Summer 2016 - Pécs City Guide - Issue 12

PCG Pécs CityGuide / Summer 2016 / Issue 12

SUM SPE MER CIA L

INSIDE:

The ultimate bucket list to Pécs, Kóstolda, Zsolnay-war continues, Fõtér, Cellarium New statue park, Revamped Pécs Zoo, Zsolnay Lightfestival, Turkish carpets and more 1

Waiting for you:

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Home delivery available A pinch of Bohemia in the heart of Pécs Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/bohemia.sorkonyha Bohemia Sörkonyha 7621 Pécs, Nagy Flórián str 11 +36-30/454-3418

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

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Contents & Co.

Contents 04 IN BRIEF

Zsolnay-war continues, International conducting competition, Revamped Pécs Zoo opens

08 EXPATS

04 10

Vesna mediates between Croatians and Hungarians

10 FEATURES

The ultimate bucket list to Pécs, Wines and genes

14 DRINK & DINE

Re-openers, Főtér, Cellariium, Kóstolda, Coffee brewing champ, Wine of Pécs

24 TO DO

Turkish carpets, Zsolnay Light festival, Bass Camp, Bishop’s Garden concerts

30 ESSENTIALS High church

This issue’s cover photo was taken at the Southeastern corner of Széchenyi square. The installation is the work of sculptor Zsolt Nyári and was set up after the renewal of the square in 2010. It is not just good to look at it’s also helpful for people with visual impairment, thanks to the Braille writings and getting know the public space by touching it.

14 24

HI

, as you may have already realized for example from the weather or the quite big magenta badge on the cover: this is the Summer Special of Pécs City Guide magazine. And why is this a special? We have 32 pages again and our topics are a little bit different than usually, e.g. with more events and even more gastronomy.

Since this is an issue for an almost three-month timeframe we had the chance too select the best of the upcoming concerts, Summer 2016 | Issue 12 festivals in Pécs and vicinity. BeThe free, insert magazine of tween them a very exciting and Dunántúli Napló in English. new mixed arts festival that could Editor-in-chief/Publisher: László Póré be the next big thing in town.

Managing editor: Ervin Gűth The next is issue of the magaContributor: László Nógrádi zine will arrive in the first week of Published by Mediaworks Hungary Zrt. September. Until then, any feedBaranya Megyei Irodája back is really appreciated and Sales manager: Gyöngyi Nagy please feel free to contact us at: Phone: +36 72 505 060, +36 30 9971 006 info@pecscityguide.com.

E-mail: gyongyi.nagy@mediaworks.hu Thanks for your attention, and Printed at Paletta Press Nyomda Kft. hopefully see you in fall.

2092 Budakeszi, Szőlőskert u. 19.

ISSN 08659133 Ervin Gűth, editor

Pécs City Guide

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PHOTO: PMJV

In Brief

ZSOLNAY CONFLICT ESCALATED QUICKLY

GUINESS WORLD RECORD FOR PLANTING There are several odd records all around the world and you might be asking what’s the point of doing challenges like the fastest 10m on a walking globe by a dog. Honestly, we don’t get it either... But fact is that people do love these oddities. Maybe that’s why city officials had the idea to have a new one since with the ongoing decontstruction of the Magasház Pécs has already lost a

record, namely the title: tallest uninhabited building in Central Europe.

The idea was to plant 14,000 flowers in one hour by 1,000 people, but the event became so popular that 1,500 attendants managed to plant 16,000 flowers in one hour. And by the way: it was a great opportunity for local politicians to have random pictures with their past and future voters.

INTERNATIONAL CONDUCTING COMPETITION This is going to be huge. An international conducting competition has been announced to take place between October and December 2016 in Kodály Center (see pic). Invited are young conductors (born after 1980) and the winner is going to get EUR20,000. The event’s organizer is Filharmonia Hunga-

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

ry, the only cultural institution in Pécs that runs events countrywide.

The Kodály Centre is one of the best concert halls in Central Europe, not only in terms of sound quality but its architecture has been awarded several times, too. So, we can only say that it’s quite timely to host an international event.

As reported in the previous issue of Pécs City Guide: dark clouds over the prestigious Zsolnay factory become visible to the public in recent months. The conflict between the Syrian-Hungarian-Swiss investor Bachar Najari and the city of Pécs went on in May and June with public letters, press conferences, leaked documents, leaked phone call recording etc.

According to press reports not only the tax authority is examining the books of the Zsolnay Factory but other criminal investigations are in progress. No official charges have been made. Yet. Najari held a press conference and gave several interviews where he stated that an interest group backed by the Hungarian government is trying to take over the factory.

