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PCG Pécs City Guide / September 2016 / Issue 13
News
Pécs buses on Google maps, Take home the Magasház
Features
Cycling in town: everything you need to know
Events
Vasarely exhibits, Pécs City Carnival, October previews
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PĂŠcs City Guide September 2016
pecscityguide.com
Contents & Co.
Contents 04
IN BRIEF
Magasház souvenirs, Pécs bus lines on Google Maps, Jókai square to be revamped
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EXPATS
PHD student Ian s
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FEATURES
Cycling in Pécs: everything you need to know, Q&A with PCG
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DRINK & DINE
Where? What? Why?, Csülök Bár, Organic Kitchen, Cake of Hungary
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TO DO
Vasarely exhibtions, Pécs City Carnival, Concerts, October preview
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ESSENTIALS Pintér Garden
This issue’s cover photo was taken at the Hive, which was the initial - and much better name of the Knowledge Centre, accomodating several libraries now. The building’s architect Mihály Balázs designed a central space that is covered on the inside with 60,000 Zsolnayceramics of 19 colours and was created by Pécs-born artist Márta Nagy.
HI
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, as you may have already realized it is really happening. I had my doubts but I can’t deny the obvious anymore. Yes, I’m talking (again) about the Magasház that will completely disappear by the end of the year (or probably even earlier). I’m a little bit sad since a great metaphor of impotent politics will be gone forever. I also really did like the sight of it, inspite the fact that Europe’s tallest uninhabited building was very-very ugly. On the other side, I’m quite happy that post-Magasház Pécs will get a new park close to September 2016 | Issue 13 downtown and the university. At The free, insert magazine of least this is the plan now... Dunántúli Napló in English. Oh, I almost forgot to welcome Editor-in-chief/Publisher: László Póré all the new students in Pécs. We Managing editor: Ervin Gűth really hope you will enjoy your Contributor: László Nógrádi stay and we also do hope here at Published by Mediaworks Hungary Pécs City Guide magazine that we Zrt. Baranya Megyei Irodája can help you with this. Sales manager: Gyöngyi Nagy Any feedback is appreciated Phone: +36 72 505 060, +36 30 9971 006 and please feel free to contact E-mail: gyongyi.nagy@mediaworks.hu us at: info@pecscityguide.com. Printed at Paletta Press Nyomda Kft. Thanks for your attention and 2092 Budakeszi, Szőlőskert u. 19. see you in October. ISSN 08659133 Ervin Gűth, editor
Pécs City Guide
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In Brief
GOOGLE BUS PLANNER WORKS NOW IN PÉCS TOO
FINALLY YOU CAN TAKE THE MAGASHÁZ HOME
Pécs merchandise items used to be quite boring but thanks to the vanishing Magasház - that used to be Europe’s tallest uninhabited building and should be demolished completely this year - there are at least a couple of very interesting and creative options. One official item is sold at the newly opened Pécs Pont at Széchenyi sq: fridge magnets (HUF890) with Magasház (pic on the right). The scetch of the building is carved into stylish wood but the magnets also feature a piece of the Magasház itself. Yes, each of these items has a small metal piece that comes straight from the legendary building still under deconstruction. Monokrom Design Store (Király st 33) started selling Magasház-themed earrings (pic above) that cost HUF2300 a couple of months ago and the success
was instant. The product line is somewhat bigger compared to the official shop: you can get keyrings (HUF900) or post cards (HUF500) that were inspired by the deconstruction too. Local designers did a very good job again.
JÓKAI SQUARE SOON TO BE REVAMPED
One of the most eye catching spots in downtown seems to be also one of the most neglected places. Actually, this isn’t true: Jókai square had a big renovation in 2001. Since 2009 several smaller (and sometimes larger) interventions were needed. This time city council decided to have a full renovation again. We really hope that this solution will last a little bit longer. Meanwhile we also do hope that the new pavement texture will fit as well as the current.
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
Thanks to recent IT improvements getting around in Pécs is got a lot easier. Google Maps has been granted access to the databases of the city’s public transport company (more precisely the time schedules) and now you can plan your bus route on the fly by typing in your destination.
