Susan on the Road - Ageless GlobeTravels

Two 19th Century Icons You Must See Before Leaving Budapest

8/28/2013

No visit to Budapest should end without visiting two iconic locations. The first one is the Central Market Hall which is called “Központi Vásárcsarnok” in Hungarian. This market which opened in 1897, is the largest indoor market in Budapest.

Wandering through the more than 180 stalls is a delight for the senses. On the ground floor you'll find a large selection of Hungarian sausages, meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. On the second floor, there are food stands and vendors selling handicrafts, clothing, embroidery and other souvenirs and of course you can’t miss the spicy smelling stalls selling fresh paprika. The smells and colors of the sea will greet you as you wander through the fish market in the basement. Without a doubt, you will want to explore the market to find all its delights!

Quite different from the market, the second place you simply cannot miss out on is the
New York Kávéház (New York Café). This magnificent Neo-Baroque restaurant was opened in 1894 and has been “the place” for Budapest’s café society and center of poetry and literature, since the turn of the century.

The interior well deserves its reputation for being “the most beautiful coffee house in the world”. If you need to get your inner Prince or Princess on, then definitely plan to order an elegant lunch or tea at this fabulous café!
For us it was the perfect end to our Hungarian journey.

The Hungarian's Mediterranean: Lake Balaton

8/27/2013

We drove by orchards overflowing with pink spring blossoms to Tihany, a small historic vacation village perched on the hillside above the shore of Lake Balaton. The village itself is named for the Tihany Peninsula it sits upon, jutting out into Lake Balaton.

Balaton lake is the largest in Hungary and the micro-climate of the region is so similar to the Mediterranean that it has been a wine growing area since Roman times. The types of wines produced in the area include, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noire, Kekfrankos, Riesling varieties, Muscatel varieties, Irsai Oliver, Little Princess, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and the famous Balatonboglar "BB" sparkling "Champagne". The region is particularly know for its white wines which have soaked up particular local aromas and tastes.

In the fall if you drive away from the lake through the rolling countryside, you will see the rich ripe grapes of the great Balaton wines ripening on their vines, but we were there in early spring so the vines were still stark and bare. I would love to come back in the fall and sample some of those Balaton vintages!

The Lake developed as early as Roman times as a resort for aristocrats and in the 18th century, spas and villas were built for the upper classes, but in the 19th century, railways began to bring the middle classes to enjoy the lake. All summer long, people sail, kayak, windsurf and swim, some enjoying the south shore with its 1970’s style beach resorts, where parties last until the wee hours, and others enjoy the historical beauty of the north shore hill towns and quiet beaches.

One of the best aspects of hiring a local driver is that they can give you a personal insight into Hungarian life. Illes told us about his life growing up in Hungary, cut off from the rest of Europe and how families like his that had been separated by Soviet rule would meet up once a year at Lake Balaton for a vacation. Amazingly, Western Europeans would be allowed to visit Lake Balaton. He also told us about the two passports each person would carry. One was for very limited “international” travel and could only be used once or twice a year with prior permission, and the other which allowed unlimited travel through eastern Soviet Bloc countries. It was hard for us to imagine living under such strict rule but Illes was filled with such optimism for the future of Hungary, we were swept along with him.

The most noticeable building in Tihany is the Benedictine Tihany Abbey with its onion dome spires towering over the village. It was at this abbey, that the first record of the Hungarian language in existence was found. This charter is now kept at the Pannonhalma Archabbey.

An abbey has been on the site since 1055 AD, but the one you see today was built in the Baroque style in 1754. It is at this abbey that the last Hapsburg Emperor, Charles 1st of Austria, was held prisoner after he tried to take back the Hungarian throne at the end of the WWI.

As you can imagine, since Tihany is a tourist area, the shops are packed with colorful pottery, embroidered clothes, and table cloths, painted glassware, and many other Hungarian arts and crafts to lure your tourist euros from your wallet. As we had at least 30 minutes to wait for the Ferry to take us and our car across the lake to Szantod so we could drive on to Budapest, I was easy prey for the shop owners.

The ferry from Tihany to Szantod is the only ferry crossing on the lake. The ride itself is fun and for most people from the U.S. an unusual experience.

The Szantod side of the lake is where we were to catch the main road to Budapest, so we zipped on out to the autobahn and a couple hours later we were back in the beautiful city where we began our Hungarian adventure.

