Summer Special 2015 - Pécs City Guide

Pécs City GuideSummer 2015 / ISSue 05 / Free

INSIDEWakeboarding,Best museums Bistro inferno,

Zsolnay-legend+ much more

SUMMER

EDITIO

N

Summer 2015 Pécs City Guide 3

HI, this is the fifth issue of Pécs City Guide magazine and

we are very happy to be available this time on 32 pag-

es. We are almost as thick as a real magazine should

be. Right now, we think that this is a one time attrac-

tion only, but we will keep in mind how good it feels to

hold so many pages in our hands. We didn’t double number of pages for the

feeling, we did it, because this is a summer special. Which also means, that

there won’t be new issues

until September.

Meanwhile you can follow

us on Facebook for updates

about Pécs., and like usual-

ly you can still contact us at:

[email protected].

Thanks for your attention,

and see you soon.

Ervin Gűth, editor

Contents In Brief 4 Magasház gets new attraction, Wakeboard tracks open 6 Starpark opens, City’s free wifi is more popular than ever, R.I.P. Pécs football Features 8 Getting around10 Best museums12 Pécs wine region14 A day in Orfű Drink&Dine 16 Bistro inferno18 Grill it real good20 Lompos Uszkár22 István Pince To Do 24 Out of town 26 Yvaral, Ulupuh, Turkish Youth Phil-harmonic Orchestra28 Europa Cantat, Antiquity markets, Running night Essentials 30 The Zsolnay heritage

Contents&Co

Pécs City Guide/Summer 2015 The free, insert magazine of Dunántúli Napló in English. Editor-in-chief/Publisher: László Póré Managing editor: Ervin GűthContributor: László Nógrádi Published by Mediaworks Regionális Kiadó Kft. Baranya Megyei Irodája Sales manager: Gyöngyi Nagy Phone: +36 72 505 060, +36 30 9971 006 E-mail: [email protected] Printed by Érdi Rózsa Nyomda, Érd ISSN 08659133

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4 Pécs City Guide Summer 2015 pecscityguide.com

In Brief

It doesn’t seem like the Magasház is getting closer to its end: even the city is backing the civic project that is going to make the walls built around the uninhabited residential tower prettier. The first step of the initiative is ready now. Paintings of three Pécs-related artists were com-pleted in the first weeks of June.

It’s not an accident that Pécs born artist Victor Vasarely (Győző Vásárhelyi) is one of the firsts to get a portray on the walls that are going to act like a wall of fame. Vasarely (left) was the leading figure of the op-art movement (see more on the Vasarely Museum in Pécs on p10) and an advocate of the idea of col-ourful cities. He hated blank walls and wanted them to display art.

Marcel Breuer, one of the lead-ing figures of the Bauhaus-move-ment is pictured on the right side of the painting. This is not his most well known pic, and it’s a lit-tle bit confusing to see the archi-tecture and design genius with the Magasház in the background.

In the middle of the triumvirate literary editor and poet Sándor Weöres is portrayed, who learned, lived and worked in Pécs for a decade.

Like said, this painting is only the first, pilot project of a civic or-ganization and more will follow soon. Street art paintings related to Pécs, about people with strong ties to the city are expected to pop up in the coming months.

PÉCS’S FAMOUS ARTISTS PORTRAYED AROUND THE MAGASHÁZ

World famous Pécs borns Victor Vasarely and Marcel Breuer accom-pany the poet Sándor Weöres on the walls that protect the Magasház. The painting is the pilot project of civic initiative.

CRAZY: TWO WAKEBOARD TRACKS TO OPEN IN JUNEFinding spots for water sports in Pécs isn’t an easy task. It used to be impossible. And what’s happening now? Two wakeboard tracks are going to open this summer, only a few of kilometres away from each other.

Vasas and Tüskésrét are dis-tricts of Pécs and quite close to downtown. What they have in common is that they both will have professional wakeboard tracks soon. Yes, you read it right: two different wakeboard tracks, and both are going to open this summer. Crazy, isn’t it?

Some years back citizens of Pécs would never dream of having the chance to choose from wakeboard track, even if assumed they know what a wakeboard track is.

The two facilities will have slightly different services to of-fer: in Tüskésrét there will be a running track around the lake while the other will have a horse riding centre.


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In Brief

STARGAZERS WELCOME

Light pollution has a wide rang-ing effect on ecology and potential psychological effects on humans. Today only 5% of the night sky is as observable as 150 years ago. Many children in the developed world never get the opportunity to see a sky full of stars and the Milky Way.

But in Zselic, that is only 1 hour’s drive away from Pécs you get not only the chance to see the sky in its beauty, but the star park has sever-al interesting facilities, too. They organize regular stargazing events, but you have to book in advance. More info: zselicicsillagpark.hu

Civilization is washing out the evening sky. City lights around the world make it nearly impossible to observe the night sky in its natural beauty. That is the point where dark sky parks, like the newly opened Zselic Starry Sky Park come to help.

