Eger, Hungary

Last Saturday I travelled to Eger (where is it?). It is a beautiful town in Bükk Hills found in the northern uplands region of Hungary. Eger is well known for several things. Egri Bikavér (Eger's Bulls blood), as it's called, is one of Hungary's greatest wines and is produced in the area. Also, Eger was the scene of a strategic victory for the Hungarians against the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. The city has many winding, cobble-stone streets and is certainly picturesque.

One of the main sights to see is the castle walls at which the Hungarians with several thousand men and women fended off more than 100,000 Turks in 1552. The women played a significant part in the battle, and there's even a painting called "The Women of Eger" by Bertalan Székely that commemorates their brave actions. The story of Eger is told in a historical fiction called Eclipse of the Crescent Moon or "Egri Csillagok" (in Hungarian) by Gárdonyi Géza and is required reading for every school kid in Hungary.

There is a minaret in the square below the castle which you climb up for a small fee (200 Ft). The narrow spiral staircase found inside is integral to the structure of the minaret and has an interesting construction (at least for those witghout an intimate knowledge of minarets). Once you arrive at the top (some 50ft at least), there's a narrow ledge with a cast iron rail going the whole way around. The view is good, and the experience is strange, especially due to the narrowness of the minaret. The minaret is itself a relic of Turkish rule which began when the Turks returned (after their previous defeat) in 1596 when they succeeded in taking Eger.

Many guides comment that there is a Mediterranean feel to Eger, and I would agree. Although I think this comparison may be more apparent at a warmer time of the year. Contributing to this aspect is the area's wine-growing culture which I'm sure has impact. In Hungary, one of the most popular food-establishments you'll find are cafes that serve espresso drinks and cakes. People, it seems, will often eat a main meal somewhere (maybe at home), and then go out for cake and coffee. The cakes are good, some excellent, and the coffee strong. We stopped at one these an indulged ourselves on a number of cakes which was refreshing. Cakes here seem to have less sugar than a typical American cake; still, I lef the cafe with a pronounced sugar high. I don't think I have a sweet tooth.

Unfortunately, my camera wasn't working when I was there so I have no pictures to prove my presence. We also didn't have a chance to taste some of the great wine of the Eger area (there's a number of wines that are produced in the area). So I may go back at some point in the future. To get a feel for what it looks like you can see Wikipedia's page on Eger.