The next step of the development process will be a real time monitoring option that will allow to see the exact location of each bus. Never miss a bus again? Maybe. That said, the public transport company has a quite good application (unfortunately only for Android and only in Hungarian) for years now. The app called transIT menetrend: Tüke Busz has all the mentioned features since 2014 plus several others like upcoming departure times for all nearby transit lines, saving favourites etc. But putting all available information on Google Maps is still big news. This move will allow cross platform usability and independent developers can integrate the information into their own apps. This means for example that tourists visiting the city don’t need to download a Pécs specific app - a lot of them even don’t know about it - but can take advantage of the features via Maps or different and already installed software. pecscityguide.com pecscityguide.com
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Expats
IAN CALLS PÉCS HIS SECOND HOME Irish PHD student and musician Ian O’Sullivan was born in the US, grew up in Ireland and has been living in Pécs since 2009. We asked him about his first memories of the city and his experiences. The double-bassist of the international band Mongooz and the Magnet has some good advice for newcomers too. What brought you to Pécs? After high school I studied biology for 4 years in Galway, Ireland and I knew I wanted to study medicine. But spending 6 years seemed to me like a lot of time in one place. I really wanted to travel and to explore, and was looking for other possibilities since I didn’t want to move back to Dublin. I wanted a bigger change and found Pécs. It wasn’t too big, I heard that it has music stuff, cultural stuff, so I thought why not? What is your first memory of the city ? I stepped off the train and I have to say that area is a pretty terrible introduction to Pécs. You see that shabby yellow building, that barely painted roundabout, and like a gyros place. I was thinking what have I done...haha. But I got in a taxi, checked in at the hotel and went for a walk. When I saw the downtown my worries were gone instantly. It’s funny, in a way, that Pécs has these two faces: the really beautiful areas and the really concrete and grey areas. Did you explore both? Yes, I cycle and I run so I’ve explored many a nook and cranny in Pécs. What are your favourite spots? I really like Tettye and Havihegy. I was
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
here for two years before I first went up to Havihegy and I was amazed. It’s like a little island above the city. I also like hiking in the forests, the old ski jumping spot, the ruins at Jakabhegy. What are the weaknesses, what do you miss from Pécs? I like Orfű but I do miss flowing water. What’s great about a river, or the sea, is that they’re calming but also make you feel small, it kind of reminds you that your problems are small too. I miss watching the passing of forces of nature like that, but would be difficult to make a river, so I’ll just have to deal with it.. What is still weird for you about Pécs or Hungary? I don’t get why milk should be in a bag. It’s a liquid, it doesn’t have a form, it needs assistance. Hmm I guess there’s another one. Papucs. People in Hungary seem to be obsessed with slippers inside. And maybe the attitude of Hungarians towards music sometimes. I feel some people think about music as an exclusive thing, that isn’t for every day or everyone. Komolyzene, the Hungarian word for classical music (literally translated serious music) also implies
this. Some people love to take part in events but then it’s like “shows over, back to work”. They wrap it in a box. People very often will enjoy the show but be quite quiet until the end, and only then clap, rather than just express themselves right then as they feel, and join in. I saw an Irish music performance 3-4 years ago, and there was a room full of people all sitting silently and clapping only after each song, and this was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t think that you have to be dancing up the walls but everybody was sitting so still. Nothing should be respected too much. Maybe that’s why you organize Open Mic events? It’s quite hard to put together a 60 minute performance and have the connections to get your own gig, but there are many people who can play a few songs and we like to give them the chance to perform in front of an audience. This is what I like about these bi-weekly events (Sep 14, Sep 28, Oct 12 and so on). Any advice for newcomers in Pécs? Get involved with your hobbies in Pécs too. It’s the best way to really meet people. Be more than just a visitor. pecscityguide.com
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Feature
DAY OR NIGHT - PÉCS BY BIKE Whether you are riding for a greener planet or because of a flatter wallet, Pécs offers many ways, a lot of fun and some special challenges for cyclists. Bring your own high-tech ride or find the ugliest duckling of a cheap oldtimer – you are free to use our tips for getting around and getting the most out of the road. Yes, Pécs has hills and valleys. And still, Pécs is a very bikeable city. Let us explain. First of all, most of the institutions, cultural and shopping locations that could be frequented by people on cycles, are on or near an imaginary east-west axis, that offers little differences in elevation. One popular example can be the ride from Tudásközpont to POTE, that only has 37 meters climb for the whole 4 kilometers distance. Of course, if you want to visit the Zoo up on Mecsek, expect a serious challenge, but in the everyday commute no one should break too much sweat. As the city is aspiring to be one of the greenest in Europe (but has a long