R.I.P. PÉCS FOOTBALL

Fans of the local football team PMFC buried the their hope in middle of the football field. The symbolic funeral went viral.

The misery, that some still do call Hungarian football life, continues with sometimes ridiculous epi-sodes. The latest gag: the Hungari-an Football Association’s to refuse granting a licence to several foot-ball teams for the next season.

This means that the profession-al football team of Pécs can’t play in the 1st league. It’s still not clear if Pécs could start the next season in the second or third league, also there isn’t even public what really lead to this decision.

FREE WI-FI NETWORK USAGE AT ALL TIME HIGH

5 years ago only 70-80 people connected to the city’s free Wi-Fi network. Despite the fact that 3G and 4G is getting cheaper, today 2000-2200 daily users are registered.

A lot of cities offer free Wi-Fi con-nectivity to tourists and citizens all around the world, and Pécs start-ed its service more than a decade ago. Citizens didn’t really use it, mainly tourists connected, because they had no other possibilities. This changed in recent years a little bit and locals connect much more of-ten than they used to.

The city’s Wi-Fi provider told us that right now there are 10 public hot-spots available, almost all of them in downtown. They are called HotSpotPecs or SpotPecs@ekf2010 (in the Zsolnay Cultural Quar-ter). They offer a sluggish speed up to 0.5Mb/s, so you can forget HD streams, but video calls or inter-net radio stations work flawlessly. Connecting is easy, you just have to login as a guest. Unfortunately, the welcome screen has no English ver-sion and does not offer much use-ful information neither for tourist, nor for citizens.



Feature

Walks are great if you have a lot of time to roam around the city. But there are scenarios when walking isn’t enough. Don’t just get into a car, there are plenty of better options for sightseeing. Kisvonat

The most traditional way is by train - even though this one has no tracks. A diesel powered tractor pull-ing carriages through roads and pe-destrian areas alike, the Kisvonat or Dotto road train is available in season every day from 10am to 5pm. The round trips leave from Széche-nyi square on the hour, the 50 min-utes trip costs HUF1400 and visits most of the attractions including the Cathedral, Király street and Zsolnay. The moderate speed is a local spe-cialty that gives you the unique ex-perience of legally holding up traffic!

CabriobusPécs is sadly not busy enough for a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus ser-vice, but the closest option is nice enough. A chopped off roof and a large route including locations even far away from downtown will make this service the ideal for tak-ing quick glimpses at not only the common tourist sites but most of PTE’s buildings and even touch-ing Tettye, the Zoo and the train station. An hour long trip costs HUF490, rides leave from the top part of Széchenyi square every two hours from 11am to 5pm.

SegwayStill an astounding sight in Hun-

gary, the novelty scooters guar-antee an unique way of seeing the town... or rather making sure that everybody sees you seeing the town. Other plus factors include that the scooters can go everywhere, where only bicycles or pedestrians are al-lowed, so the HUF6900 ticket for a 1-1,5 hour ride is a reasonable price. Not to mention that profession-al guides accompany you all the way from the office at Irgalmasok street, where tours start daily from 10am to 3pm.

HOP ON


Feature

Public bikes As Pécs is really bike-able, it is a

shame nobody invested in a wide public bicycle rental system so far. Smaller rental businesses start and disappear almost every season with stronger ones keeping on. One of these has a twist: the e-Mobility shop in Kórház square (open: week-days 9am-6pm, Saturdays 9am-1pm) offers bikes for rent but some

of the fleet are equipped with elec-tric drive also. Regular bikes go for HUF300/hour while powered ones cost 500, daily to weekly rentals are also available for longer stays.

FlightseeingWith a full service airport near

Pécs, taking a glimpse on the area

from above is also an option. Avia-tor Team (repuljvelunk.hu) is one of the companies with multiple small planes offering 15 minutes flights from HUF18.000 - a trip like that leaves from Pécs-Pogány Airport and takes you around the TV tow-er. It is even more fun to share with friends: 3 persons pay HUF25.000 altogether and making selfies is a lot easier with their assistance.

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

7621 Pécs, Irgalmasok u. 16. | Mon-Sun: 10am-6pm | +36-30/ 327-3666 | [email protected]


Feature

THE MUST-SEE MUSEUMS

OF PÉCSThese exhibitions and museums are popular for a reason. You shouldn’t miss any of the following since they can tell you a lot about the cultural heritage of the city.

Tap Factory

Cella SeptichoraNo construction works in down-

town Pécs can be completed with-out coming across a cemetery or a church. A history dating back almost 2000 years guarantees that. The Ear-ly Christian tombs have been a UNE-SCO World Heritage site since 2000. The latest and most contemporary addition is the visitors’ centre of Cel-la Septichora. The name is from the biggest chapel of seven choirs. It was excavated several times and always reburied since there was no money to make it accessible. It’s not only a museum but the venue for cultural events, concerts, lectures and tem-porary exhibitions. The Peter-Paul burial chamber, the pitcher burial chamber and the octagonal burial chamber are other main attractions. Examine the illuminated entrance door by night since it is made of a

light-transmitting concrete, that is a Hungarian invention.Sétatér, Phone: +36 72 224 755. Web: pecsorokseg.hu Open: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. Tickets: HUF1700/900.