Meanwhile the city founded a new firm as an ‘emergency plan’ and the workers of the factory acted almost instantly. They left their employer for this new company, but there are still a lot of unclear circumstances. pecscityguide.com

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ALL SUMMER FUN AT ORFŰ AQUAPARK Since the real summer heat has finally arrived and Orfű is quite close to Pécs the lido is the ultimate spot for a fun and refreshing all-day activity. New management started operating the Orfű Aquapark this year and the picturesque setting is as inviting as ever.

There is nothing more refreshing than leaving the burning heat of the concrete jungle of Pécs behind and jumping into the cool pools of the citizen’s most popular summer vacation spot. You find Orfű between delightful hills and new management tries to make the facilities of the Orfű Aquapark even more consumer-friendly.

The marvelous and relaxing atmosphere, the soft and becalming grass, the refreshing waves, the 1400 sqm adventure pool, the 43 sqm jacuzzi pool quarantee all-day entertainment for the whole fami-

ly. Those who want to spend the day with more activities can choose the sports swimming pool, the seven water slides, the water games, the beach volleyball court and the football field.

And for the kids there is a whole playground. The children’s pool or baby pool deliver a secure way to amuse and to cool down even the youngest family members.

An important new rule is that the new full-day tickets do allow leaving and coming back to the lido area, which makes it possible for visitors checkig out restaurants

outside the facility. Equivalently good news is that there are more bus lines between Pécs and Orfű than in previous years.

While having fun at Orfű Aquapark let’s not forget that are several precautions to be made, like drinking lots of water. Also don’t spend too much time in direct sun and don’t jump into the could water when your body is already overheated.

Orfű Aquapark is open every day in season between 9am-7pm, daily tickets cost HUF2000 for adults and there are several discount options.

Info: www.orfu-aquapark.hu Adress: 7677 Orfű, Dollár st 1 Phone: +36 70 399-1015 E-mail: recepcio@orfu-aquapark.hu

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In Brief

ZOO FINALLY OPEN, BUT IS IT STILL UNFISHED?

NEW STATUE PARK FOR ART STUDENTS’ WORKS University of Pécs has a long history and tradition of sculpting and the Faculty of Arts is a well equipped institute making it possible for students to experiment with different materials and techniques during their studies. Stone sculpture workshops, wood sculpting, CNC milling machines, dry and wet processing techniques, small and big studios are making the department one of the best and workshops for aspiring artists in Hungary.

That said, meanwhile a lot of artworks are produced by students and teachers every year and putting these on display has been a problematic question ever since. There have been

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

several attempts during the last few decades to create an established way of organizing exhibitions for art students. Different venues all around the city used to make this possible.

The latest addition to venues where the public can get a sneak peak is the garden behind the Faculty of Arts in the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter. An open air statue exhibition has been created by the faculty and right now six stone sculptures (artists: Lóránt Éles, Péter Lengyel, Balázs Mráv, István Parlagh, Csaba Tóth, László Váraljai) are on display. The organizers hope that this was only the first step and more artworks can join in the future.

The long needed overhaul of Pécs Zoo started in 2014 and the initial plan was to open it again only one year later. Unfortunately, re-opening was postponed several times and the initial budget of HUF1,2 billion did rise several times. Local media reported problems with the reconstruction and building process for example the construction company complained about bad weather. Guess what: it rains sometimes on Mecsek hill...

There were other issues too: a wolf that arrived too early to the unfinished zoo in November 2015, got scared because of the construction’s noise and escaped. The case ended tragically, the director of the zoo had to shoot the animal (see more: Pécs City Guide Issue 08/ Nov-Dec 2015). Finally, the brand new facility opened in May, but not without even more problems: the zebra shark died prior to the big event.

There are still some animals missing, the website has several issues and first visitors had serious complaints. Meanwhile a new director started working in the institution. We hope that there won’t be more errors in the future of the zoo and despite its flaws the new venue is a must for everyone. pecscityguide.com

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Expats

VESNA CONNECTS PEOPLE AND NATIONS

There are no embassies in Pécs but Germany, Austria, Italy and Finland have Hungarian honorary consuls in the city. Only one consul general has been delegated here by and from her own country that is Vesna Haluga from Croatia. Her favorites are the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, Jókai square and somlói galuska.

How long have you been living in Pécs?

It will be two years in September. I moved here with my family. My husband helps with my diplomatic activities and my son goes to the Croatian kindergarten. We are from Muraköz county that is a neighbor to Zala county, Hungary.

Do you have any communication difficulties here?

Not really. Somehow there are always people around who speak Croatian.

Last weekend we have been to a festival in Orfű and we were surprised that we could speak Croatian at least at three or four stands. Maybe this is the reason that my 5-year-old son’s Hungarian is much better than mine, since I don’t

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

have to speak it that much. And sure, I’m learning Hungarian, taking classes, the problem is that I don’t have much time. There is a story of a Croatian duke, who managed to learn Hungarian in one year. Okay, that would be a great challenge for me to, but only if I would have nothing else to do, just learning.