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
way to go to be honest), some developments have been made helping car-free mobility. Some parts of Pécs are connected by bike paths or at least tracks marked for bicycles on regular roads, but in most of the cases you will have to share. The road with cars or the path with pedestrians – none of the cases are ideal but we cannot really argue against the decision makers when they bring up that the historical structure of Pécs does not really help with new developments. Ok, not a lot of shiny new strips of asphalt for bikers to ride on, but what else can help? Luckily, most of the areas are equipped with bike racks, so
that you don’t have to lock that frame to a tree or a lamppost. And lock it you have to, as bike thieves are quite active here. Police does not like to tell exactly which parts are the worst in Pécs, but a stuffed parking space with lots of bikes can be just as good hunting place for a guy with a bolt cutter as a single bike left in an alley. So the basic rule is not leaving your bike unattended for too long, and never leaving it unlocked. Don’t think that if you park the bike out of sight nobody will spot it – contrary, you just help a thief by offering a better place to work on it undisturbed. If you need accessories or even a new bike, a number of specialized pecscityguide.com
RULES OF THE ROAD
Safety is a major issue on Hungarian roads but using a bicycle to get around in Pécs is generally not dangerous. Just be reasonable and fair to others on the road: pedestrians, drivers, even the ones in buses or trucks have exactly the same right to get around but disrespecting these rights may prove lethal… Your bike has to be in proper condition: a white light in front and a red one in the back are a must together with reflecting prisms, working brakes and a bell. They are not only the rule, but a reasonable investment in safety. Although all ways may seem OK for bikes, there are exceptions. Sidewalks and pedestrian streets can only be used with caution, and at 10 km/h speed tops. So if you are in a hurry, better avoid them. Riding through pedestrian crossings – as common as it may seem – is illegal. One should get off the bike before crossing and push it across the road – a safety regulation that makes riding on roads instead of sidewalks even more reasonable. Some one way streets allow cyclists to enter opposing the traffic (see the east end of Király street) but it is not a general rule, only available where road markings indicate this. Several roads have signs prohibiting bike traffic – like Nagy Lajos Király or Rákóczi street. The signs are there for safety reasons, it is better to take smaller streets if you ride in these areas. Drunken riding may seem to be a national sport in Hungary, but don’t follow this tradition. Although the law doesn’t prohibit alcohol in your blood when you are on a bike, policemen can test you and it is up to them to decide if you are fit for traffic or not. As a rule of thumb, you should be OK with one beer, but zero is the safest.
stores wait for your business, and large sports stores also have great offers. Used bikes are easy to find at reasonable prices, one common location for bargain hunting is the Sunday market. Just keep in mind that flea market deals may be in risky condition or even stolen. Once you found your way around in Pécs, feel free to roam further. The most attracting nearby tourist location, Orfű is also accessible by bike, the twenty-something kilometers ride out should mean no great challenge to those who use their bikes on a regular basis. The well built bike path is amazing throughout the Mecsek woods, but be prepared for some climbs - a reasonable price for the experience. László Nógrádi
SHORT TIME RENTALS
Bike rentals in Pécs seem to be a tough case. As a tourist location, the city should host some bicycles for rent, but the services that started in the last couple of years all went out of business after one season. A public bike system is said to be on the way, but as of now, we know only one place that offers bikes, electric cycles and scooters for rentals. The shop is located at the corner of Hungária and Alkotmány street, but only offers hourly rates. So if someone plans to stay in Pécs for a couple of days or a week, buying a cheap, possibly used bike – and selling it back to the shop with a discount when leaving could be a more reasonable decision.
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Feature
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best and weirdest questions you had
Ever since publishing Pécs City Guide we receive questions about town on a weekly basis. These are usually quite simple or practical questions but sometimes we get quite interesting and even funny ones. This is only a little showcase of your questions with some of our not that typical answers.
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WHERE CAN I GET SOME AUTHENTIC AND GOOD HUNGARIAN FOOD?
