Lake Balaton is beautiful in the Fall. If you had enough of admiring the view from the pier, you can make up for the in-town entertainment you neglected in the summer. Veszprém is a perfect place for a 1- or 2-day visit; it has it all from engaging museums and galleries, through gastronomical specialities, to the renovated Veszprémvölgy and the Zoo, which is a guaranteed success for families with children.
Downtown Veszprém has been renovated to a magnificent result recently, thus beautiful walks await visitors among protected buildings like teh Pósa house and the Town Hall. The only pedestrian street is the castle district with its palaces, museums, and churches; it is the best preserved Baroque street of the Hungary. You can enter the castle district from Óváros tér, which is a good place to begin your sightseeing thanks to its lovely buildings. The 48-metre-tall Tűztorony (Fire Tower) originally served defensive purposes: from the top, they could keep an eye on the entire city and spot any fire at once. Climbing up to the tower is worthwhile, as it offers an amazing view of the castle district and the downtown. The one-time fire engine house gives places to one of the flagships of the culinary life of Veszprém, a restaurant-wine-bar-club, Decanter Bisztró, where the owner is sure to recommend wine to you if you happen to drop in.
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Baroque and Temporary
There are several different exhibitions in the nearby House of Arts, and the city has an abundance of galleries. We were awestruck by the Dubniczay Palace, where the paintings of the László Károly contemporary collection look astonishingly good on the peeling old walls. It is not an easy task to find a perfect old building - modern arts collection pair, but here this mission can be considered accomplished.
In the Baroque Archbishop's Palace we liked the stairway best, the tour guide had to gently urge us to move on from there. Walking down the pedestrian street, it is a must to enter St. Michael's Cathedral as well: it was the crowning place of Hungarian queens for centuries.
There are of course numerous other museums, churches and statues in the historical city centre, but we moved on to the Zoo. Until the 1990ies, most of us had sad memories of the Veszprém Zoo, especially that of the tiny bear cage. Thanks to the partly EU-funded reconstructions of the past decade, the animals now live in huge, modern enclosures and the Zoo is fun. Because of its size and the amount of programmes it offers, (Chimpanzee World, Böbe Monkey's School Education, petting zoo, the 300-squre-metre indoor playhouse Kid Jungle, Arica House, etc.) the Zoo is suitable for a whole-day of entertainment. One of its most spectacular features is the African Savannah on Gulya Hill, where giraffes, rhinos and zebras co-habit a nearly 1 acre area. Inquire about feeding times at the entrance, so you have greater chance of catching a glimpse of more reclusive species!
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Happy Belly Dance
Veszprém also offers excellent restaurants, like the lavish restaurant of Villa Medici, which has a lovely garden with a small pond and a wooden bridge over it. You will find somewhat cheaper prices in Chianti, which is only a few minutes drive from the downtown and is heartily recommended for family lunches: the dishes are delicious, the service is attentive and courteous, the waiter seemed to read our mind.
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Veszprémvölgy
For afternoon relaxation and an after-lunch stroll, Veszprémvölgy is the best choice. This U-shaped part of town, the valley of the Séd-patak was recently re-opened after renovation and the results are astonishing: the EU-funded project left a miniature Austria behind with clever waterfalls, white-washed houses, neat benches and bushes and reconstructed ruins. The walking trail that runs along the valley connects the castle and the zoo. You will probably bump into Fricska Bistro, where you'll find friendly hospitality and tasty, stove-baked dishes. At the other end of the valley, you can have some peace and a coffee while setting your children free in the garden or the playhouse in História Malomkert.