What are your daily tasks?

This is not an embassy because we are in charge for three counties (Baranya, Bács-Kiskun, Somogy) but we have several similar tasks. I have diplomatic duties, administrative work, helping with documents, citizenship, helping Croatian businesses, private persons, promoting Croatian culture and I’m also working with the Croatian minorities

in the region. There are about 30 000 Croatians living in these three counties and they are very active. There is something always going on, there are events almost every weekend.

Hungarian-Croatian relations are considered to be quite good. What do you do to improve this relationship?

We work on several projects together. The range is wide: we have classical business development projects, tourism programs and so on.

What is your first memory of Pécs?

I did already visit Pécs before I took office, since I have been working on cross-border projects in my previous job. I knew this part of Hungary, but it’s different when you come to live here. My first impression was that Pécs looks very much like Zagreb. A beautiful city with a perfect size. I was very impressed how colorful the cultural life here is. There is a cultural event every day. And I just love the international spirit that is the outcome of all those minorities living here for centuries.

What are you favorite parts of the city?

My family and I love the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter. My son always asks me to go there, and this is always one of the first places that I show visiting friends and family. I have seen several concert halls all around the world and I have to admit that Kodály Center is one of the most beautiful buildings of its kind. And of course the events are great. Jókai square is my favorite place in downtown, and I love Jókai Bisztró.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Pécs?

The city should rely much more on the university, its traditions and the knowledge available here. I think Pécs has great opportunities and potential in tourism since the infrastructure is there, but more money should be spent on promotion. Much more promotion is needed for special events. On national and on international level too. I hope that something will change and much more tourist will embrace the beauties of the city and its surroundings like Villány, Siklós etc. I have been doing a lots of promotion for Pécs myself.

What are you missing from Pécs?

Just a river, some water, but you can’t have everything.

Is there a favorite food that you learned to love here?

My family loves pörkölt and I do love somlói galuska. pecscityguide.com

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Feature Feature

The ultimate buc Ok, maybe this is not a real bucket list since - hopefully - you will have the chance to come back and check out more and more items if you haven’t done so already.

Let’s call it a collection of recommendations that is based on our experiences. You are strongly encouraged to follow the best practices of long-time Pécs citizens. make some easy arrangements and see e.g. the tunnels of the old champagne factory below Szent István square. More info: guideinfo.hu

THE VASARELY 3VISIT EXHIBITION

ON AIR AT THE 1WALK TV-TOWER OF PÉCS

Hungary’s tallest building with 20,000 visitors yearly is a tourist magnet for a reason. When the air is clean enough you get a wonderful sight in every direction from the TV-tower of Pécs. The view of the city and surrounding forests await you at the open observation level that’s quite unique on its own. Sure it is not the most modern spot of the city but serves its purpose well since its opening in 1973. You can get to the observation level by elevator and through the restaurant and bar level. More info: tvtoronypecs.hu

Pécs-born artist Victor Vasarely is considered to be the grandfather of the op-art movement and Pécs happens to have one of the best collections of his works. This is not a coincidence, the painter himself donated a great selection to the city in 1968. There are other great collections of his works: one in Budapest and two in France. More info: jpm.hu

4LOCK DOWN YOUR LOVE

Several cities try to ban putting padlocks on public fixtures but in Pécs you are encouraged to do so. Ok, not everywhere but in Janus Pannonius street (pic below) where locks started to appear in the 1970s. At first ex-students of a nearby school started to cel-

ebrate this way when leaving the hostel forever but the tradition’s meaning shifted and couples lock down their love here. Or at the new installations a few meters away.

HIKING ON THE 5GOMECSEK HILLS

There are several wonderful hiking trails in the region to choose from. For the en-

2GO UNDERGROUND

Not even every Pécs-born knows that there are several tunnels and unused cellar under the city, mainly in downtown. Wealthy citizens used to store wine or other goods here but nowadays these are more like problems for their owners. Several of these tunnels are dangerous and only a few of them can be visited. It’s definitely worth to

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

pecscityguide.com

ucket list to Pécs A FINAL SELFIE 8SHOOT WITH THE MAGASHÁZ

The Magasház is going to vanish by the end of the year. If you haven’t already done so, the time has come to take your final selfie with the iconic building.

thusiasts: the longest is about 100 km long, and brings you a great full weekend program. For everyone else: there are small trail that take only a couple of hours. The best starting points are Tettye and the TV-tower. After getting there just follow the signs.

SOMETHING AT 6BUY THE FLEA MARKET

The marketplace (pic above) is not as

important as it used to be some decades ago but it is still one of the most interesting venues of Pécs. Every Sunday bargains are guaranteed and you can find real gems here. Our pro advice is to arrive early to find the best deals and leave before it gets overcrowded. That’s around 9am. Checking out special antiquity markets (June 30, Aug 4) is also strongly recommended. Address: 7632, Megyeri st.

