A health resort that has reached the hearts of Poles. “A lot of tours come.”

We are standing with our guide on the castle hill in Eger, the second most frequently visited city in Hungary. From the hill you can see green mountain peaks and roofs of houses, and a little further, typical buildings from the second half of the 19th century. 20th century. The Eger bishopric existed already in the 11th century, before Buda became the capital of Hungary. I will try to find out why tourists from Poland like this city so much – after all, we cannot fly here directly, and it is still 130 km away from Budapest.

“We have a lot of trips from Polish-Hungarian friendship associations. They are coming to us from Słupsk for the 15th time, and the next delegation will come from Wrocław. I also maintain contacts with Tarnów,” Kowalskine Ibolya Szekfy, a Polish-speaking guide from Eger, tells me.

Her adventure with learning Polish began when she was only 5 years old. In the times of socialism, when Hungary’s borders were opened to tourists, Hungarians had the choice of going on holiday to Poland or Czechoslovakia, but “they didn’t like them” in Czechoslovakia. Dad suggested a trip to Zakopane.

At the restaurant, her father tried to place an order using a few Polish words, which was met with enthusiasm by the guests. Under the influence of this trip, the little girl told the hostess that she would learn our language. As part of the school trend of writing letters to students from other countries, she contacted up to a hundred of her pen pals. Already as an adult, she wrote letters to Polish travel agencies that were interested in Eger. In the 1980s and 1990s, thousands of Poles came here. And so, thanks to a successful visit to Zakopane, Polish tourism began here.

City for a weekend in Europe. Something familiar, something oriental

According to the guide, Eger may remind residents and Poles of Krakow – this is due to the large number of baroque monuments and churches. The colorful facades of tenement houses near the Eger stream flowing through the city center – the cause of the great flood of the 19th century – are also associated with the atmosphere of Czech or Lower Silesian towns.

These comparisons are only intended to reflect the atmosphere of the old town, because the history of Eger is unique. The victory over the Turks in the 16th century, which is important for the Hungarian sense of national identity, and the historical echoes of the later conquest, after which the city came under Turkish rule for 91 years, converge here. A remnant from this period is the impressive, soaring tower of the high minaret, the northernmost Turkish monument in Europe. There were 11 such towers next to mosques in Eger, but only one has survived. Today, there is a Christian cross above the crescent, and you can look at the city from the balcony.

A little trip to Turkey

The past and the present also meet in another place. At the foot of the Eger castle we will come across the Pasha’s Tent, an expression of Hungarian-Turkish friendship. Inside you can experience Turkish hospitality – drink coffee, tea, dress in traditional costumes and watch belly dancing shows. Such an express trip to Turkey in the heart of Europe costs about PLN 20.

Let’s take a few steps along Dobo Istvan Street. After a while we will see the Basilica of St. Michał and Jan. Maybe this surroundings made its dome look a bit “oriental” from a distance? From this great distance, it may remind you of the 18th-century Ottoman mosque in Monastiraki Square in Athens. However, this is only appearances, it is a Roman Catholic basilica built only in the first half of the 19th century. It was built on the site of a church that served as a mosque in the 16th century.

A health resort with Polish accents

It is impossible to miss the traces of Polish history in Eger. In the 20th century, relations between our nations were friendly. In the heart of the city, at the main square Dobó István tér 4, there is the church of St. Anthony of Padua, called Polish by our guide. “From 1939 to 1944, there were about three thousand Polish soldiers with their families, 370 people on a daily basis,” recalls Kowalskine Ibolya Szekfy. Inside there is a statue of Saint. Kinga, made by Stanisław Angel, the curator of the mine in Wieliczka.

A plaque with a Polish inscription placed on the facade of the building at 3 Érsek Street reminds us of the junior high school operating here in 1940-1944, until the Germans began the occupation of Hungary and began repression against Poles.

Valley of the Beautiful Lady. With a glass of good wine

A visit to Eger will not be complete if we do not visit the Valley of the Beautiful Lady. At first glance, it is a charming, green park. In fact – a wine paradise on the western edge of the city. Wines are aged here in cellars carved in volcanic tuff, which from the outside resemble charming country houses. The temperature there is 10-13 degrees Celsius, suitable for wine maturing.

These areas once belonged to the Eger bishops. In the 18th century, they issued a permit for local residents to trade in wine. Thanks to this, in cellars run by private owners you can now taste various types of wine while sitting at long tables. Rushing is not recommended. The guide shows us how to swirl the glass – this is how the wine needs to be aerated. We are also advised to inhale a little air through our mouth after taking a sip, thus spreading the flavor on our tongue.

The region’s showcase is dry Egri Bikaver, protected by law. We test them in the cellar of the renowned winemaker Sike Tamas. “Bull’s blood” is made by mixing at least three red grape varieties approved for cultivation in this region.

“This wine can only be made from the best wines from previous years, and a year earlier the owner must declare to the commission his willingness to produce it. The commission specifies how many kilograms of grapes of specific species can be harvested,” our guide enumerates, and these are just some of the procedures.

Here you can taste its real taste and you don’t have to be an expert. Our group also finds out what the Hungarian “price-quality ratio” means. We can buy bottles of good wine for PLN 30-50.

The Valley of the Beautiful Lady is eagerly visited not only by tourists, but also by residents with family and friends. Although our short visit takes place in the afternoon, it is worth visiting in the evening, when the atmosphere becomes very sociable. On hot summer days, this must be a nice place to relax after sightseeing.

A wealth of medicinal springs

Some come to Eger for the taste of wine, others for health. We are in front of the Hunguest Hotel Flora, where the bishop of Eger discovered a thermal pond in the 14th century. The culture of using baths spread to Hungary later, thanks to the Turks who discovered the healing properties of the waters. “They noticed that if you sit in the water, rheumatism, skin diseases and venereal diseases will be cured,” we learn from the guide.

The publicly accessible municipal swimming pool in Eger has been developing gradually since the 19th century. Today, guests in bathrobes go directly to it from the hotel. For a separate fee, you can also bathe in the nearby renovated Turkish bath. Its dome is covered with an impressive mosaic of gold tiles.

The Hunguest Flora hotel also has its own, pleasantly lit swimming pool area. Just like in Lower Silesian health resorts, we will bathe here in radon waters. This is one of three types of medicinal water available in Eger, alongside lime and brine. “Radon water removes chronic inflammation from the body, calms the nerves and improves blood circulation,” Kowalskine Ibolya Szekfy enumerates its benefits. And although there are many other sources within 15 km, we will use radon water in this city.

Although “little Krakow” evokes familiar associations, it does not need this label. Within half a day, it reveals the pages of history and the wealth of its natural resources. It would be nice to have at least one more to relax in the thermal pools or spend a lazy evening with friends in the Valley of the Beautiful Lady. No wonder that trips from Poland come back here so willingly.

The material was created in cooperation with the Hunguest Hotels chain. The organizer did not interfere with the content of the report.