According to liuxers.com, the old Veszprem has several poetic nicknames at once. The first, the “City of the Winds”, he received because of his location on the high, densely forested hills of the Middle Danube region, between which air masses are constantly moving. And the second, the “City of Queens”, due to the fact that it was the Veszprem bishops who crowned the wives of absolutely all Hungarian monarchs. Veszprem effectively uses its rich historical heritage, convenient proximity to Balaton and relative proximity to Budapest – this is one of the most important tourist centers in the country.
How to get to Veszprem
The most convenient way to get to Veszprem is through Budapest. Arriving at the airport Franz Liszt, you can use a taxi or a shuttle that will take you to the Delhi railway station in 30 minutes. Cheaper way: take bus number 200E to get to the station. m “Kebanya-Kishpest”, take the subway, at the station. m. “Deak Ferenc ter” go to the red line and get off at the station. m. “Delhi payaudwar”. About 20 trains run daily from Delhi Station to Veszprem. Travel time: about 90 minutes. More at office. website (in English) of the Hungarian Railways.
There are also buses to Veszprem from Budapest. They depart from the Nepliget bus station at the metro station of the same name. Travel time: 2 hours. More at office. website (in English) of the carrier.
Transportation
Veszprem public transport is represented by buses. 28 routes connect all areas of the city and the surrounding area, including the Balaton resorts. To Balatonfüred, for example, only 30-40 minutes by bus (departs from the Central Bus Station (Veszprem, Jutasi ut, 4) every half hour). Almost all sights are close to each other, so public transport is most likely not useful. The city has a centralized bicycle rental network. Taxi is inexpensive, especially if you call it on the phone, and not catch it on the street.
Hotel Vesprem
Most accommodation options in Veszprem are represented by small guest houses and motels due to the border location. Prices are very affordable. A standard double room in a guesthouse will cost 10,000-12,000 HUF with breakfast. Three- and four-star hotels cost about the same: from 22500 HUF with breakfast. Hotels with a spa complex will naturally be more expensive – around 30,000-35,000 HUF. Apartments will help you save a lot of money – apartments for a day are rented in Veszprem for 11,700-19,800 HUF. There are no hostels.
Cafes and restaurants
The city has a chic selection of cafes and restaurants for every taste and budget. Most establishments specialize in Hungarian cuisine. Dinner in an inexpensive cozy restaurant with a glass of local wine will cost an average of 6000-7000 HUF. For this amount you can get goulash, venison with mushroom sauce and chestnut puree dessert.
Urban fast food is represented mainly by burgers and pies with various fillings: a beef cutlet bun costs 800-1000 HUF, and a chicken pie costs 1500 HUF. There is a McDonald’s.
Attractions in Veszprem
Veszprem managed to preserve a large number of sights inherited from the Middle Ages. The most prominent and important are located on the Fortress Hill, to which the picturesque Ferenc Rakoczy Street leads. It ends with the square of the same name with the town hall, built in the 19th century. There is a fire station next door. Before the devastating earthquake of 1810, it was an ordinary clock tower, but when the city authorities decided to demolish the seriously damaged building, the townspeople opposed it, offering to convert it into a fire tower – there was no such structure in Veszprem at that time. Today, for 400 HUF you can go up to the observation deck and admire the hills of the Bakony mountain range and a wonderful view of the city.
Continuing to climb along Var Street starting from Rakoczi Square, on the way you will meet the Bishop’s Palace in the Baroque style. On its pediment is the bishop’s coat of arms with winged angels supporting garlands hanging from a vase. Next to the palace is the chapel of Queen Gisella. The small building houses an exhibition of ecclesiastical art.
The adjacent Central Square is adorned with the Holy Trinity Column with the figures of Saints Emeric, Martin, Stephen, Mary Magdalene and George.
Behind the openwork column stands the beautiful building of St. Michael’s Cathedral. It was in this temple that the Hungarian queens were crowned, so it is richly decorated with bright stained-glass windows, vaulted ceilings and bizarre patterns on the walls. The oldest elements of the church are the altar and the crypt of the 10th century.
Opposite St. Michael’s Cathedral is the Diocesan Museum. Queen Gisella, where the church valuables of the episcopate of Veszprem of the 15th-20th centuries are kept: chasing objects, paintings, sculptures, textiles. The north side of the cathedral overlooks the chapel of St. Gyorgy – the oldest religious building in Hungary.
According to legend, the son of the legendary King Stephen I took a vow of celibacy in this chapel. This event is dedicated to the sculpture of a horseman with a lily flower in one hand and a sword in the other, trampling a snake (which personifies victory over vices).
Var Street ends at the top of the Fortress Hill, on which one of the symbols of Veszprem is located: a monument to Queen Gisella and King Stephen I, calmly looking at their homeland. Next to the sculpture is an observation tower, which offers a fantastic view of the Var valley, on the bosom of which Veszprem, red from the tiled roofs, is spread.