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EAT BREAKFAST AT THE MARKET HALL

Hungarian meals can be weird and we are very thankful for that. There are several contestants but nothing beats a hearty breakfast in the central market hall when it comes to fat. For beginners there is sausage and blood sausage but advanced players should try cooked pork tongue with garlic (pic on the left) or fried chicken livers that have sometimes leftover chicken heart on them.

Professionals eat the whole menu of course after a long night of partying and of course coming straight from a club.

9TAKE ZSOLNAY HOME

We hope that the brand itself will not be harmed in the war between the city and the owners of the factory (see more on that on p5), but meanwhile you can still buy beautiful Zsolnay potteries, small accessories. No gift has more of Pécs than something with the Zsolnay logo on it.

CIRFANDLI, SZALON, 10TRY AND MECSEKI ITÓKA

There are three drinks that are heavily associated with the city. The first is the Zierfandler (cirfandli) wine variety, that is only avalaible from the Pécs wine region in Hungary. You can taste the best of them at Zierfandler (that moved to Vasutas for the summer, se more on that on p16) or buy at Borháló (Széchenyi sq). The other is the bitter liqour Mecseki Itóka made from herbs.

It had a big comeback some months ago (PCG, Issue 09, February 2016) and is available at several venues in the city.

The third one is Szalon beer from Pécs Brewery, that is one of the first breweries of Hungary founded in 1848.

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Feature

GRAPES, WINES, GENES Preserving ancient varieties while creating new and probably better types of wine grapes are the key goals of the Research Institute of Viticulture and Enology at the University of Pécs (RIVE-UP). We visited their facilities and had the chance to taste some rareties.

Working with genes and clones is nothing new: plant breeding with the help of selection and creating better properties for crops, fruits, vegetables has been always an important part of agriculture and agriculture education. From the late 19th century a wine-making and wine-trader school operated in Pécs too. That’s why the foundation of the Experimental Branch of the Research Institute of Viticulture in 1949 wasn’t a surprise at all. Ever since the institute and its successors established a world-acclaimed grape gene bank with 1,600 different cultivars. The plantings of RIVE-UP can be found in the Western outskirts of Pécs, that are also the largest vineyards in town since others have been consumed by the expanding city.

In the second half of the last century several new varieties were born in Pécs. The Z-series is the most famous and quite popular in Hungary consisting of wine grapes called zenit, zengő, zeus, zefír and zéta. All of these give early ripening, flavourful white grapes and have mild acidity but are high in sugar. There are also clonal selection projects in progress which means that no cross breeding occurs but the benefits of e.g. spontaneous mutation are used.

The research conducted in the last decades concentrates on two important circumstances. The first is climate change that has a huge impact on wine grapes. Especially on the ripening process. Their second goal is to create varieties that are much more resistant against different diseases. In this way less or none chemicals have to be used in the fields.

In both projects researches are working together with the private sector (small and big wineries in the region) and the outcome of these projects is evaluated on a regular basis. That means tasting since the final products, wines of excellent quality is the most important.

Visitors can taste the wines made at the cellar of RIVE-UP on guided tours and they have a shop in Pázmány Péter st. But the guided tour is much more interesting since you get the chance to taste rarities that don’t make it into bottles because they are very limited editions.

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

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Flat for rent in the center of Pécs

• Newly built (in 2013) flat, • Ground floor with garden and big terrace, • Three separated rooms (or Living room + 2 bedroom), • 1 car parking place, • With furnitures.

Rental fee: HUF185,000 monthly (cca. 600 EUR)

Flat for rent in the center of Pécs

• Newly built (in 2013) flat, • Ground floor with garden and terrace, • Living room + 1 bedroom, • 1 car parking place, • With furnitures.

Rental fee: HUF130,000 monthly (cca. 430 EUR)

Address: Pécs, Koller street 7.

Email: info@ujpecsilakas.hu | Phone: +36 20 292 0000

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Drink & Dine

EAT YOUR WAY TO ROMA CULTURE

Bringing people together – that’s what restaurants are about. But one special place in Pécs, called Kóstolda (the name is a word play on the verb taste) is bringing people together with a mission. The aim is to introduce the culture of Gipsies (cigány or roma in Hungarian) to the majority society.

And what better way to present your culture than to invite guests and serve them your own food?

The place can be found quite far from the heart of the city, in Komját Aladár street 2., but the food and the warm hospitality is well worth the trip. Just don’t forget that a reservation has to be made before a visit. The reason is that Kóstolda operates as a home restaurant, enjoying a special status that allows ordinary people to serve food for guests in an organized way. The

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

place is run by a society called Színes Gyöngyök (Colorful Pearls) that started programs 13 years ago to support Roma women and help them overcome their unprivileged status.