Vasarely MuseumVictor Vasarely himself compiled

and donated the best collection of his works to Pécs. The artist left his hometown at a very young age and returned only decades later. In 1976, he created an exhibition that introduces his whole career from the artist’s perspective. Paintings, installations, sculptures. The muse-um was renovated in 2010, and dur-ing the reconstruction the works were put on display in several loca-tions abroad. The creations of the master of op-art were granted prop-er respect, as any regular visitor to the museum would be able to judge. The museum reopened with the ad-dition of two miniature exhibitions. Works by the artist’s wife, Claire, and by his son, Jean-Pierre, are on show here, as well as the screening of a film showing Victor Vasarely’s visit to Pécs, in a separate room. The Vasarely Museum is one of Pécs’ most popular collections, with more than 2 million visitors since its opening. The artist’s Until SeptKáptalan str 3 Phone: +36 72 514 040 Web: pecsimuzeumok.hu. Open: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. Tickets: HUF2000/1000.

Csontváry MuseumFamous and also huge works of

eccentric painter Csontváry like Baalbek (1906) and Solitary Cedar (1907) can be found in a neo-Renais-sance building close to Cella Sep-tichora. It’s not just the indefinable style of this eccentric man’s paint-ings – verging on post-impression-ism expressionism, but always fol-lowing what he termed ‘the way of the sun’.The fragile ex-pharmacist Csontváry was following a ‘mystic vision’ that took him over Europe and the Middle East. You may also recognise depictions of Mostar, Ath-

ens, Taormini and Dalmatia. The collection is divided to early sketch-es and portraits, works created dur-ing 1902-1903, and the monumen-tal masterpieces. Some works will be exhibited in Budapest for several months, and taken away from Pécs in the summer, but right now we don’t have more information.

Janus Pannonius str 11 Phone: +36 72 310 544 Web: pecsimuzeumok.hu. Tue-Sun 10am-6pm. Tickets: HUF1500/750

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THE MUST-SEE MUSEUMS

OF PÉCS Zsolnay Festival

The Two Zsolnay Collections

Pots, vases, tiles. All of them made in Pécs and sold worldwide. No won-der that several museums in the city are dedicated to the iconic manufac-turer family of ceramics and porce-lain, the Zsolnays.

The Zsolnay Museum is situated downtown in Káptalan str 2, and besides the exhibition that shows displays the works of the Zsolnay Factory in chronological order, the

building is also worth a few words: it’s the oldest town house in Pécs. The collection tells the story of the Zsolnay family itself, how the firm was started up, and how techniques were passed down from generation to generation.

The Gyugyi Collection in Zsolnay Cultural Quarter in the Art Nou-veau Sikorski House was inaugu-rated in September 2010. The for-mer home of the Zsolnay-family has been renovated, ant its content was provided by László Gyugyi,

the US-based Hungarian collector. Originally the collection had almost 600 items, but Mr. Gyugyi is still ac-tive and his latest contribution was a group of 44 items in June 2015.

Zsolnay Museum Káptalan str 2 Phone: +36 72 514 045 Web: pecsim-uzeumok.hu. Open: Tue-Sun: 10am-6pm. Tickets: HUF1500/750Gugyi Collection Zsolnay Cultural Quarter Phone: +36 20 235 4722 Web: gyugyi.hu Open: Mon-Sun 10am-6pm. Tickets: HUF1400/700. (See more about the Zsolnay heritage on p30.)

ART INSPIRED BY DREAMS MASTERPIECES OF CHAGALL April 24th, 2015 – October 31st, 2015Janus Pannonius MuseuM; Martyn MuseuM (Pécs, KáPtalan street 4.)

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Feature

LOCALIZE IT

The Pécs wine region has an almost continuous and a more than thousand-year-old tradition of wine-making. Unfortunately only 10% of its 7000 hectares available for the cultivation of grapes are cur-rently used. Can the region become a big player again?

Villány and Szekszárd are two of the most well known Hungarian wine regions. With neighbours like these no wonder that the Pécs wine region is a somewhat forgotten, but this was not always the case. For cen-turies wine production and trade al-ways played a huge role in the econo-my of Pécs. This is not true anymore: only 10% of the 7000 hectares avail-able for the cultivation of grapes are currently used.

