Veszprem, Hungary

Veszprem had an important religious role during the fight to make Christianity the official religion of Hungary - St. Stephen defeated the armies of his chief opponent, Koppany, near Veszprem. The city became the first episcopal seat of Hungary in 1009 and an archiepiscopal seat in 1993. Comitatus Veszprém was one of the earliest historical counties of Hungary. Nowadays it is a very authentic city north of Lake Balaton, only 110km from Budapest. We collected some of the major sight to see, since Veszprem is worth a visit if you are in Budapest or near Lake Balaton.

Sights of Veszprem

Fire Tower

Walking on from here we catch sight of the Fire Tower, one of the symbols of the town. Its foundation dates back to the period of King Béla IV when it functioned as a watchtower and had defensive purposes until the end of the Turkish period. The tower was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1801 and, due to its height of 48 metres, it was suitable for observing the town for signs of fire. For security’s sake, the citizens employed a full-time watch who had to keep a lookout day and night. The reconstruction plan of the Fire Tower was prepared by Henrik Tumler and this way the tower acquired its present-day shape between 1811-1817. The clock of the Rococo copper tower plays the recruiting music composed by Antal Csermák every hour but also strikes quarter-hourly.
Address: H-8200 Veszprem, Vár u. 9.
Opening hours: from 15.03 every day 10-6pm
Entrance fee: for adults: 300 Ft, for adult groups: 250 Ft, for students/pensioners: 200 Ft, for student/pensioner groups: 150 Ft, for families: 600 Ft

The Archbishop’s Palace

is one of the gems of Szentharomsag square. This building – erected in the place of the former Queen’s Palace and the former Acsádi Palace – was built on the basis of Jakab Fellner’s design. The Baroque palace was completed in 1776 but at the end of the 19th century the building as well as the frescoes had to be restored. The 20th century did not spare the building either, consequently, conservation work was necessitated again. The last renovation was completed in 1996 – the year of the millennium. On the ornamental front of the building we can see the coat of arms of the Koller family – a reminder of the fact that the palace was built on the order of Bishop Ignác Koller. With its inner terrace and garden the building also offers an imposing view from the eastern side of the Castle, from the valley. Several valuable paintings and works of art can be found in the palace. Among these the frescoes prepared by Cymbal I. Johann are outstanding. The episcopal and prebendal archives and library also operate in this building.
Address: H-8200 Veszprem, Var u. 16-18.
Phone: +36-88/426-088
Website
Opening hours: 02.05 – 15.10. 10-17.00, except Monday
Entrance fee: Adult: 500 Ft, Student/Pensioner: 250 Ft

Museum of Modern Art

Similarly to the rain slowly falling down the rocks and filling the holes with glittering water, the small nooks of Varhegy (Castle Hill) are filled up with museums. The square opening by the castle gate is also small and concealed. Number 3 was built in eclectic style on the former medieval castle gate while the Gothic arch of the entrance dates back to the 19th century. The neighbouring buildings (number 5 and 7) were less valuable. The steep dirt road used to lead to the Fire Tower. At that time poor artisans used to live here in their plain, small houses: sieve-makers, carpenters and shoemakers. Now that they have been restored on the basis of architect Gábor Turányi’s plans their historic beauty is clearly visible. They were renovated in order to give home to the new museum of modern art: the collection of László Vass. In the past few years the works of Hungarian artists have been enriched with the statues, pictures and reproduced graphics of the greatest masters of European abstraction. The desire of the collector was that in time some of the works would be placed into this gallery. He expected the works constituting the collection to emphasise some significant chapters of 19th century art: primarily those of the movements of constructivism and abstraction. He aspired to represent several periods of the same artist and to present significant watercolours, chalk-drawings and sketches related to the paintings and statues as well. It is not a secret any longer that the Vass Collection is being extended for the collection in Veszprem.
Address: H-8200 Veszprem, Var u. 3-5-7.
Website
Opening hours: 01.11.-07.05. 10-17.00 except Monday, 08.05.-31.10. 10-18.00 every day
Entrance fee: for adults: 500 Ft, for adult groups: 300 Ft, for students/pensioners: 400 Ft, for student/pensioner groups: 200 Ft

St. Michael's Catherdral

The other determining building of the square is St Michael’s Cathedral. The original St Michael’s Church, which probably dates back to the time of Prince Géza, was already mentioned in the Pannonhalma Charter (1001). The cathedral was destroyed by fire several times and the early 18th century saw the restoration of the original Romanesque red-white stone church in Gothic style. The undercroft was also constructed at that time. During a later rebuilding, the basilica lost its Baroque features: its towers were raised by several metres and reshaped in Romanesque style. The cathedral’s beauty is enhanced by the numerous glass windows depicting saints. The nave is barrel vaulted and it has a coffered wooden ceiling. The entrance to the undercroft is by the sanctuary and there you can see the armoried tomb of general and Bishop Peter Beriszlo, leading to the larger chamber of Marton Padanyi Biro’s monument. St Michael’s Cathedral has guarded the relic of Queen Blessed Gisella, who played an important role in the construction of the church, since 1996.
Address: H-8200 Veszprem, Var u. 18-20.
Phone: +36-88/328-038
Opening hours: 01.05 - 15.10. 10-17.00, every day
The entrance is free.

Castle of Veszprem

The castle was built in the 10th-11th centuries on one of the seven hills of Veszprem. The castle district later gained a Baroque character. Most sights, including excellent lookouts and important cultural venues, are clustered here.
The encircling wall that embraces Castle Hill is almost the only remaining testament to the former fortress. There are, however, an abundance of historic buildings here in the castle district. Giselle, the first Hungarian queen consort, established Hungary's oldest cathedral. That building was destroyed but its Romanesque-style foundations and Gothic sanctuary and undercroft were integrated into the neo-Romanesque St Michael's Church. The chapel named after Giselle is a famous work from the Arpad Age architectural era and has a Gothic mural.
A masterpiece of Hungarian Baroque, the Archiepiscopal Palace holds a valuable library and archive open to the public. Next to the palace is the Romanesque St George's Chapel and the Baroque Grand Provost's House of medieval origin. Other Baroque treasures include the Piarist Priory (today an archive), the convent's church and the Piarist grammar school, as well as the Franciscan church and monastery. Among the most beautiful buildings in the district are some that were named after the people who commissioned them, for example, the Dubniczay House, the Márton Bíró House, the Dravecz House or the Tejfalussy House, today home to the Queen Giselle Museum.
Naturally, the town and its citizenry also built within the territory. The district can be entered through Hero's Gate. The Castle Museum is within this structure. The Baroque Fire Watch Tower calls from afar, tempting visitors with a great climb up the winding staircase to enjoy a fantastic view of the town and its surrounding hills. Modern arts are also present in the realm of these old buildings: the Modern Gallery and the Csikász Gallery can be found here. The walk around the area ends at the statue of the first Hungarian royal couple. Behind them a stunning view of Veszprem opens up.
Source : veszpreminfo , hungarystatshere

Hospital and Pharmacy in Veszprem

Nonstop medical help
Cserhát ltp.1 +36/ 88-329-650
Hospital :
Ferenc Cholnoky Hospital
1st Korhaz str +36/ 88-556-000

Almost all banks available in Veszprem

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