As Anna Várnai, the president of the society remembers, they always participated in events, sometimes offering traditional Roma dishes to visitors.

They realized that the food attracted even those people that otherwise would not approach gipsies – but over the table meaningful discussions became possible. Opening a home restaurant for such occasions was an evident plan and became reality a year ago.

The society celebrates the first birthday of Kóstolda on July 2 with a special event, where music, dance and performances will also be thrown in the mix. Reservations and questions are welcome via email. (kostolda@szinesgyongyok.hu)

Certainly, Kóstolda is more of a meeting ground for cultures than just a place to eat. And also a breakout opportunity for people who suffer prejudice and discrimination – but basically the most authentic source of Roma food. Their chicken soup, rooster stew and lecsó (a traditional stew of onion, pepper and tomato that can be found in several nations’ gastronomy) are all made with love and care, just like a family meal would be. Also, the rétes (strudel in English, but do not expect the light western variety of the international dessert - these are heavy delicacies) is a must for anyone in for desserts.

The prices are reasonable, a full dinner comes in at around HUF4000 – and you don’t really pay for food, but offer support for a mission that brings cultures closer.

László Nógrádi pecscityguide.com

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Drink & Dine

RE-OPENERS

Summer weather and hot evening are finally here that are the best to enjoy at open air venues. There are Lompos Uszkár, Vasutas and N-Eozin are the best re-openers in this game but we gladly added Susogó to the collection.

LOMPOS USZKÁR

VASUTAS BORKERT&FRÖCCSÖLDE

We instantly did love the idea of having an open air pub in the garden of the museum in Káptalan street a couple of years ago. Fortunately, the guys at Lompos Uszkár didn’t mess up anything and it’s still a great place. Even better, the venue improved a lot for this season in many aspects. The wine card that used to be quite good already got an even better update. Another addition is that foods are available on a regular basis. This means that the grill and wood-fired oven is on, but only in the weekends. (This is true as of writing this but owners said that this could change in the near future.) Another feature to highlight is that the music is always great. Info: fb.com/lompos.uszkar

It’s already the second season for the open air venue, though it has a slightly different name and a slightly different concept. Kalamáris Wineshop and Restaurant teamed up with Zirfandler in the garden of Várady Antal street 7/2 to deliver quality wines and thematic wine tasting events in a very casual and budget friendly way. And thanks to the co-operation the list of available wines doubled. This means mainly white wines, roses and easygoing reds. These can be accomanied with different breads and spreads if you get hungry but rumour says that soon grill sausages will be available too. And to whom it may concern: you can watch the Euro 2016 on a huge screen. Info: fb.com/froccsolde

N-EOZIN

SUSOGÓ

When thinking of N-Eozin on the Northern Castle Wall Promenade (that you can access via Esze Tamás street) the Magasház comes to our minds almost naturally. This is the best spot for watching the vanishing building in the summer sunset and a couple of good drinks come very handy when doing our favourit recreational activity. This is not the only reason for recommending: the venue gets bigger and better with each season. The quality of drinks and foods is on the right track. In the past not everything was flawless and maybe service could be faster, but to tell you the truth we didn’t had the chance yet to try as many of the available dishes as last season. Info: fb.com/neozin.kert

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

Maybe Susogó does not fit in this selection as well as the others since it’s not an open air venue exclusively but after several months of inactivity it’s finally open again. It got a much needed overhaul and there are a couple of new ideas.

The bistro used to be the only fine dining spot for years in Pécs and it’s still the most exciting one, acclaimed by critics countrywide. Weekly menu cards, a fairly new concept and superb ingredients make it possible to experiment a lot. It’s not cheap but in comparison with restaurants of the same quality in Budapest it’s still a bargain. The wines start at around HUF600 so be preperad to leave at least HUF6,0008,000 here. Info: fb.com/susogopecs pecscityguide.com

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Drink & Dine

TASTE HUNGARIAN CUISINE WITH A TWIST AT CELLARIUM We get several questions every month via our Facebook page but there is one that drops in quite frequently. Where to get authentic, good Hungarian food in Pécs? Very good question indeed, and we would love to have a perfect answer but unfortunately there is no good answer. There is always some compromise. Or at least, this was true for several decades but there is a trend that might change this. Recently, we found even some quite low profile and budget friendly venues where you can get quite good and authentic food (for example Fekete Kutya that we covered in the May issue). And there are also some places that try to keep their authenticity but adding something more to their meals.

This is the path which Cellarium took a couple of months ago. The restaurant over Széchenyi square (and several levels below ground) used to be a highly appreciated social hub in the 1990s but this changed more than a decade ago. For years we wouldn’t recommend to try anything there but new winds are blowing.