The climate and terrain of Mecsek hills and the surroundings was al-

ways great for wine-grape agricul-ture. Ever since Celts and Romans settled down and lived here, people produced grapes and made wines too. Several archaeological discover-ies in the city (and its vicinity) gives us evidences. In the Middle Ages, the abbeys of Pécs were the main actors of wine culture. The occupation of the Ottoman Turks enriched its his-tory by introducing the Kadarka va-riety which remained dominant till the phylloxera plague. There have been several dead-ends in the histo-

ry as well: in the 18th there were un-successful experiments to introduce the Aszú wine-making technique in the region. All along from the first Wine Act in 1893 till the period af-ter the Second World War, this wine region and the neighbouring areas jointly formed the Villány-Pécs wine region. From the late 19th centu-ry a wine-making and wine-trader school operated in the city, so in 1949 the Pécs Experimental Branch of the Research Institute of Viticulture al-ready had foundations to build upon.


Feature

The institute established a world-acclaimed grape gene bank, and several new varieties were born in Pécs, like grapes called zenit, zengő, zeus, zefír and zéta. The largest single vineyard is still maintained by the institute, while other lands have since been con-sumed by the expanding city.

At the same time, there are suc-cessful and modern wineries in

several other municipalities of the wine region (Mohács, Szajk, Hosszúhetény, Mozsgó) and private wine-making is also significant.

Fortunately a lot of small to mid-dle sized wineries are returning to the Zirfandel variety that is only cultivated in this region in Hun-gary. The variety can be a beauti-ful base for dry and sweet dessert wines, too.

WINESPIRATIONThe vinitouristic exhibition

WineSpiration opened in Septem-ber 2013, in the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter. The interactive project where the more than thousand-year-old traditions of wine-mak-ing are on display shows the tra-ditions, merits of the wine region of Pécs. All presented in a cre-ative and thoughtful way with state-of-the-art methods.

Winespiration is a unique initi-ative, where the vinotheque, the label design workshop, the wine vault and interactive art exhibi-tions, installations fit perfect-ly together. It is not an every-day experience for the visitors to enter the glass house. They can get to know the colourful world of wine and the wine producers of the Pécs-Mecsek Wine Route. The different tools and devic-es of wine-making are on dis-play, and visitors can create their own wine labels. It’s also perfect place for cultural and gastro-nomic events.Winespiration Zsolnay Cultural Quarter Open: Tue-Sat: 10am-6pm. Web: winespiration.hu.

SCHUNK WINERYCome and taste our wines in our family winery that is only a 10-minute-drive from Pécs.Try our quality, dry red wines, refresh-ing white wines and easy rosé wines. We serve snacks and also offer meals to our tastings.

Hosszúhetény, Morolo u. 52. | Phone: +36 (30) 9468-920 | Web: schunkpince.com


Feature

A DAY IN ORFŰ

Every decent settlement needs some body of water for the pub-lic. Some have a river flowing through, others were built near lakes - Pécs is somewhat an ex-ception. But we have a substi-tute just across the hill: Orfű.

The location is easily available: a 20 minute drive or buses that run by the dozens get anyone there quickly. Bicycles are also an op-tion thanks to the scenic bike path through the Mecsek. The route starts from the Magyarürög part of Pécs and winds through forests and clearings, making the 18 km ride a fun exercise with a prop-er bike.

Once there, Orfű offers a re-laxed mixture of nature, hospital-ity and recreation. The four lakes have nice beaches, fishing spots and invite all kinds of sports ac-

tivities like kayaking or windsurf-ing - look for the Aktív Vízitur-isztikai Központ (Kayak-Canoe Club, Széchenyi tér 5.) where you can rent all sorts of vessels. If you want to catch fish, keep in mind that a license is required on all the lakes and can be purchased by the day - just ask Tourinform in Széchenyi sqr 1.

For serious swimming or pad-dling around in the shallow end a number of beaches wait to choose from. Kis-tó Strand (Kossuth str 46., cluborfu.hu) is a nicely main-tained natural lakeside spot

where a daily ticket costs HUF900 but an afternoon entry is only 700 from 15.00. Many locals and youngsters prefer the open beach in the Northwest corner of Pécsi tó, where the only rules are the unwritten ones and even the dog-gies can take a dip. The relaxed surroundings are nicely comple-mented by Szomjas Vándor Büfé - the lakeside snack bar not only represents the often missed tra-ditions of decent and reasonably priced no nonsense food but also covers the area with free wifi con-nection.


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The biggest boy in town is the Aqua-park (Dollár str 34., aquapark.hu) a modern water fun park with multiple pools, slides and other amusements. A day ticket will cost you HUF2000 but afternoon tickets are also availa-ble from 15.00 for 1500.

If the giant slides sound too high, go below: Mecsek Háza (Bar-langkutató u. 1., mecsekhaza.hu)

offers cave exploration among other nature experiences. A HUF4980 ticket will provide an expert guide and all the equip-ment you might need for the un-derground exploration. Prepare for some crawling in mud and confined spaces and the wonders of the caves totally worth the ef-fort.

If you are into traditions and folklore, Malom Múzeum (Füzes Antal sétány 3., orfuivizimalom.hu) is worth a visit. To see a fully op-erating water mill from inside for a HU650 ticket is a bargain. And they also sell handmade bread, baked on the spot! Levendula Porta (Petőfi str 6., orfu-diakszallas.hu) is another restored piece of history where an ancient barn was turned into a guest house. They offer ac-commodation for groups and fami-lies introducing their guests to the local traditional gastronomy and culture as well.