This is not a real option but we’d love to answer: at home with us. The hardest part about the question is to determine what Hungarian food is really like? The use of paprika powder is a real characteristic but there are a dozen others and a lot them do vary from household to household. To make it even more confusing there have been a lot of changes in the cooking style of Hungarians but especially the gastronomy business took a big leap. Still there are compromises to be made if you want to eat typical Hungarian dishes in a restaurant.
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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ERRORS IN THE MAGAZINE?
We do know that there are usually a lot of mistakes, typos and weird phrases in the magazine and we are really sorry. But there are two circumstances that should be taken into consideration. We are not native English speakers and this is still a project on a very low budget. We only hope that we make some progress from issue to issue, and there will be less errors in the future.
WHERE TO GET GOOD FISH OR FISH DISHES IN THE CITY?
Statistics say Hungarians aren’t a fish-eating nation: per capita per year we only consume about 2.5-3.1 kg. And this explains pretty much why you can’t find really good fish restaurants here. There are some venues that have fresh fish on their menu but usually you are better off by buying fresh fish yourself and cooking, grilling, roasting it at home. It’s that simple.
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IS THERE A LETTUCE SHORTAGE IN HUNGARY?
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WHAT IS A MUST SEE IF YOU HAVE ONLY A FEW HOURS IN PÉCS?
This is something that differs from person to person but typical recommandations include: downtown (2.5 hours), Early Christian Necropolis (2h), Zsolnay Cultural Quarter (see pic - 2h or much more if you want to visit any of the exhibitions), Tettye and Havihegy (1.5h) and of course the TV-tower (1h)
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
Ok, this was asked only once, but we had to seriously think about it. A reader of pecscityguide.com before relocating to Pécs wanted to know as much as possible about the city and Hungary. A friend told her about a lettuce shortage when visiting the country some years ago and she wanted to know if this is still a problem. At first we didn’t know how to cope with that question. Was this some kind of joke? But finally we realized that this really happened in 1986. After the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine all the lettuce in Hungary had to be destroyed to prevent radioactive contamination. pecscityguide.com
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Drink & Dine
WHERE? WHAT? WHY? Pécs City Guide’s all time favourite drinks & foods We write about new venues usually as soon as they do open. But let’s not forget the others in Pécs, which have already proven that they have something unique or outstanding to offer. The following selection of our favourites is biased, opinionated - and also well researched.
LÁNGOS @ MACI
SAUSAGES @ JOVÁNCZAI
BURGER @ BOHÉMIA
COFFEE @ BLOCK
FRÖCCS @ VASUTAS
WINE @ ELEVEN
The national street food of Hungary should be the lángos (deep fried bread dough) and if you want to taste the best one in town just pay a visit to Maci Lángosozó (Szigeti st 55). The dough is evenly browned, crispy outside, tender inside. Our advice is to choose a simple topping but we also do understand if you want an orgy of flavours.
Fortunately there are now half a dozen good coffee shops in Pécs. Block Coffee Room (Ifjúság st 9/A) became our favourite not only because of quality brews for a reasonable price (starting at HUF290) but the weekly changing third offers. This is the place to get our every day caffeine-boost that helps us keep going on.
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
A real bargain. We do love all the products (like bacon or smoked ham) of Jovánczai Hétpecsétes Füstöltáru Bolt (Hunyadi st 11) above Széchenyi square but a portion (0.2kg) of the most delicious Hungarian style sausages in town costs only HUF520. You have to wait a little bit since each batch is grilled freshly but it’s worth the extra 10 minutes.
Fröccs (rosé or white wine with sparkling water) is the party drink of the summer but also very common to accompany a meal. It has to be flavourful and easygoing and for a fair price. This is what Vasutas Borkert & Fröccsölde (Várady Antal st 7/2) gets right. Quality wines with cold carbonated water: it’s so simple yet we wonder why others fail so often.
The game of burgers is taking off but we could choose our favourite easily. Quality burgers, devotement characterize Bohemia Sörkonyha (Flórian st 11) on the top of our list. We usually go for Bohemia Burger but weekly offers can be incredible too. The pic above shows: three mini burgers each of with different toppings making a burger plate of ecstasy.
