KECSKEMÉT AND „VARGA TANYA”–THE MEETING POINT OF CULTURE,HISTORY AND CAREFREE RELAXATION

Kecskemét and Varga Tanya

#twinstravel_budapest  www.twinstravel.hu

office@twinstravel.hu

Come and visit our sites: 

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn.

Take part in sightseeing in Kecskemét, a city full of museums, galleries and exhibitions. Taste one of the most well-known Hungarian drinks, the traditional Hungarian apricot brandy (pálinka), wines and traditional Hungarian cuisine.

If you want to see horse shows, try horse riding, relax in saunas, Jacuzzis, steam baths, try massages, team building exercises. You can do all of this and more in Kerekegyháza, at the Varga Tanya Restaurant and Hotel, which is not far from Kecskemét.

Kecskemét is known for its many museums, art nouveau architecture and for the fact that the world famous composer Zoltán Kodály was born here. A lot of musicians from all over the world come here to study his music.  One of the most visited places is the Old Synagogue, which is a Moorish-style synagogue.

Right across the street from the Old Synagogue is the Ornamental Palace (Cifra Palota), which was built in  art noveau style, was built in 1902 and now houses the Kecskemét Gallery (Kecskeméti Képtár), where you will be able to see modern paintings as well.

The Museum of Hungarian Naive Artists (Magyar Naív Művészek Múzeuma), where the exhibition has somewhat medieval or surreal paintings and sculptures. Another  great museum is the Ráday Museum of Calvinist Ecclesiastical History, which includes a collection of clocks, an exhibit on chalices, a mineral collection and local sculptures.

Besides the museums, there are several collections and exhibitions, such as an exhibition displaying pictures, music books and other items of Zoltán Kodály, which is located in the Zoltán Kodály Music-Pedagogy Institute. Moreover, there is the Bozsó Collection (Bozsó Gyűjtemény) of Hungarian folk art and the Zwack Fruit Brandy Distillery and Exhibition. Should you have eaten too much or should you have problems with your digestion, or migraine (blinding headache),  drink one glass of the ZWACK UNICUM!

It will help you, we can assure you. It’s the best and most famous Hungarian digestive made of 40 different herbs collected all over the world.

If you do not wish to visit museums in Kecskemét, you could visit the County Hall inside, the beautiful building is the Katona József Theater and the Evangelical church and the Orthodox church. If you visit Kecskemét with your family, you will have a great time in the Kecskemét Wild Park, the Adventure Spa & Waterslide Park or in Kecskemét Baths.

The Varga Tanya: typical restaurant on the Hungarian puszta: desert, hotel with wellness area and famous place with horse show in Kerekegyháza has been attracting visitors for almost 30 years. Here you can learn about Hungarian traditions, enjoy the traditional Hungarian horse shows, where the most outstanding performance is the puszta ten (one horseman rides ten horses at the same time).

The Varga Tanya is reputable and has won the 5 horseshoe equestrian service provider qualification. At the Varga Tanya you will be able to taste pálinka:  Hungarian apricot brandy,  wines, try horse-riding, ride in a horse-cart, visit a homestead, the Tanya Museum and enjoy gipsy music while trying traditional Hungarian cuisine.

The “puszta-program”: horse show is organized between April 1^st and October 31^st and starts every day at 11.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m., with the horse-show beginning at 12.30 p.m. At the Varga Tanya you can also try team building exercises and take part in the puszta-olympics, which include archery, horseshoe throwing, sack-race and more.

You can even have your wedding here. The Varga Tanya has a peaceful atmosphere, a beautiful park and the church ceremony is nearby as well, the Puszta-church can house around 200 people.

If you are interested in cultural programs or trying traditional Hungarian open-air activities, Kecskemét and the Varga Tanya are worth visiting. 

LAKE BALATON – THE PLACE OF ENDLESS ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES

Balaton lake

#twinstravel_budapest  www.twinstravel.hu

office@twinstravel.hu

Come and visit our sites: 

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn.

Would you like to take time off and relax? You can do that and much more in Balatonfüred, Tihany and Siófok, the most well-known cities in the Balaton region.

Relax on a beach or in a bath house, visit a wine region, taste Hungarian wine, discover famous Hungarian villas, churches, drinking wells, walk on a promenade, to a pier or in a park, visit museums, listen to concerts, take part in festivals and extreme sports.

Balatonfüred is the perfect place to spend a holiday. It was the first official health resort of Hungary and since 1987 it is the International Town of Grape and Wine. If you decide to come to Balatonfüred, you will be able to rest on one of the three main beaches, or in bath houses on Gyógy tér (square).

You will also get a chance to drink medicinal water from the Kossuth Lajos spring, which is also located on the square. If you walk on the promenade towards the pier you will see the Fisherman and Ferryman statues and the Rose garden. In Balatonfüred there is a great variety in sights, such as churches and villas.

You can discover the Roman Catholic Parish Church, which is situated on St. Stephen Square (Szent István tér), the Round Church (Kerek templom), the mansion of  Mór Jókai (now a museum), the Lujza Blaha villa (where she spent the summer holidays) and the 120-meter-long Lóczy cave (Lóczy barlang).

Balatonfüred is also the center of the Balatonfüred-Csopak Wine Region, there are Wine Weeks in Balatonfüred, which take place in August. Here you will be able to taste the most well-known grape varieties of this region, such as the Italian Riesling (Olaszrizling), Tramini, Rizlingszilváni and the Muscal Ottonel (Ottonel Muskotály) as well.