They really did radically change their menu card. They keep it short but you can find from fish to poultry and pork anything on the list. And its very interesting. Also their weekly offer is great and maybe an even better and more interesting option. The last time we tried plum dumplings as a soup. This is a really traditional dish but serving it as a soup is quite uniqe. But also very tasty.

And the same with main course: roasted pork tenderloin, egg noodles and mushroom puree (pic above). Nobody would combine these noodles (called nokedli) with pork at home, but it just works.

Though there was too little salt in the noodles, but we could solve that problem. We liked the dessert very much since the walnut pudding (it was definitly not a pudding but the experience was close) had complex and interesting flavours while still very authentic. And the best for last: you can have a 2 course menu from their weekly offer for only HUF1190 and a 3 course menu for just HUF1490. This is much more than competitive and the quality does not change we will be regulars here.

missing workforce According to local press reports it’s getting harder and harder to find good workforce for restaurants and bars in Pécs.

Or any workforce. After a quick check we also did find that just in the first half of June at least 9 restaurants were looking for staff, mainly cooks and waiters.

It’s not hard to figure out what the root of the problem is: workers are leaving the country in big numbers again since salaries in Western Europe tend to be 4-5 times higher than in Hungary. Also less and less student job vacations are filled because of the same reason.

But Pécs is not on the list of the most affected spots. Several restaurants couldn’t open timely around lake Balaton where the seasonal demand for employees is huge.

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

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19

Drink & Dine

brewing champ

TRADITIONS COME TO LIFE AT KALMÁR CELLAR Villány wine region has several gems to seek out and to explore. So does the lesser known part of it, namely the vicinity of Siklós, that is only a 20-min drive from Pécs. Also let’s not forget the fact that for almost a century the proper name was Villány-Siklós wine region.

is the home of Kalmár Cellar that has been renewed in recent years. The exceptional rural architecture of the terrace or the seating-room, and the country-style atmosphere guarantee a warm welcoming environment. This make the place a perfect venue to explore local cuisine and local wines.

The family business voted for authenticity and thanks to this you can taste several great Hungarian foods here. They specialize in pörkölt, meals made in the wood-fired oven and fish dishes.

At least these are the most popular ones.

Unfortunatly you cant just drop in, but have to book in advance.

Except for thematic event like Fish Days or some traditional festivities.

The vinery can accommodate 70 people which make it an ideal place for family gatherings or even business events and conferences.

Siklós is as exciting as the more known parts of the wine region Although the two towns are quite close to each other Villány is famous for its red wines especially Portugieser, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, while Siklós is better known for its whites. This, or to give you the location even more precisely, the Csukma valley

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

Most people love the classic espresso or moka style coffee in Hungary but the filter coffee can’t be labeled as just a hype anymore.

More and more coffee shops have several filter coffee options available like V60 or the Aeropress. In Pécs too.

The trend is quite obvious since Hungarian barista competitions have filter brewing disciplines for years now and the winners are delageted to compete at international championships. In 2016 Pécs was represented at the annual Hungarian Brewers Cup by Máté Fejes, one of the baristas of Pécsi Kávé in Irgalmasok street.

Máte had the best results in the semi-finals but came in as the second at the finel round of the championship. Being the second best filter coffee brewer in the country is also quite good - to say the least and we can only congratulate. And of course taste some of his art in Irgalmasok street. pecscityguide.com

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Drink & Dine

FÕTÉR IS GETTING BETTER, BUT IS THIS ENOUGH? The first thing I have to say about Főtér (translated: main square) is that it isn’t flawless at all but still probably the best thing that could happen to the shop that used to be McDonald’s. The franchise is a fading memory here but not burgers. And we are coming to the foods in a minute but I also have to say that a lot of people get something wrong. This is not a restaurant but a wine bar and coffeeshop that happens to have good food. This should be obvious already by reading the store front sign, but believe me it isn’t. And this is why a lot of people are unfair when criticizing the venue. There is a lot to criticize about the

place but the menu card, and the food is pretty good.

Their burgers are superb, that is no wonder since they get the Charlois beef for the patties from their very own farm.

The spreads (pic above) made of cottage cheese, lard and sausages are definitely filling a gap. These are just perfect to accompany the great wines available.

No doubt, the quality of the wines is always excellent thanks to the cooperation with the neighbour (Hungary’s biggest wine retailer), but serving them is still quite a challenge for the staff. The wines start at around HUF300 which is more than budget friendly. On the oth-

er hand, it can happen that white wines aren’t cold enough and red wines are often too cold. The second is the smaller problem but it’s still a problem. The coffee is also quite problematic and it’s almost a riddle how this can happen since the machines are great, the grind is great but somehow the sip is dull and just boring. This could be much better also with just a little bit more attention.