Not that there are so many but the ‘best wine bar in Pécs’ title goes easily to Eleven Bor és Tapas (Jókai sq 11). Competent and knowledgeable staff, weekly offers, proper handling. We also do love their foods but to be honest we usually go there just to enjoy the best wines of Hungary and to taste something interesting from abroad. pecscityguide.com
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Drink & Dine
CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION
You could think Hungarians are a wine drinking nation but this is definitely not true. People of Hungary drink much more beer than any other alcohol, but quality is still something you have to look for. Imported bottle beer used to be a good choice, but Hungarian micro-breweries that produce small quantities and very interesting varieties changed the landscape. Budapest was the epicenter of a small beer revolution in recent years.
CSÜLÖK BÁR CAN BE YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE
We saw this coming: the famous Csülök Bár that closed in January re-opened only 20 meters from its original location at Pellérdi st 31 in the outskirts of Pécs. But the pork hock and shank themed restaurant (pork hock=csülök in Hungarian) is not a unique contestant anymore. As reported in the March 2016 issue of Pécs City Guide Fekete Kutya Csülkösház opened at the original venue with a very similar idea. Yes, hock and shank. You might think that two restaurants with very similar concepts can’t survive that close to each other but it’s quite early to call your bets. Also they do differ in several key aspects. Csülök Bár’s interior is more stylish and clean now. It can seat at least 4050 people but this fact shouldn’t give you too much security: we strongly recommend to book a table in advance since even weekday evenings are quite crowded. Which also leads to other problems but more on that a little bit
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later since the food is quite good. When we visited the place for the first time we had one of their signiture dishes: pork shank plate for two (HUF3290). Very reasonable price and a huge portion (see pic above). All the meats - baked, deep fried and stuffed hock - were tender and very, very tasty, without any unpleasant smacks. The sides - roasted potatoes with bacon, Hungarian style mashed potato, fried potato wedges, pickled vegetables and braised cabbage that were also great. We also managed to order pancakes and strudel too, but these were not overwhelming, let’s say just okay. Interesting is that we had to wait for the main dish only 20 minutes (that is quite good since everything is made fresh) but serving the desserts took almost 35 minutes. Another problem is that they accept cash only. Nevertheless, Csülök Bár has a place on my list of recommended restaurants.
Small bottle shops popped up, and breweries started to deliver unique flavors. Their audience grew steadily and in 2012 the revolution arrived in Pécs too. Művész Presszó opened near the railway station with a great selection of the latest varietes served in a retro style ambiante. And kickstarting the bar outside downtown was a little revolution in itself. The unique flavors by brands with unique, sometimes funny names instantly found their way to customers. The second renaissance came to downtown with Egylet at Ferencesek street that is accompanied by Balkan Bisztró. The third wave came with neighbouring Kisüzem, that is not only a bottle shop but you can buy the accessories needed for brewing beer at home. By trying the different tastes of Hungarian micro-breweries available on tap or bottled you can be part of the craft beer revolution too. pecscityguide.com
Drink & Dine
ORGANIC KITCHEN CAN BE YOUR HEALTHY PLEASURE In the last couple of years more and more health-conscious shops and restaurants opened in town and it’s always a pleasure to test a newcomer. Organic Kitchen at Jókai square is the latest addition that made its debut in August with some best practices and some new tastes in Pécs. The small shop that has enough space for 8-10 people has a very cosy interior, supported by different shades of green. But more important is that the foods are superb. Almost everything comes from local or nearby suppliers - sure olives and avocados don’t grow in the outskirts of the city - and shows
that Hungary has some good produces. Like the paneer in the grilled cheese panini that we tested on our first visit. Organic Kitchen has a daily soup offer too, and this is how we started our lunch. The celery soup with caramellized pears was smooth and refreshing. Their daily soup will be usually a vegan offer. Not everything in the shop vegan or vegetarian but healthy for sure. No added sugar, preservatives or anything. Just like with the previously mentioned paneer sandwich. The fresh cheese that comes from a Hungarian manufactory sits on an initial layer of spicy hummus, and is topped whit paprika an let-
tuce. The bread (they call it brioche but it’s dough is a little bit lighter I think) comes from a bakery nearby Pécs. On the whole it was a great menu bringing me to a bill of HUF1200. There are some great, basic salads with couscous, chickpeas and so on but the flavours are changing on a regular basis. You can choose several juices and smoothies, some with quite unique flavours. Other items in the fridge include yoghurts and hummus made on location. The coffee is also great. Everything is available for take-away too, and they also plan to start a delivery service in the upcoming weeks.