Eating out is a must, although not all the businesses live up to the expectations of the 21st century - remember that Orfű is a hybrid of an old village, hundreds of vaca-tion houses and tourist attractions. But honest and devoted hospitality can also be found in local restau-rants, the kind of chefs and owners that do not strive for a gastronom-ical revolution but for satisfied re-turning guests. One good example is Muskátli Vendéglő (Széchenyi sqr 13., orfumuskatli.hu) that based its business on a traditional Hun-garian kitchen with some modern touches.

Hills and lakes, folklore and gastronomy, sunbathing and sweet laziness, swimming and water sports, hiking and biking, caving and horse riding, fishing and hunting, tradi-tional events and music festivals: ORFŰ awaits you with thousand more possibilities to spice up your life.

Leave your worries behind and let Orfű’s colors recharge you! Event highlights close to and in Orfű:• 27th June – Midsummer Fire Jumping – www.kovacsszenaja.hu • 18th July – Long Distance Riding Contest – www.orfu.hu• 31st July – 2 August – Motorcycle rider’s meetup in Abaliget – www.abaliget.hu • 1st August – Orfű Day and Lake Orfű Show Running – www.orfu.hu, www.melittase.hu • 9th August – II. OrfűFitt Pécsi lake round and cross swimming – www.orfufitt.hu• 10-15th August – EFOL – 22nd European Foresters’ Orienteering Championships – www.efol.eu/2015• 20th August – St. Stephen’s Day – New bread celebration at the – www.orfu.hu • 22-23rd August – I. Abaliget Folk and Rock Festival – www.abaliget.hu• 28-30th August – Compass Sailing Days – www.compassmagazin.hu • 12-13rd September – XI. Orfű Voluta Dragon Boat Festival – www.pkkc.uw.hu, www.orfufitt.hu


Drink&Dine

BISTRO INFERNO

It is spreading like some kind of gastro-epidemic. And yes, you can get sick of it. The last time we counted them already 10 venues had the add-on ‘bistro’ in their name. But does everybody really know what that should stand for?

No, it is not true that it happened quickly. The process became visible about 5-6 years ago in Budapest, when almost every new restaurant became a bistro, too. Like almost all the trends, this craze arrived in Pécs with some delay, but by now you just can not unsee it. From simple restaurants with Hungarian specialties to those with grilled foods, and even two lángos-makers call themselves a bistro. Owners and managers do really try to get more guests by adding a magic word? And do they succeed? Is this necessary?

Bistros, when they appeared in the 18th century used to be small restaurants, serving moderately priced, simple meals in a modest setting. Home-style cook-ing with comfort foods. The meaning behind the word shifted several times in the following centuries, and even irritating words like bistronomy have been cre-ated. But there is still no agreement what could or should be called a bistro.

As guests we would be happy to see the usage as a sign or a guarantee of the attributes mentioned above. Un-fortunately this is definitely not the case in Pécs.

‘Sure, there is confusion in the heads. Everyone is open-ing a bistro nowadays’ – says Zoltán Teleky, chef and restaurant owner, and one of the local trendsetters. He opened his first bistro in 2010 in the town, another one followed 3 years later. Teleky is missing in the case of others the thought behind the name. ‘We are determined to deliver fresh, local foods for a reasonable price, and we are trying to do this by adapting to the original Russian mining of the word bistro (быстро=fast)’ – adds Teleky.

The manager of another bistro, Zoltán Mester believes that they do operate a restaurant that is meeting all the criteria to use the addon in their name. ‘We take fresh and quality ingredients seriously, just like the idea of the bistro kitchen. Also, the ambience is easy-going and we strive for a reasonable price tag” – says Mester.

‘Au Bistro’ by Jean Béraud


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BISTRO INFERNO


Drink&Dine

GRILL IT REAL GOOD

When to eat grilled foods if not in the heat of the summer? The sea-son is finally here and the city has several good options for carni-vores who really love open fires.

Balkán BisztróWe wrote already about the coffee and the peka in

Balkán Bisztró but somehow we didn’t cover their main attraction, namely, the grilled foods influ-enced by the Balkans. The owners created unique recipes for the meat mixture used for the cevap-cici, pljeskovica and the patty of the famous Bal-kan Burger. In the weekends they have fish on the menu. Thanks to their indoor grill you can taste all these dishes at any time of the year but without doubt the main season is the summer.Balkán Bisztró Ferencesek str 8 Open: Mon-Sun: 8am-10pm.

N-Eozin Grill TerraceWe covered the recently re-opened and expand-

ed N-Eozin Grill Terrace in our May issue, but that is not a reason for not listing them here again. Also, their grilled foods became even somewhat better in recent weeks. Or we were lucky. We test-ed their burger (HUF1200) again and it’s still a good hunger killing option. Not the best in the city, but again the awesome view and the atmos-phere compensates you. N-Eozin Grill Terrace Esze Tamás str 3 Open: Mon-Thu: 12pm-1am, Fri-Sun: 12pm-2am.