Several friends told me that I can call myself quite lucky since the initial staff members made their experiences somwhat unpleasant, but I can’t recall anything like that and we spent some nice workday evenings here.

wine of pécs Sold out and full-house. This year’s Wine Of Pécs competition and public tasting was the most successful in the event’s history. More than 300 guests had the chance to try 30 wines from 10 wineries of the Pécs wine region that entered the contest in May. The audience awarded in two of the four categories (best rosé and best red wine) Planina Wine House from Mohács.

The best white wine and best dessert wine trophy was awarded to Hárs Bio Cellar from Szajk.

The absolute winner of the afternoon was the red blend Prím Cuveé 2012 of Planina Wine House since it did not only get the popular vote but the professional jury did choose it as the absolute winner.

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

pecscityguide.com

Advertising Our 200-year-old cellar is located on the main street of Villány and we warmly welcom everybody with home made specialties, mixed plates and exclusive advanture rides.

We offer wine tastings in the 200 years old cellar, we do sell wine directly. You can visit our wine making facilities on guided tours (bookin advance min. 10 visitors). Adventure rides in Ördögárok, wherethe wines come from.You can get a hint of the feeling what it’s like to be from Villány.

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Monday-Sunday: 10am-8pm

Our Hall Of Fame

Günzer Tamás Pincészete | Villány, Baross G. 104. | www.borpinceszet.hu

To Do

SÉTATÉR FESTIVAL

JARMECZKY 65 According to Pécs-born painter István Jarmeczky his paintings project visual thoughts about sense and emotion on different levels of abstraction; thoughts about life which are condensed for a particular moment. He wants to evoke a transcendent feeling by using the visual elements of our wider surroundings: earth, water, air, and fire.

The exhibiton in Zsolnay Cultural Quarter’s M21 Gallery gives an overview of the prolific painters contemporary, actual projects (mainly oil and acryl on canvas) and it’s not a retrospective display.

Until Aug 7, Tue-Sun: 10am-6pm, M21 Gallery (Zsolnay Cultural Quarter). Tickets: HUF250/500, Info: pecsprogram.hu

Local bands and Hungarian live acts, local wineries and foods mark this two-week event. You will find the festival stage in front of the cathedral while the booths get shelter under the chestnut trees. Event tip: Budapest Voices (pic above) on June 25.

June 19-26, 7pm, Sétatér More info: fb.com/pecsifesztival

PHOTO: JPM

WHITE GOLD ROYAL SETS

OTTOMAN TURKISH CARPETS ON THE WALLS The Hungarian Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest has the second largest collection of Ottoman Turkish carpets after the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul.

Unfortunately this valuable collection is hardly ever on display and its great to have a selection of them in Pécs.

The carpets were regular features of the home decorations of Hungari-

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an nobliliary manor-houses in the era of the Turkish occupation of Hungary. They were not placed on floors but on tables and walls, under the feet of the bride and groom at weddings, put on church benches, but wonderful carpets covered the insides of celebration and army tents too.

Until August 20, Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, Csontváry Museum (Janus Pannonius st 11) Info: pecsimuzeumok.hu

A temporary exhibition shows a collection of dish sets from the world famous porcalain manufactury of Herend. Sometimes called white gold, the noblest of ceramic materials has long traditions in the city and unlike Zsolnay it became a real success story after the fall of communism again.

Until Sep 11, Museum Gallery (Káptalan st 4) Info: pecsimuzeumok.hu pecscityguide.com

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To Do

ZSOLNAY LIGHTFESTIVAL Pécs has a couple of mixed arts festivals throughout the entire year but the latest addition to the summer lineup tries to be something different.

The Zsolnay Lightfestival brings circus performances, street performances, events for kids to whole downtown and Zsolnay Cultural Quarter but only to accompany the first international light mapping competition in Hungary. Okay, also let’s not forget that several concerts with well-known international stars have been also announced. Basically, if we get the idea right, this is something that can be considered as a real (and unfortunately the first real) attempt to bring back the magic of the festive year of 2010 when Pécs was one of the European Capital of Cultures.

The Zsolnay Lightfestival called out an international competition for a money-prize for light mapping artist.

3D video and architecture mapping artists who project visuals, different textures on buildings from all around the world entered the contest. After sunset their playground will be the facade of the Cathedral of Pécs while the topic of the performances is ‘the

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

birth of light’. But not enough several other buildings all around downtown will get their visual tune up and many of these performances will be enhanced by strong audio shows.

And for the concerts: without doubt, three-time Grammy-award nominee Natalie Imbruglia performing on July 2 will be the most well-known music artist of the festival, but the concert of Spanish singer Buika on July 1 is another highlight that should not be missed. The concerts are scheduled for 7.30pm and 8pm at Dóm square, but before and after these performances several other international and Hungarian bands will cheer up the audience. But there is even more.