Where Do They Make Queen Victoria's Porcelain? Herend Porcelain Factory in Hungary!

8/26/2013

After a wonderful few days exploring Vienna, our driver Illes Andres picked us up bright and early for our drive back to Budapest. This time, we would take our time and leisurely explore and we had some special places on our itinerary, the first of which would be the Herend Porcelain Manufactory in the town of Herend. If you wish to learn all about delicate handwork of porcelain, then you must visit Herend. From a blob of clay to beautiful piece of porcelain ready for the showroom, we watched their craft firsthand.

The factory at Herend was founded in 1826 as an earthenware pottery manufacturing plant, but the owner, Vince Stingl was also experimenting with porcelain making. Unfortunately for him, Stingl ran out of money and had to sell the factory to his creditor, Mor Fischer, in 1839. But this was fortunate for us because the rest is porcelain history.

Mor Fischer immediately started manufacturing porcelain, which was timely because, at that time, it was almost impossible for the Hungarian aristocracy to replace broken pieces or get new original pieces from the China and Europe. He was an instant success.

Herend porcelain was exhibited in Vienna at the Hungarian Applied Art Exhibition in 1845; at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, in New York in 1853 and Paris in 1855, making Herend pottery famous world-wide.

As we toured the factory, we were awed at the level of expertise required to create these stunning artisan works.
First we were shown examples of the different techniques used at the factory, hand throwing, casting, sculpting and handwork. The first technique we watched was throwing the clay.

Then we learned how casting in a mold was done and how the cast is cleaned up and perfected.

To me the most interesting technique was handwork. We watched one skilled artisan create delicate roses and another hand weave porcelain baskets which are a hall-mark of Herend design.

Hypnotized, we watched the careful, precise work of the carver as he delicately carved out miniscule designs in porcelain orbs. He have practiced doing this for years, because the slightest tremor in his hand would have ruined this intricate piece of work. And of course we had to take a peek into one of the kilns where these small masterpieces waited for firing.

Our final stop on the tour was the painters’ room where the famous iconic patterns were expertly hand painted.

To become a Master Painter or Craftsman at the Herend Factory, artists must have perfected their craft down to the tiniest details, but they must also be innovative and creative so that the factory continues to manufacture their exquisite original porcelain designs at a high standard, while adding new and unique designs to its collection.

Among the Herend Factory's famous customers were, Queen Victoria, Rothschild, and of course the Royal Court of Franz Joseph 1st, along with other notables and aristocrats. Herend developed unique and now well-known patterns for these customers. Queen Victoria’s dinnerware pattern was ordered by her for Windsor Castle and the pattern is considered to be somewhat Chinese-like and a mix of woodland flowers and butterflies.

Naturally, we had to join the numbers who own a piece of Herend Porcelain, but I’ll warn you most of it is VERY expensive! Fortunately, for us commoners there are a few moderately prices vases and other smaller pieces you can collect without breaking you bank account.

We left the Herend Porcelain Factory with new admiration for the work necessary to create these beautiful pieces of art!

Beautiful Vienna: The Whole City is a Waltz!

8/23/2013

Where to start with Vienna……… It seems that every travel article that could ever be written has been and I’m fighting against myself as I try to find something interesting to add.

After all, this is a city that is so ancient it was originally a Celtic settlement. Under the Romans it was the garrison of Vindobona and protected the area at the edge of the Hungarian plains.

It was reduced to ruins in the 5th century by invading Barbarians but by the 10th century it was under German rule (the dynasty of Badenburg) and became a major trading center for three centuries, finally coming under the rule of the Hapsburgs in the 13th century.

In the 16th and 17th century Turkish invasions continually threatened Vienna, but eventually the Turks were driven out and the city flourished again.

The 18th and 19th centuries were periods of immense palaces and lavish court life when Vienna became a major imperial and cultural center and by the turn of the 20th century, the city had grown to a population of two million.

Much of the architecture you see in Vienna today is from that Belle Epoc era, the era of Emperors, Beethoven, Waltzes, Coffee Houses and Biedermeier. As a lover of history and art, I tend to focus on absorbing the city from that perspective. Otherwise; the task of sharing this grand beautiful city can be overwhelming.

So, I have decided that for now, the best way to share our exploration of Vienna and its wonders is by photo-montage. I hope you enjoy it!