Praktiker Grill BüféThe only spot listed here that can be found in the

outskirts of Pécs and oddly enough in the parking lot of a home improvement store. But it works. The food is great, and for a very affordable price. We wouldn’t recommend everything (the burger is a no go) but their grilled sausages and the pork cuts are great. Shanks and shoulders are a must.Praktiker Grill Büfé Makay István str 11. Open: Mon-Fri: 8am-8pm, Sat: 9am-8pm.

Tüke BorházA damn good view. That’s the first thing that

should come to your mind when thinking about Tüke Borház. The second: grilled food. Unfortu-nately the third should be quality local wines but that’s not always the case, so let’s focus on the second one. Quality ingredients like selected pork cuts, steaks and grilled fish, that is a rarity in Pécs. Their appetizers like cracklings and cheese plates are also worth to try.Tüke Borház Böckh János str 39/2 Open: Mon-Fri: 4pm-10pm, Sat: 12pm-10pm, Sun: 12pm-7pm.


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Pécs, Böckh János utca 39/2. Phone:+36 20-317-8178 Web: tukeborhaz.hu

Tüke Borház awaits you with a monumental setting, a beautiful sight of the

city and the Croatian moun-tains, excellent grill

foods and wine selection!


Drink&Dine

LOMPOS USZKÁR IS THE SPRITZER HEAVEN OF PÉCSThis is a seasonal re-opening again, we could only hope for. Lompos Uszkár, that is an open air bar, which closed last fall without any sign of a possible comeback, has now a slightly updated look.

If you would like to listen to some horror stories about Hungarian bu-reaucracy you should talk to some-one who owns or operates some kind of bar, restaurant, tavern or food truck. We don’t know all the details in this particular case but we know that Lompos Uszkár has been closed last year and there was almost no chance for a re-open-ing. That would have been a shame since it’s been a great place to be.

Fortunately, Lompos Uszkár can show this season again that there is no need for too much hassle if you want to make people happy. Open air, sim-plicity, some protecting shadow and a good selection of beverages is all you need in the summer. Maybe some interesting background. This spot has them all.

The museum garden (Káptalan str 2) has a superb atmosphere, that is strengthened by a good selection of wines and beers. The managers

of Lompos Uszkár had the idea of dedicating a whole section on their drink menu to spritzers ( fröccs in Hungarian). So, you have the not so obvious choice between more than 20 different types of spritzers. (The ratio of wine and sparkling water varies, but you can go for different ingredients too.)

Also there are a lot of wines just too good to waste them in a long

drink, and you have to try them on their own. Their price starts at HUF250/dl. Sure, beer fans can get what they want, too.

Chestnut trees, chilling back-ground music, great wines to taste them all: Lompos Uszkár is much more than a pop-up bar and we hope that this fall won’t bring an inevitable end to the place.

LECSÓ is an all time favourite in Hungary and its main season is

the summer. It’s very similar to the French classic ratatouille. While

Hungarians love to argue about the one and only true recipe of lecsó,

since everyone has a favourite, we wouldn’t like to judge nobody. Some like it with eggs, rice or sausages. Or with all of them. This one is a quite

simple and good solution.Ingredients for two:

3-4 big peppers (preferably dif-ferent colours, and as meaty as

possible)2-3 tomatoes

1-2 big red onionsbacon

1 tbsp paprikasalt, black pepper

Chestnut trees, chill-ing background music and great wines

1. Cut&dice Dice bacon and onions, cut pep-pers into bite-size pieces and re-move seeds. Quarter tomatoes.

2. Sizzle Fry bacon on low heat, stir in on-ions and cook until translucent.

3. Add everythingAdd peppers and cook for 15

minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 10 more minutes. Stir occa-sionally. Add paprika, salt and

black pepper. Cook for two more minutes.

You can add sausages, wiener-wurst, or stir in eggs. Eat it with

rice or bread.

The UltimateSummer Recipe


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Drink&Dine

1. Jókai Cukrászda(Ferencesek str 6)

2. Capri Cukrászda (Citrom str 5-7)

3. Mischler Cukrászda(Árkád, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky str 11/1)

4. Magda Cukrászda (Kandó Kálmán str 4)

5. Trüffel Cukrászda (Hársfa str 34)

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

NOT A PUB, NOT A RESTAURANT: ISTVÁN PINCE IS AN INSTITUTIONThis is the place were the class warfare ends: blue and white collar workers sit down here every day to enjoy their meal. Or drink something and argue about good old times. István Pince is like none other in Pécs.

Usually we write about new open-ings in this column, but recently, af-ter browsing the internet for several hours without any purpose, we dis-covered that there is no English text about István Pince. That is a shame, since generations “grew up” in Kazinczy Ferenc str 1. Although it changed a lot in the past 26 years since Gyula Vastagh man-ages it. It used to be a simple tavern with thick smoke, with regulars sit-ting there all day and teenagers on a small budget who could get their booze on the cheap. You could get to eat sandwiches only, and the drinks were terrible.

