366 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

Veszprém y

The site of the nation’s first bishopric, and for centuries
the seat of the Queen of Hungary’s household, Veszprém
is one of Hungary’s great historic towns. It was all but
razed by the Turks as they fled Hungary in the 1600s.
Spread over five hills, the most picturesque part of the
city is its Castle District (Vár), with its delightful mixture
of medieval and Baroque buildings. The twin towers of
St Michael’s Cathedral, visible from afar, are a symbol
of Veszprém. Many sights are at the top of long staircases
or at the end of steep, cobbled streets. Down below,
the lower city also offers some fine Baroque archi tec ture,
great museums and quaint streets.

Dazzling golden interior of
St Michael’s Cathedral

R St Michael’s Cathedral
Vár utca 27. Tel (088) 426 088.

May–Oct: 10am–5:30pm.

There was a church here
as early as 1001, when St
Stephen created a bishopric,
but the cathedral’s (Szent
Mihály Érseki Székesegyház)
present appearance dates
back to 1908, when it was
exten sively rebuilt in Neo-
Romanesque style. Remains
of earlier styles include the
Gothic undercroft and the
crypt’s vaulting, both from

1380. The towers were built
      in 1723, and many older fea -
      tures of the cathedral have
      recently been restored.

A late-Art Nouveau stained-glass

window in the Petőfi Theatre

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp390–93 and pp394–7

P Óváros Square

Óváros tér.

Veszprém’s former market

square, Óváros Square

(Óváros tér) is surround ed by

some fine houses, many of

F Petőfi Theatre

Óváry Ferenc utca 2. Tel (088) 424

235. 7 http://www.petofiszinhaz.hu
     This late-Art Nouveau
     municipal theatre building,
     set in well-kept gardens, is
     named after revo lutionary
     playwright and poet Sándor
     Petőfi. The theatre (Petőfi
     Szinház) was designed in
     1908 by István Medgyaszay,
     who studied in Vienna. It has
     intri cate folk motifs on the
     façade, typical of the later
     Art Nouveau buildings.

P Archbishop’s Palace

Vár utca 16–18. Tel (088) 426 088.

# May–Oct: 10am–5pm Tue–Sun

(only a few rooms are open to the

public). & 7

Veszprém’s finest building,

this (Érseki Palota) is a

brilliant example of Baroque

design by Jakab Fellner, built

in 1764 with his trademark

rounded four-col umned loggia.

Used to house the archbishop’s

archive, it also has a fine

collection of Baroque furni-

ture and frescoes.

P Castle Gate and Museum

Vár utca. Tel (088) 426 088.

Museum # Apr–Sep: 9am–3pm

daily. & 7

Although it looks medieval,

this gate (Várkapu) is a repli-

ca of the original castle gate

that was built in 1938 to com-

memorate the Hungarian

dead of World War I. The

tower affords good views of

the city from the top.

which have been turned into

cafés. The Pósa House at

No. 3 was built for a local

merchant, Endre Pósa, in

1783. Its showy decoration,
      especially the two cherubs
      below the roof, was intended
      to offset the linearity of the
      building. The contours of the
      Art Nouveau house next door
      are gentler. Opposite is the
      Neo-Classical Town Hall, built
      in 1896 as church offices, but
      renovated and converted in


1784. Behind the Town Hall,
      up a flight of stairs, is Lenke
      Kiss’s fountain Girl with a
      Jug, affectionately known
      as “Zsuzsi” by locals.

Façade of the Neo-Classical Town Hall, built in 1896

R Gizella Chapel
Vár utca 18. Tel (088) 426 088.

May–Oct: 10am–5pm Tue–Sun.

& 7 ^
This 13th-century Gothic
chapel (Gizella Kápolna)
commemorates the life of
Gizella, wife of Stephen and
first queen of Hungary. The
chapel was lost and only
rediscovered in the 1760s,
during building work. It retains
original Byzantine frescoes
of the apostles on its walls.