Our Private Driver Takes Us from Budapest to Vienna

8/21/2013

When we booked our wonderful driver, Illes Andras, we decided that not only would he take us on Danube Bend tour, but that he would drive us all the way to Vienna Austria, and pick us up three days later to take us back to Budapest and along the way, we would visit other parts of Hungary.

He picked us up promptly in the morning and we headed out into a countryside that was bursting with fields of spring flowers and trees that were laden with colorful blossoms. It was stunning.

We made only one stop on the way to Vienna since our goal was to get there early in the day, and that was Pannonhalma Archabbey located high on the hillside in Pannonhalma Hungary.

This huge abbey was originally founded in 996 by Prince Geza, and was the first Benedictine Monastery built in Hungary. It was built in honor of St. Martin of Tours who was believed to have been born at the base of the hill. Little of the original monastery remains.

The Basilica's pillars and the early Gothic vault were built in the early 13th century, using the walls of the former church. In 1486 the abbey was reconstructed under King Matthias in the Gothic style.

In 1541 the monastery became an Archabbey and was fortified with walls against the Ottoman incursions. For the next 150 years, the monks had to occasionally abandon the abbey to the Turks. Later when they finally returned, the monks saw the buildings had suffered terrible damage. Archabbot Benedek Sajghó started a major repair and construction phase in Baroque style. In 1832 the Library and Tower were added in the Classical style.

After 1945 Hungary became a communist state and in 1950 the properties of the Benedictine Order and the schools they ran were confiscated by the state. These were not returned until after the fall of communism. But now, decades later, the abbey is a World Heritage Site and travelers are welcomed.

We toured the Library which houses the oldest surviving document using the Hungarian language, the Charter of the Tihany Benedictine Abbey, dating back to 1055. Priceless antique books lined the room to the brightly painted baroque ceiling and statues of scholars stared down at us with stony gazes.

We also entered the Basilica’s tall Gothic interior where the vaults soared high above us and the sculpted carving of pulpit spiraled down from the ornate canopy to the stone of the nave floor. Up near the altar stood a small group of men practicing hymns and their harmonic voices floated out over us.

The Benedictine monks at Pannonhalma have had a long relationship with viticulture and wine-making and in the 1900’s they had approximately 100 hectares of vineyards adjacent to the abbey. They now have a nice winery and a wonderful wine-tasting terrace.
Before we left the abbey, we visited the gift shop which is filled with locally grown lavender products, Wine and Balsamic Vinegars, and other locally made products. This is where we found Bence’s Meggylikor, the yummy Benedictine sour cherry liqueur.

The taste is perfectly balanced between tart cherry and sweet liquor. The sour cherry liqueur is made at the Agardi distillery according to ancient descriptions found at Pannonhalma. They also make a bitter liqueur and an herb liqueur, but to my pallet, the sour cherry is the best!

Leaving the Abbey, we hit the road again for Vienna. Some features of the Hungarian autobahn were new and unusual for us, like the animal overpasses that stretched high across the roads. You would never see this in the US!

We had planned to stay at the Hotel Wandl on Petersplatz (St. Peter’s square) and our room literally had a view of the cathedral dome which was beautiful. The hotel is in a building from the 1700’s and the interior is traditional Vienna. I have to say the beds were way too hard for me, but others who have reviewed the hotel say they were comfortable and the location is terrific, only a short walk to shopping at Stephansplatz, and famous St. Stephan’s Cathedral.

Illes left us safe and sound at our hotel in Vienna with a promise to return in a few days for our trip back to Budapest!

Enjoy a Private Drive Along the Danube Bend

8/20/2013

Our second day in Hungary was the day we embarked on our exploration of that beautiful country. Jim and I were really excited about meeting our guide, Illes Andras who would be driving us while we toured what is called the “Danube Bend” and the beautiful towns of Esztergom, Visegrád and Szentendre.

We found Mr. Andras on the internet via Private Guide in Hungary, but you can find him recommended on Viator, TripAdvisor, and many other websites. He is a wonderful guide, full of information about Hungary and its history and he also provides a very personal insight having lived in Hungary all his life. I can’t recommend him more highly!

The Danube Bend is, as you might have guessed, a curve (actually a collection of twists and turns!) in the Danube River. On the right side of the river you can see the Transdanubian Mountains and on the left you can see the North Hungarian Mountains.