The quality of the beverages im-proved a lot in recent years. We still do remember when you couldn’t even drink a spritzer here, but to-day even quality wines appear on the board. About 10-15 years ago

everything changed - except some of the regular customers - and typ-ical Hungarian dishes started to appear on a dedicated menu card. Today not drinks but the food gen-erates the bigger revenue. You will

find goulash, soups, vegetable stews (főzelék in Hungarian), deep fried everything here. It’s not excellent food, also it is not terrible, but this is where a HUF720 daily menu will bring you. And why do we even rec-ommend this place? Because this is where you should start with Hungar-ian specialties. Like bean-goulash or birkapörkölt (lamb stew). The even more curios ones could try vesevelő (kidney-marrow stew) here. Even better: come back and try them all.

COFFEE AND WINE TO SUBSTITUTETHE BIGMAC

One of the most unfortunate events of recent months in the gastronomy of Pécs was that after 20 years of operation McDonald’s closed on Szechenyi sqr. It didn’t take too long to find a new tenant for the exclusive location: accord-ing to the latest plans the new shop will open in September. It won’t be neither a classic restaurant, nor a bar, but something in-between. We were told that they will have wine and coffee in their focus.

Generations ‘grew up’ in István Pince

The 5 Best* ice-creams


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OUT OF TOWN

To Do

When summer heat drives you out of town, there are more pos-sibilities than just dipping in a lukewarm water. Villages and little towns around and close to Pécs have some interesting events and sights to offer.

Rozéfröccs Festival and Rozémaraton in VillányHungarians do love rose. Very much. The rozéfröccs (rosé-based spritzer)

is the official drink of several Hungarian music festivals, and it was a great idea to create a festival for the drink on its own in Villány (25 min drive from Pécs, but you better go by train). The two-day event has concerts to offer but the marathon run on Saturday, where you are advised to dress in pink, is a must. Villány July 17-18, More info: http://villanyiborfesztival.hu/roze

X. Mushroom FestivalKárász (40 min drive from Pécs) is

a small village but every year for a day it becomes the capital of mush-room lovers and professionals. This is already their 10th gathering, and besides learning a lot about mush-room you can try delicious mush-room dishes. Kárász June 27.

Cross swim Orfű LakeBalaton cross swimming is a sev-

eral decades old tradition and there is something similar happening in Orfű (15 min drive from Pécs). Or-ganized for the 3rd time you can cross-swim (1.5 km) or even swim around (4.2 km) the lake. Orfű Aug 9, More info: goo.gl/4ZgVVJ

Treadmilling in MohácsAfter being abandoned for about

50 years renovation works started in 2007 at St. Nicholas watermill in Mohács (40 min drive from Pécs). It’s latest attraction is the only working treadmill of Europe that has been inaugurated in late May. Mohács More info: patakmalom.hu

Visit LiberlandThe micro country Liberland has

been born in April when a Czech politician declared its existence. The previously unclaimed 7 km2 territory can be found between Croatia and Serbia and is quite close to Pécs (1,5 hour drive). There are organized events for the new-ly born nation almost every week-end, that usually end with arrests. Liberland More info: liberland.org.

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


To Do

ULUPUHTURKISH NATIONAL YOUTH PHILHARMONICS

The Turkish National Youth Phil-harmonic Orchestra was found-ed by conductor Cem Mansur in 2007. All the musicians are aged between 16 and 22 and are study-ing at renowned universities and conservatories across the country. Hundreds of music students from all over Turkey apply to join the or-chestra every year, and only the

The Croatian Association of Art-ists of Applied Arts, called Ulu-hu organizes an exhibition for the second time in Pécs. After the great success of their event in 2014, this time ceramics, architec-ture, graphic, photography, indus-trial, textile, fashion and jewel-lery design will be on display. July 17-Aug 16; Tue-Sun: 10am-6pm. M21 Gallery (Zsolnay Cultural Quarter) Admission: HUF500/250.

very best make it past the tough au-dition stage.

Their concert in Pécs has a very unique venue: the Bishop’s Garden will open its gates for this cultural event in the evening. The perfor-mance will feature plays written by Mussorgsky, Dvořák, Bartók, Debussy and Erkin. August 10, 7.30pm; Bishop’s Garden (Dóm sqr).

YVARAL - THE PATH OF THE VASARELYS

Do you know the link between maths and Marilyn Mon-roe? The keyword you should be looking for is a name: Yvaral. Born as Jean-Pierre Vásárhelyi (1934-2002), the son of famous Hungarian artist Victor Vasarely became an artist himself and working alongside his father, he discovered and explored the beauty of geometry in art.

Thanks to the Vasarely Foundation Aix-en-Provence, and to the fact that his father was born in Pécs, a big col-lection of his works are on display until September at the Gallery of Hungarian Modern Art.