In Tihany one of the most famous attractions is the Benedictine Abbey (Bencés Apátság), which is the symbol of Tihany. Under the abbey is the crypt, where the tomb of King Andrew I. lies. The abbey is also very important in Hungarian history, because the deed of foundation of the Abbey contains a sentence written in Hungarian, which makes this document the first memory of the Hungarian language.

There are breathtaking frescos inside the abbey and part of the abbey now functions as a museum. The abbey is home to temporary exhibitions and classical music concerts as well. It is also important to mention the fascinating panorama that the surroundings of the abbey offer. One of the main attractions of the city is the Echo, which is Tihany’s phenomena, it can be experienced from the Echo (Visszhang) Hill.

The Hermit Houses (Barát-lakások, created by Greek monks) are also quite significant, because they are the only hermit colony in Central Europe that still exists. Try out famous wines from the Balaton region, red grapes such as Cabernet, Zweigelt, Merlot and Kékfrankos are mainly grown in the Tihany peninsula.

Siófok is the largest touristic destination on the South Shore of Balaton and it is also the favorite place of partygoers in Hungary.  Siófok is famous for its concerts, night life and sports. If you decide to visit the main beach, you will be able to try giant water slides and bungee jumping as well. In Siófok you can also experience Go-karting, wall climbing, paintball, dodgems and riding quads in the Extreme Sport Park.

There are also great restaurants in Siófok where you will get to taste Hungarian and International cuisine as well, the variety in food here is endless. But that’s not all you can do is Siófok, you can also take part in festivals held here each year. Balaton Sound is the most famous festival in July here.

There is the International Show-Jumping Competition, the Jumping Derby (for lovers of horse shows) and the Golden Shell International Folk Festival (Aranykagyló Nemzetközi Folklór Fesztivál) in June, which shows Hungarian and other folk cultures.

The Balaton region has entertainment for everyone, you can find anything here from baths, beaches, museums, villas, churches, parks and drinking wells to wine, concerts, festivals, extreme sports and nightlife.

HUNGARIAN DANUBE BEND 

WHERE CULTURE, HISTORY AND FUN MEET

Danube Bend

#twinstravel_budapest  www.twinstravel.hu

office@twinstravel.hu

Come and visit our sites: 

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn.

Would you like to dive into the past of Hungary, know more about Hungary’s history, visit some of Hungary’s most well-known sights?

If the answer is yes, then you might want to visit  the Hungarian Danube Bend “Dunakanyar”, where you will be able to check out three cities, Visegrád, Esztergom and Szentendre, which have remarkable historical backgrounds.

This part of Hungary is considered to be one of the important tourist areas of the country. The Danube Bend (Dunakanyar in Hungarian) is a curve in Europe’s second largest river, the Danube. The is situated between Budapest and Esztergom, this part of the river flows between the Börzsöny (a mountain range in Northern Hungary) and the Visegrádi-hegység (hills). Visegrád, Esztergom and Szentendre are situated on the right side of the Danube.

In Visegrád you will be able to see many well-known sights, such as the Royal Palace, the Citadell (Fellegvár), the Solomon Tower (Salamon Torony), the Sibrik Hill (the ruins of Roman military camp). Here you can also take part in activities such as hiking, visit the Ördögmalom waterfall, walk along the Apátkút stream (Apátkúti völgy) where you will find natural springs, an arboretum and a fishing pond as well.

If you want to see the most memorable sight, then come and see the Royal Palace, the official residence of Hungarian kings until the beginning of the 15^th century. During the 15^th century King Matthias fully reconstructed the palace in Italian Renaissance style, this period was the Golden Age of the Palace.

You will also be able to admire the Ornamental Courtyard, the Hercules Fountain, the tabernacle of the chapel (decorated with carvings) and a Renaissance loggia as well.

If you decide to go to Esztergom, you will see some beautiful sights here as well. These sights include the Esztergom Basilica, the Royal Palace, the Christian Museum (Keresztény Múzeum), and the Watertown (Víziváros). In the Basilica you will discover the world’s largest altar-piece, showing the ascension of Madonna (copy of the painting from Tiziano from the 16^th century).

By continuing your trip inside the Basilica you will find the Bakócz chapel, the most precious relic of Hungarian Renaissance, built in  the 16^th century. Next to the main altar there is a Treasury with extraordinary pieces of goldsmith’ art. One of the oldest items here is the oval mountain crystal made in the 9^th century AD. Besides this, you will get the chance to admire the gothic Suki goblet, chasubels and Flemish laceworks.

Szentendre is a very unique city with a Mediterranean atmosphere. If we travel here, we will see a Baroque townscape from the 18^th century. We can start our tour at the Baroque cross, which is situated on the Main Square (Fő tér). Near the Main Square there are merchant houses, churches, museums, galleries, restaurants, cafes and shops as well.

The most well-known church in Szentendre is probably the Greek-Orthodox Blagovestenska church, which was built in the 18^th century, by settlers living in the Greek quarter. You can also walk on the promenade on the Danube bank or visit the House of Prisoner Ráby (Rab Ráby Ház), which is also one of the more popular sights here. There are great places to shop and eat in Szentendre, as well. From the shops you can buy wine, pálinka (a traditional fruit brandy), pottery and other souvenirs.

And if you have more time, don’t forget to visit the Open air museum here, just some minutes to drive and you can see how the Hungarians used to live in  the country during the last centuries.

If you long for a trip with cities offering numerous free time activities and having extraordinary historical and cultural sights, Dunakanyar is the best choice for you.