Technically, the “Danube Bend” actually starts at the town of Visegrád, but our tour began just before that in the town of Esztergom, the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary, where we visited the largest cathedral in Hungary and burial place of the most famous Hungarian cardinals.

Get ready for this…….. The name of the basilica is: Primatial Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary Assumed Into Heaven and St Adalbert which I think is the longest church name I have encountered to date!

It is the largest cathedral in Hungary and 18th biggest cathedral in the world and there has been a church on this site since the year 1001, when the first cathedral in Hungary was built there. As with most of the churches in Hungary, the cathedral was destroyed and rebuilt many times over due to centuries of turmoil including Mongol invasion, Turkish occupation and even internal royal conflict.

The final restoration was completed between 1822 and 1856. That is what you now see when you visit the basilica, with the exception of the Bakocz Chapel from 1507. The chapel was carefully disassembled in about 1600 pieces and moved 20 feet to be attached to the new cathedral.

The chapel is Italianate in style, while the rest of the basilica was completed in the Classical style.

Our next stop Visegrád, was a trip back into the colorful history of Hungary. Visegrád started out as a country town and was only really noticed in 1009 when it became the seat of senior church officials. The Mongols attacked in 1242 destroying the town, so when they rebuilt the town, they rebuilt slightly further south in what they considered a better location.

What brought Visegrád into prominence was the decision by King Charles I of Hungary to make it his hometown and the royal seat of Hungary in 1325. The king held a two month long summit at the castle in 1335 and again in 1338 and invited the Bohemian King, John of Luxemburg, and the Polish King Casimir III. The purpose of the summit was to create peace and an alliance against Hapsburg Austria.

There are actually three parts of the castle, the Upper Castle, Lower Castle and Royal Palace. We started exploring at the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace and Lower Castle:

While the first Royal Palace was built in 1325, later in the last third of the 14th century, King Louis and his successor Sigismund of Luxembourg had the majority of the earlier buildings dismantled and created a new, sumptuous palace complex. These extensive ruins are still visible today.

Between 1477 and 1484, Matthias Corvinus had the palace complex reconstructed in late Gothic style and the interior was decorated in the Italian Renaissance style. This was first time the Italian Renaissance architectural style was seen outside of Italy.

The reconstructed royal residence building is open to the public, and houses exhibitions on the history of the palace and reconstructed historical interiors. We really enjoyed exploring the palace taking in views from the windows that surely the royal family had admired centuries before.
The Lower Castle is the part of the fortification system that connects the Upper Castle with the Danube. In its center rises the Solomon Tower, a large, hexagonal residential tower dating from the 13th century.

The Tower displays exhibitions installed by the King Matthias Museum of Visegrád. The exhibitions present the reconstructed Gothic fountains from the Royal Palace, Renaissance sculpture from Visegrád, and the history of Visegrád.

The Upper Castle:

After the Mongol invasion, King Bella IV of Hungary had a new fortification system constructed in the 1240-50s near the one that had been destroyed. The first part of the new system was the Upper Castle on top of a high hill. The castle was laid out on a triangular ground plan and had three towers at its corners. Over the centuries, as it became a true royal residence, it was enlarged and further fortified with additional curtain walls.

Around 1405-1408, Visegrád lost its importance when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Croatia and Hungary moved the royal seat to Buda. It continued to be used as fortified, royal country residence though.

Having worked up an appetite from all that history, we stopped for a fabulous lunch at Nagyvillam Restaurant which is located at the very top of a hill outside Visegrád. Surrounded by stunning views, we relaxed and enjoyed venison goulash and local wine while our driver discretely left us alone to go chat with the owners over a cup of coffee.

Our final stop was the pretty village of Szentendre which is a small Baroque town at the meeting place of the river Danube and the Pilis Mountains.

Serbians fleeing from the Turkish occupation settled here in the 17th century in large numbers, giving the city its Baroque Mediterranean character, which is preserved to this day. The architecture, cobblestone streets and the city's picturesque location have attracted many artists throughout the years creating somewhat of an “Artist’s Colony”. There were lots of shops filled with Hungarian foods, beautifully embroidered clothing and handicrafts and galleries and museums displaying beautiful original art as we strolled down the main street.
Just outside town is also where we encountered our first STORK! I was so excited.

When it came to deciding which museum we would visit, we decided we were done with history and ready for some fun, so we headed to the Marzipan Museum (I adore Marzipan) where they exhibit masterful and whimsical marzipan sculpture. It was really interesting to learn all about the possibilities of Marzipan sculpture!