CAKE OF HUNGARY 2016 Each summer the Guild of Hungarian Confectioners comes together to choose the Cake of Hungary. This year’s winner The Green Gold of the Őrség (Őrség Zöld Aranya in Hungarian) is quite special. Its green colour comes from pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil. Other main ingredients include raspberries and white chocolate. The recipe is available for free and the cake should look and taste the same everywhere.
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
We tested several cake shops in Pécs and the experience was not the same at all but don’t let yourself discourage if you don’t like the first you try. The price varies also but it’s between HUF600-900. You can try the cake at Magda Cukrászda (Kandó Kálmán st 4), Mecsek Cukrászda (Széchenyi sq) Jégkuckó Cukrászda (Hajnóczy st 2), Caflisch Cukrászda (Király utca 32), Trüffel Cukrászda (Hársfa st 34), Mischler Cakes (Árkád or Spar at Rókus st). pecscityguide.com
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To Do
PÉCS CITY CARNIVAL
MUSIC HARVEST FESTIVAL 2016 Filharmonia Hungary may operate in Pécs but organizes classical music events around the country. Music Harvest is a mixed arts event taking place at different locations around the city. Each year there is keyword that connects all the events, and we find dance in the focus of the 2016 programme. From the botanical garden to Kodály Centre - be-
sides concerts of course - there will be several interesting events during these six days. These include exhibitions, movie screenings, gastronomy events and more. Unfortunately one of the highlights, the concert of the London Philharmonic Orchestra is sold out already.. September 27-October 2, Several locations More info: zeneszuret.hu/en
It’s the fourth time already that Pécs City Carnival will shake up downtown for a day. At least. Everyone is invited to form teams, put on some crazy dresses or costumes and party like hell at the parade by daylight in the streets of Pécs. Sept 17, Several locations More info: fb.com/pecsicitycarnival
PREMIUM WINES ONLY
LOST HARBOURS, WATERFLOWER & DUKE BLUEBEARD Nappali starts the live concert season with two experimental performers from Latvia who are accompanied by singer-songwriter Duke Bluebeard from Budapest. Lost Harbours’ (see pic) melancholic songs and intelligent lyrics are influenced by folk-rock and prog-rock themes with a pinch of dream pop. Singer Sabine Moore behind the project Waterflower is an even more ex-
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
perimental artist. Her voice is sometimes handled much like an instrument on its own, but electronic elements and also play a big role. Duke Bluebeard seems to be a very promising newcomer from Hungary and we are very keen to see him performing his own song live. September 27, 8pm, Nappali (Király street 23-25) Info: lostharbours.com, waterflower.lv, dukebluebeard.hu
Only the best. This could be the motto of the evening since 18-20 wineries from Villány let you taste some of their superb wines. The main topic of the VI. Premium Villány Wine Show hasn’t been disclosed yet, but the event is a must for every red wine lover. It is recommended to get tickets in advance. September 24; Kodály Centre (Breuer Marcell prm 4); 4.30, HUF3200 More: villanyiborvidek.hu/en pecscityguide.com
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To Do
PREVIEW: EVENTS IN OCTOBER
VASARELY EXHIBTIONS
World-famous Hungarian artist Victor Vasarely was born 110 years ago and Vasarely Museum in Káptalan street opened its gates 40 years ago. No wonder that there are two temporary exhibitions dedicated to the painter’s memory. Vasarely was the most influential graphic artist of the op-art movement. Some art historians might even argue that he was the best. Others think that the movement was a deadend in itself. Fact is that from computer generated graphics and modern graphic design to public art several fields could only benefit from Vasarely’s work. There is a permanent exhibition in France and one in Budapest to honor his art but maybe the best collection (donated and curated by the artist himself in 1976) can be found in his hometown. At Pécsi Galéria (Széchenyi tér) previously never shown 34 original artworks of Vasarely are on display until September 18. The exhibition titled Hommage à Vasarely (top pic) shows not only the master’s works - that will be on display after the finissage until the end of 2016 at Vasarely Museum - but some great creations of Hungarian contemporary graphic designers. This part of the exhibition on Europe tour and will be on display in Stuttgart, Bruxelles and Paris. The other show, titled Me, Vasarely can be found only a few meters away on the opposite side of Széchenyi square at Nádor Arts & Med Gallery.