During the day street performers and circus artists from all Argentina, Belgium and Hungary will gather in Pécs and bring shows at several locations.

There will be some unique locations that haven’t been used for event at all and it will be fun to see e.g. the bath of Memi Pasha filled with life again.

To see more and learn more just visit the website of the festival.

July 1-3, Several venues, More info: zsolnayfenyfesztival.hu/en pecscityguide.com

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To Do

CONCERTS AT BISHOP’S GARDEN One of the most unique venues used to be closed to the public for decades but recent years - and of course the new bishop - changed that. The Bishop’s Garden will open its gates again for classical music, jazz and cross over concerts on three summer evenings. The series is organized by Filharmonia Hungary.

On July 17 singer Georgina Kanizsa is joining the trio of 30-year-old pianist and composer Dezső Oláh, József ‘Plútó’ Horváth (bass), András Pecek Lakatos (percussion) to bring you contemporary jazz sounds.

On August 2 the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra established in 2010 by students of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest goes for sure with the best and most popular of real classics.

On August 28 the crossover choir from Pécs Voisingers closes the event series for the season with a delightful and entertaining mix of pop sounds and a classic choir techniques.

July 17/August 2/August 28, 7pm, Bishop’s Garden (Király st 19), HUF2160 -2700. Info: filharmonia.hu/en

BASS CAMP

OPEN CELLARS IN PALKONYA

For the first time Orfű, the cosy holiday village next to Pécs, welcomes a sympathic new festival for electronic music. The line up has some international live acts but consist mainly of Hungarian performers. If you are interested in upbeat electronic sounds from jungle to trap it’s really worth to check out the full listing and find some real surprises.

July 22-23, Orfű (Panorama Kemping, Dollár st 1) Info: basscamp.hu Tickets: HUF5,000-12,000.

There are big events every month in the Villány wine region, and Palkonya is keeping the pace. The village - European Cultural Village in 2007 - is famous for its open cellar weekends in May but for the first time they organize the event in the summer too.

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Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

And what to expect from the gathering? Wine tastings, concerts, children’s programmes. The event is free but you have to purchase a glass (HUF800) if you want to try local wines. Getting there is easy: just take the train.

July 2, Palkonya. Info: villanyiborvidek.hu pecscityguide.com

7621 Pécs, Irgalmasok u. 16. | Mon-Sun: 10am-6pm | +36-30/ 327-3666 | info@segwaypecs.hu

H 7 7 7 3 V I L L Á N Y, DIÓFÁ S S T R . 1 . + 3 6 7 2 5 9 2 0 0 9 w w w. g e r e ta m a s . h u

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The best way for sightseeing: Segway Pécs. The Segway Pécs is a tourism company organizing exciting Segway tours both in Pécs and the region.

Essentials

HIGH CHURCH W

e usually do not cover the churches of Pécs. The reason is simple: there are plenty of them, most of them have a similarly interesting background story, beautiful architecture and a vivid setting. And their are very important during the city’s whole history.

To proove that, I only have to mention the German name of Pécs that is Fünfkirchen, meaning five churches in English. Acknowledging their importance, we just don’t have the space to write about them all. But this time I’m going to be a little bit unfair with the others and tell the story of the church that is above them all. Literally. And this is the church of Havihegy.

It may not be the biggest of the temples of Pécs, but certainly there is something about it. When approaching the city from Harkány the all white building on the all white cliff can be

30 Pécs City Guide Summer 2016

by Ervin Gűth

easily spotted thanks to it color and its setting. It sits on the top a limestone cliff called also Havihegy, that is also the name of the whole district. The cliff had several names prior to that for example Kakasdomb (translated: roosterhill), but got its final name certainly after 1691 since this was the year when the black death left Pécs and the story of the church began.

During the plague the citizens of Pécs made an oath that if the terrible disease disappers they are going to build a new temple. The legend says that the grateful people transported all the building materials with their very own hands to the top of the cliff. No wonder that it took seven years to build.

The temple was inaugurated in 1698 and made even bigger in 1710 but after a fire the whole furnishing had to be exchanged. It got its final form that

can be seen today after that, in 1780.

Another intersing fact is that there are three different crucifixes around the temple and each of them is symbolizing something else. The most well known is also the latest one. The one thaz looks down on Tettye. Here, the pose of Jesus is the most tragic of them all, you can almost feel the pain.

The structure is a replacement since the original has been destroyed in th 1960s when three youngster tried to impress a girl. After a night of partying they knocked over the original cruxifix that stood there for more than 200 years.

The church has a very engaged community, every Sunday the masses are celebrated with a full house.

Havihegy temple has its own celebration in August when believers come from everywhere. pecscityguide.com

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