After our morning at Auschwitz, it was a long ride to Eger (EH-gher) – a city of about 53,000 in northern Hungary. The next day we had the morning to discover Eger on our own before two scheduled activities.
Nestled in the hills of the Bukk Mountains, humans have lived here since the Stone Age.
Eger Castle sits above the town center – and this place is close to the Hungarians heart because here, the Hungarians defended the castle from the invading Ottomans in 1552. Istvan Dobo is a legendary hero for his leadership.
During the 1600s, the Ottomans built a minaret in Eger, which is one of three minarets remaining in Hungary.
Eger has a variety of grand buildings, but the pedestrian street with Baroque architecture is a pleasant stroll and a good place to eat or enjoy a beverage.
After our independent time, the group gathered together for an activity – attending a junior high school where we met with a teacher and her students in their English class – and then had lunch in the school cafeteria. (We were pleasantly surprised.)
Eger is the center of one of Hungary’s productive wine regions. One of the popular wines is known as Bull’s Blood – a dark red wine blend of three grapes. The legend is that the wine was dark because it was mixed with bull’s blood, which gave Dobo’s men strength. So after the school, it was a short trip to a winery where the wine flowed, the music played, learned a Hungarian dance, and who knows how many times we toasted in Hungarian – Egészségedre!
Eger is a charming small city. For us, it was a good stopover between the gut-wrenching in Auschwitz and the grandness of Budapest to come. Time at the school and the winery helped make the day wonderful. Below is a 4-minute video (set to appropriate music) showing many of the sites we saw in Eger. Enjoy.
Next Stop” Budapest
Click here for past posts of this tour.
A Frank Angle 
I watched the video Frank – it’s such amazing architecture. What a great adventure to visit with the students and give them the chance to practise their language skills. School lunches can be a very different experience in Europe 🙂 This sounds like an enchanting stop on your tour and I can imagine a real out-breath after Auschwitz .
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Pauline,
Finding wonderful architecture in Europe is a difficult task! 😉 The students were a little shy, but were willing to talk about themselves (our questions were more about them and their interests). Fortunately, the ride was long from Auschwitz – but the pleasantries of the day was quite the contrast.
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The wine sounds amazing because I do like dark reds – and that three grape blend sounds interesting – glad you were able to toast, dance, and sip. And I can see how this Eger stop was nice after Auschwitz…
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Yvette,
As a red wine lover, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality! The ride from Auschwitz is long – and a likely stop on the way to Budapest. I recall we still arrived in Eger later than the rest of the stops.
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🍷😊
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Wonderful travel, Hungary is rich because of history, music, cuisine, art, architecture and landscape… I enjoyed watching and reading your travel. Thank you dear Frank, Love, nia
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Nia,
Glad you are able to travel along with this trip. This stop was extraordinary with variety. Keep smiling!!!
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What an amazing stop. And to have lunch at the school–such a treat to be able to interact with locals. No doubt this stop buoyed your heart after Auschwitz. Marvelous photos, Frank.
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Monika,
A relaxing and surprising stop. From there, Budapest wasn’t far … if I recall, less than 2 hours. But hey – the wine effect was on!
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Traveling under the spell of some good wine (while someone else is driving) sounds terrific.
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Oh yes!!!!
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A fascinating journey Frank.
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Andrea,
Thanks for coming along. Have you ever been to Eastern Europe?
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I have, I went to Budapest years ago, and I’ve been to Prague a couple of times.
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Awesome … both wonderful cities … and quite different (at least for me).
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Hungary is a place I have yet to visit, so your video was very interesting, Frank. The architecture is very grand and I love that organ. Did you hear it played? I’m not that fond of red wine, with or without bull’s blood. 😯
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Sylvia,
What? I’ve been somewhere where you haven’t? I’m stunned! 😉 FYI: The Budapest post will go up Tuesday evening (9:15?)
We saw many interesting organs, but not sure I heard any of them. Maybe one – but I can’t recall where.
Hungary was a pleasant surprise. Eger was a pleasant stop along the way. Budapest was grand! As for the winery, they also had white wines!
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Enjoyed the tour. How unusual it is to eat in a school cafeteria. Sounds unique.
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John,
Glad you enjoyed your brief exposure to Eger. The school cafeteria was interesting … and yes, we had the same thing as the students. It was good, and definitely Hungarian and non-American.
