Visiting Hungary - Part Four (Gyula and Opusztaszer)
Monday, August 29, 2016
Gyula and Opusztaszer are both located in the Great Plain of Hungary. Starting off with Gyula, it is found right on the border of Transylvania Romania.
Some background history
Interestingly, the current Transylvania part of Romania was actually considered to be Hungarian territory for a very long time. After World War I, Hungary was forced to surrender much of its regions to nearby countries like Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine due to the treaty of Trianon. To this day, there are ethnic Hungarians living in many regions of these foreign countries. Many of these ethnic Hungarians still push to conserve their traditions and their language for future generations.
Picture of Hungary being split up due to the Treaty of Trianon
Any who, to brighten up the mood….
Gyula is actually where the other half of my family lives. Gyula is about a three hour drive from Budapest. However, it is a great adventure to drive through the countryside and see how the other half of the people live. On the road, you can see classic Hungarian homes, farm animals grazing and freshly picked fruit stands. I always get peaches. They are much more delicious than any peaches Ive tried. But thats just my opinion! :)
5 Attractions in Gyula:
The Gyulai Thermal Beach (Gyulai Várfürdö)- Unbelievably, the water used in the pools are found naturally in the ground. They can come in many different temperatures. The water is duly noted for its healing powers, such as for back aches. The Gyulai Beach also has other forms of leisure activities like slides and buffets with delicious Hungarian food. Yummy!
Gyulai Vár- The medieval castle was founded originally in the 14th century. It had a long history, as the castle was also occupied for almost a century by the Ottoman Empire. Today, the castle is available for visitors to get a feel of how the medieval Hungarians lived everyday inside. The admission fee is about 2,100 HUF. That is equivalent to about 6 dollars.
Almásy Kastely- The estate was originally owned by the Hungarian family of the Almassy/ Wenckheim for generations, until the Soviet Union took control of the country. The estate was just recently restored to what it was before; after the town bought it. Now, it is opened for all visitors. The admission fee is about 2,200 HUF for the exhibition on the daily life at the mansion. That is equivalent to about 8 dollars.
Géza Konyahaja- This is actually my cousin's newly opened restaurant. Im not only highly recommending it just because my cousin, Annus Geza, is the owner. The food is exquisite and the place has a very elegant aroma.
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| The menu includes Hungarian dishes and excellent recipes that my cousin created as an addition. |
Ikon Lounge and Grill- Who said that country Hungarians can't party just as well as any other people? This club is known for its great house music and lively environment.
Opustaszer is about an hour and 48 minutes drive from Gyula. The small village is most noted for being the home to the Opusztaszer National Park. The admission into the park is about 2,200 HUF.
That is equivalent to about 8 dollars.
Some of the extra attractions to see include:
A monument of when Hungary was founded in 896 AD.
A huge panorama painting that extends the entire auditorium in a circle. The painting depicts the Magyars conquering Hungary. The exhibition also includes sound effects and a speech about the meaning of the picture.
There is also a 3D viewing available of the history of Hungary. The following clip is a preview of the actual viewing.
Stay tuned to read the final Hungarian article about Budapest next week!
* VISITING HUNGARY - PART ONE (SZENTENDRE AREA)
* VISITING HUNGARY - PART TWO (HORTOBÁGY AREA)
*VISITING HUNGARY - PART THREE (BALATON AREA)
*VISITING HUNGARY - PART FIVE (BUDAPEST)
And now let's enjoy the rest of Hungary Guides :
* VISITING HUNGARY - PART TWO (HORTOBÁGY AREA)
*VISITING HUNGARY - PART THREE (BALATON AREA)
*VISITING HUNGARY - PART FIVE (BUDAPEST)
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