if you just want to buy some great pieces you can walk into the showroom in Ferencesek str 14 that has a much-awarded interior design.

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