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
RED WINE FESTIVAL
Villány is the most important and renowned red wine region in Hungary, and to acknowledge this the harvest festivities reflect on this every year. All the manufacturers gather at the main street and several events, local food specialties and of course wine tastings make it an unmissable programme for every gastronomy lover. Sept 30-Oct 2, Villány, Several locations Info: villanyiborfesztival.hu
METRONOM JAZZ CLUB PRES. LISBETH QUARTET
On display are the works of art students from all parts of Hungary. The organizers of a competiton with the same title asked students to send in their works that somehow relate to or resonate at the works of Vasarely (technique, visuality etc.). The best have been selected and it’s really worth to spend an hour with them. Hommage à Vasarely - until September 18, Pécsi Galéria (Széchenyi tér) Tickets: HUF250/500. Me, Vasarely - until September 16, Nádor Arts & Med Gallery (Széchenyi tér) Free.
The monthly jazz concerts at Zsolnay Cultural Quarter are the most reliable live events in terms of quality. This time with a German quartet of Charlotte Greve (sax), Manuel Schmiedel (keyboard), Marc Muellbauer (bass), Moritz Baumgärtner (percussions). October 9, 8pm, E78 (Zsolnay Cultural Quarter) Free.
BAROQUE ESSENCE
Conductor Jonathan Cohen leads Kodály Centre resident Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra while delivering some of the most popular works of Bach, Telleman and Händel. During the evening three soloists Viktória Gárdai (flute), Ágnes Kovács (soprano), Ashley Riches (baritone) join the ensamble. October 13, 7pm, Kodály Centre (Breuer Marcel way 4) Tickets: HUF1000-4990. pecscityguide.com
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Essentials
PINTÉR GARDEN by
T
here are several little hidden gems in Pécs that are even known only by a small fraction of locals. And even less people really do visit these places on a regular basis. I’m quite sure that Pintér Garden is one of them. This is a little bit sad since the whole botanic garden is beautiful and visiting it in a warm fall afternoon can be a very pleasant activity. On the other side, it’s nice to know that you can always find a silent spot and relax after a stressful week.
Ervin Gűth
Abaliget or Old-Drava Visitor Centre in Szaporca. The garden consist of two main parts. The under-garden is the original area established in the first quarter of the last century. The upper-garden has been established in 2013 when thanks to funds from the European Union the whole facility got a huge overhaul.
Located in the northwestern corner of Tettye, the garden got its name after Pécs-born banker János Pintér (18791933) who spent his retirement with establishing this beautiful area.
You don’t have to expect any extraordinary or spectaculars sights. The collection of plants in the lower garden consists mainly of protected plants of the region. There are several terraces and the small paths take you along sculptures and benches. You can find small ponds with fish and water plants too.
The Pintér-mansion is today the headquarter of the maintainer Duna-Dráva National Park that is also responsible for several parks and facilities in the region like the bat cave and museum in
The upper part of the 1.8 hectares big park is more like a trail for hiking and it’s recommended to choose shoes accordingly. The steep paths take you to sighting points where you can get a marvel-
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Pécs City Guide September 2016
lous view of Havihegy (see more in the Summer 2016 issue of Pécs City Guide) and the southeastern part of the town. The sculptures around the garden are another feature to highlight. These real masterpieces by international sculptors and renowned artists from Hungary contribute a lot to the interesting atmosphere of the park. Some of the most compelling are Gnome by József Palotás and Mother with Child by László Kutas. You can visit Pintér Garden all year long (March 1-October 31: Mo-Th: 8am4pm, Fri: 8am-2pm Sat, Sun: 10am-6pm. November 1-February 28: Mo-Th: 8-4pm, Fri: 8am-2pm) but the most interesting weeks are in the autumn and late spring. In spring the colorful flowers are the biggest attraction while in the upcoming weeks (mainly in October) you should pay a visit because of the wonderful foliage that turns from green into red, brown and yellow. pecscityguide.com
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