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Such grandeur and history but also so personable. Looks like a great place to spend time!
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Patti,
Grandeur is easy to find in Eastern Europe! Love the architecture that we encountered. Eger was a good one-day stop – but 3-night stay in Budapest is next.
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Wonderful stop to your trip. How odd yet interesting to invite tourists into the school and feed them. That is a first!
Beautiful place indeed.
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Dale,
With the morning to see the city, then the afternoon at the school and winery, yes – a wonderful stop. For whatever reason, Rick Steves supports this school. If the school breaks for summer, only the late spring and early fall tours will stop there. If so, now I wonder what tours do there in the summer. Hmmmm ….
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Well it is a cool idea.
Hmmm indeed…
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As you said, it seems like a pleasant stop between Auschwitz and Budapest–and a cool idea to be able to meet with students. There’s been a lot of disturbing news from Hungary, but it does look beautiful–and that wine sounds good!
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Merill,
A pleasant stop it was. Yes – Hungary is again looking at Russia. Unfortunately, so is the leadership in Poland and the Czech Republic.
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My wife’s niece and her husband both earned music education degrees from the Zoltan Kodaly Music Institute in Budapest. I’m hoping to visit the school and tour the city sometime in the future. https://www.kodalymusicinstitute.org/about-kodaly-music-institute/
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Tim,
Very interesting. The “But” statements on the website gave me a chuckle. Warning. It doesn’t seem this school has an Eger branch.
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So many of the old cities of Central Europe are so beautiful and have an astonishing historie. Once again you have captured the place beautifully with your camera.
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Otto,
Well stated. The grandness of Central European architecture continually captured my attention. In some cases, also making me take a trip back in time wondering what it was like during that time period. Thanks for walking along. Have you visited Eger?
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Now, I have not been to Eger, but many of the other old cities of Central Europe.
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Thanks. I know you have quite the travel history, so thought I’d ask about an out-of-the-mainstream place … although it is an important place to Hungarians.
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Another wonderful stop on your tour! I really enjoy your travels, Frank. Watched the video, and I find it fascinating how a place can be so quaint and grand all at the same time.
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Resa,
Quaint is a good word for Eger … and there also is an element of grandness! Thanks for watching the video (I imagine most don’t) … but I try to find something short that fits.
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😀
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Pedestrian streets and cold buildings of a different era – real and better than Disneyland!
Sound like you are getting a wide range of experiences – cool!
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Mouse,
Disneyland you say? Wait until you see the next post – Budapest!
Soviet-era buildings are very cold – although we didn’t see many on the trip. But when you see one, it sticks out like a sore thumb!
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You are so right. Soviets had an entire different view of efficiency, architecture, and art.
(can’t wait to see more!)
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What an interesting day Frank. As I was looking through your pictures the thought in my mind is that the place is so different to the dense modern city that I live in.
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Colline,
Oh yes – Absolutely know what you mean … even compared to much-smaller-than-Toronto Cincinnati, Eger is small. Then off to Budapest – well, that would feel more like Toronto.
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I will have a look out for your photos though I think Toronto is a more modern city.
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No question Toronto is more modern – after all, Northern American cities aren’t as old. Besides, the Europeans keep their old stuff whereas we tend to tear them down. Budapest was full of activity. Much more of a big city feel.
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I think this stop did indeed serve as a “palate cleanser” after the heavy emotion of Auschwitz. I’ve had friends speak glowingly of their time in Eger, so it was nice to see your photos. Glad you were able to get in some dancing. 🙂
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Debra,
Wow … you know people who have been there! Eger was a timely and welcomed transition from Auschwitz to Budapest (to come). LOL on the dancing. Of course it was some Hungarian folk dance in a circle. For whatever reason, the “host” grabbed me, and then I went into my ballroom thoughts about leading … and she was pleasantly surprised! 😀
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Cincy,
Lunch in a Hungarian school cafeteria, huh? It HAD to be better than the stuff that passes for lunch here in the states . . .
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Marc,
Based on my single experience, I would have to concur. Regardless, it was a unique experience for a tour group.
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Very unusual (read cool).
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Being a history nerd that I am, I enjoyed this. Interested in tasting some Bull’s Blood.
Can’t hurt.
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Drew,
Eger is an important place for Hungarians because of the battle they won over the Ottomans. Having wine country right there, YES! … Bring on the Bull’s Blood!
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Lol
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