His most famous works are abstract compositions and portraits of pop-culture icons. Yvaral, just like his father, was a revolutionary artist, trying to define and codify art with the help of a geometric vocabu-lary (cubic structure, structured horizons). He cre-ated the phrase ‘Numerical Art’ to describe artwork composed (or programmed) according to numerical rules or algorithms. Until Sept 20; Tue-Sun: 10am-8pm. Gallery of Modern Hun-garian Art (Papnövelde str 5) Admission: HUF2000/1000.


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To Do

RUNNING NIGHT AT POGÁNYAIRPORT

Europa Cantat is the biggest event of the European Choral Association and organized every three years. Pécs was already the host of this big event in the 1980s. In 2015 more than 3,000 singers from across Eu-rope and several countries in the world come together for 10 days. During the festival several event will be open to the public as well.

On of these will be the daily open singing events at Dóm sqr, everyone is invited to sing-along or just listen to the professionals.

Sure, this is a runway for air-planes. But for the second time the organizers of the event open up the gates of the airport in Pogány not to airplanes but to runners. You are invited to join the half marathon (21.5 km) that starts at 8pm. Participants of the race take part in a draw where the main prize is a pleasure-flight above and around Pécs. August 15; 8pm; Pogány Airport; Ad-mission: HUF2500-5000. More info: goo.gl/63RKCk

One of the biggest events will be the Night of the Choirs: a mix of flashmobs and organized concerts on July 26. Participants will turn streets, squares, courtyards and historical ruins into concert halls for a night. A series of short con-certs will take place simultaneous-ly in multiple locations in the old centre of Pécs, complemented by flashmobs and other short perfor-mances.July 24-August 2, Several venues. More info: ecpecs2015.hu

We wrote about the flea market in Pécs in the May issue of Pécs City Guide extensively, but the antiqui-ty markets are a little bit different. Maybe even more interesting.

Every first Thursday and Friday of each month antiquity dealers from all around the country come togeth-er in Pécs and try to get rid of their stuff. You can find real tresures somtimes, but like always: do not forget to haggle over everything you might buy.July 2-3, August 6-7, 8am-14pm; Pécs Marketplace (Megyeri str).

EUROPE CANTAT 2015

ANTIQUITY MARKETS


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Enjoy our seven slides, 1400 m2 of adventure pools, 43 m2 jacuzzi pool, children

pool, water games, wooden playing ground, five-a-side

football field and beach volleyball court.

Like our Facebook page and you can win tickets

with our daily game!fb.com/orfuaquapark

www.aquapark.hu

Phone: +36 70 320 [email protected]


Essentials

After spending some time in Pécs you have to realise that you see the Zsolnays’ heritage almost everywhere. So many years later the influence of the family is still not without an effect on the everyday life of the city.

THE ZSOLNAY

Museums and collections (see page 10), the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, the Zsolnay Factory, the Zsolnay Vilmos street, the Zsolnay Just to list a few locations that are easily connected with one of the most influential families in the history of Pécs. And sure there are the not so obvious - but still quite obvious - hints like tiles, rooftops, reliefs, small and huge ceram-ics, and statues all around the city that are easily identified as prod-ucts of the Zsolnay Factory.

And there is the statue (pictured above) of Vilmos Zsolnay manag-er, inventor and artist that lead the factory founded by his father to success. The industrialist and en-trepreneur wanted to be a paint-er but had to take over his father’s business and a couple of years lat-er the hard tile manufacture. He realised fast that selling ready-made products in big quantities is a much better business. That lead to

one of the biggest pottery factories of Europe in just a few decades.

The Zsolnay Factory had part-ners all around Europe and ex-ported even to the USA. The most well known products of the facto-ry were (and still are) the beauti-ful, artistic vases, dinnerwares, figurines. And the greenish eo-sin-glaze. But still, the core busi-ness was making much more money: roof tiles, floor tiles and sewage pipes of superb quality were sold to all corners of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

And the factory prospered for al-most 90 years under the manage-ment of Zsolnay Vilmos and later his son. The people of Pécs loved to work for the factory, not only because of the benefits (like child care, schools, free healthcare), but they were proud to be employed by the Zsolnay family. The first very unpleasant moment in the

history of the factory came with WWI. Production never was the same again, but the real problems started after WWII. Communist Hungary used to be a terrible place for industrialists and successful families. The factory has been na-tionalized, the Zsolnay name was dropped and the heritage of the Zsolnay’s almost got lost.

The struggle of the factory did not end in the 1990s and even today there are problems. The factory’s territory is much smaller (Zsolnay Cultural Quarter takes up much more space) and there is almost no industrial production. Plans to make pottery for IKEA derailed in 2010.

The manufacture continues to de-liver masterpieces, but its glorious times might never come back again.

The Zsolnay Factory pros-pered for almost 90 years

LEGEND


Documents

Summer Special 2015 - Pécs City Guide