Things to Do and See in Eger
Where to take a holiday in Hungary? One of our readers recommended the town of Eger in the Northeastern part of the country. A pretty town with beautiful churches (including the country’s 2nd largest Basilica) and a famous castle, it is famous for its thermal baths and wine (this is Hungary’s premium wine producing region). And it’s only 2 hours from Budapest. We decided we’d go and spend a week there.
Eger holds a special place in Hungarian history because it was here in 1552 that Captain István Dobó and 2,100 soldiers held off an invading Turkish force of over 80,000. The siege, and retreat of the Ottomans, has become an emblem of national defense and patriotic heroism in Hungary. You’ll see a statue dedicated to Dobó in Eger’s main square (also named after him).
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A little walk up the hill brings you to to Eger castle. Honestly there is not much left of the castle except for the walls. There are however good views over town and an excellent museum detailing the 1552 siege.
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Below: The largest building in town is the Basilica, the 2nd largest Basilica in Hungary. It was built in 1831 – 1836 and has an absolutely gorgeous interior.
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I mentioned at the top the 1552 siege that made Eger famous. In 1596 Eger was once again under siege from the Ottomans. This time the town surrendered. Eger stayed under Ottoman rule until 1699, marking almost 100 years under the Turks. You’ll see remnants of the Ottoman rule, principally the Turkish baths and the minaret – the northernmost minaret built by the empire in Europe. Today you can climb it for views of the town.
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Below: some of Eger’s pretty streets.
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There’s also the St. Nicolas Serbian Church (known by locals as the “Serb Church”). The Serbs came to Eger at the same time as the Ottomans and gradually blended with the Hungarian population. Today the church is no longer in use, it serves as a museum. The interior iconostatis is incredible. The church is worth seeing for just being so different from the Catholic churches in town.
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Another impressive church is the Franciscan Church which has a spectacular altar shaped like a crown.
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Eger is famous for the ‘Valley of the Beautiful Women” located just a couple of kilometers out of town. It is the place to drink wine. Reading reviews on Trip Advisor, we somehow conjured up this idea of a valley with a dirt road where you can pop in to visit different wineries. It’s nothing like that. The Valley of the Beautiful women is a little area of cellars and outdoor seating where you can try out different wines and even buy huge plastic jugs of cheap wine. It’s a great place to come with friends and get your drink on.
Below: you get get to the Valley of the Beautiful Women by taking this little train from the Eger town center. Yes, we felt a little ridiculous.
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I’ve written about all the sights in Eger. But the main reason for us to come here was to relax for a week and enjoy the town’s Thermal baths. The town has Turkish baths as well as the large public Eger Thermal Bath. It also has some great hotels with their own thermal baths.
Accommodation. We stayed at the Imola Hotel Platan which we recommend. More details here.
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A pretty town, wine, and thermal baths. Our week in Eger was about the most relaxing ever.
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Getting there: Very easy from Budapest. Buses leave twice an hour from the bus station at metro Puskas Ferenc Stadion (on the red line). Trains leave regularly from Keleti Palyaudvar (also on the red line). We went the Eger by bus and came back by train. I recommend the bus – faster (2 hrs vs 2.5 hrs by train) without all the stops.
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i have always wondered about Eger – I nearly went there back in 2004 but ran out of time, it was my choice for second place to visit in Hungary, I’ve only been to Budapest. It looks wonderful (as does the weather!). Churches are stunning and doesnt look so busy too. perfect European city!
Thanks Andy – yes, worth a visit. Quite small but nice town and lots of see. Nice break from hectic Budapest.
Definitely a place l would love to visit. It is so pretty, just like Budapest! I wish we had gone here instead of the little town we went whose name escapes me. I would have enjoyed this more even though l loved the cruise down the Danube. Thermal bath..yeah..can’t wait to read about it. I love relaxing vacations 🙂 .
Little town? Maybe Pecs, that’s the other one that you sometimes see mentioned.