If you want to have a taste of Hungary outside of Budapest, but have a limited amount of time, definitely take this one day tour of the Danube Bend. It will really add to your visit to Hungary if you can experience the small towns and countryside along the Danube River.

Top of Our Budapest List! Buda: The Royal Hill

8/15/2013

What to do when you first arrive in Budapest?

Well…… for Jim and I the decision was easy. We wanted to head to the oldest part of the city, which meant a trek up to Buda, the palace city. Fortunately for us, from our hotel (The Marriott Budapest), we were able to walk right across the Chain Bridge to the other side of the Danube and the foot of Buda hill.

Chain Bridge is guarded by two huge lions sculpted by Janos Marshalko. An old story attached to the Lions says the sculptor drowned himself in the river because he forgot to give the Lions tongues. I won’t tell you here whether they do or not, you’ll just have to find out for yourself!

The actual hill town of Buda grew up around the royal castle and Matyas Church. At 197 ft. (60 m), the hill Buda sits on made an excellent strategic position for a fortification, and that is what King Bela IV decided when he built his defensive castle in the 13th century after a Tartar invasion.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to walk or take a horse to get to the top. We jumped on the convenient funicular railway located at Clark Adam tier, which moved us with ease to the top of the hill.

That is where we stepped back in time as we took in the wonderfully ornamental gateway to the palace from St. Gregory tier.

The Palace has been through many incarnations due to destruction caused by wars and occupation. Nobody really knows where the original 13th century castle was built, but most scholars believe it was closer to Matyas Church.

The 15th century Gothic palace was built in the same location as the current structure but was destroyed during Turkish rule. The palace was rebuilt under Hapsburg rule in the 18th and 19th centuries. This 19th century palace was destroyed during WWII and restored in 1945 back to its 19th century incarnation.

The Palace is a museum now, so you won’t see any furnishings or real insight into how the royal family may have lived, but a visit to the Palace Dome, designed in the Neo-Classical style is a must, just for the views.

Be sure to look out over the southwest side of the palace terraces because you will be able to see where they are excavating some of the 15th century castle remains. You can see where they have uncovered the Gothic palace defensive walls and royal chambers.

Like the palaces; much of the city of Buda was destroyed during WWII and had to be rebuilt, though you can find a few original gems if you look carefully, particularly 18th and 19th century survivors.

We decided to take a carriage ride, which was a fun way to get an overall picture of Buda. As we trotted through the lanes, our driver filled us in on the history of Buda and she pointed out places we should return to for a closer look. One of these was the Labyrinth, a system of underground caves and cellars dating back centuries which have been turned into a strange but fun (and a little cheesy!) “museum”. But more of that later!

Buda’s old town flourished under its Kings, particularly King Sigismund and because of this, wealthy German merchants set up shops on Lord’s Street to supply the palace court. Aristocrats also built their mansions on Lord’s street and the medieval foundations can still be found underneath the colorful 19th century facades. You will love wandering through the cobbled streets and squares.

After our wonderful carriage ride, we headed to Matayas Church to explore its beautiful interior. The Matayas Church you see now is mostly from the reconstruction dating from 1874-96, but you can find parts of original 14th and 15th century church features if you look closely.

The name of the church refers to King Matyas Corvinus who greatly enlarged and embellished the structure. Unfortunately, much of the original detail was destroyed when the Turks converted the church into the Great Mosque in 1541 and then later almost completely destroyed during the liberation of Buda.

That being said, you will be stunned by its beautiful interior which has soaring Gothic style vaulted ceilings, tall jeweled colored stain glass windows. The intricately carved pulpit is based on Gothic Triptychs. The Tomb of King Bela III and Anne de Chatillon is located in the Trinity Chapel. And don't forget when you walk back outside to look up at the beautiful multi-colored glazed tiles that decorated the roof with an intricate design.

It was restored by Franciscan Friars in the Baroque style, but even that did not last as it was again damaged in 1723. Its grand restoration was in 1873-96 and was restored in the Neo-Gothic style. This is why while being a beautiful church; you really must look hard to determine which decoration came from what historical period.

After some serious contemplation inside Matyas Church, we were ready for some un-serious exploring, and that can certainly be found in the Labyrinth! Cheesy as people says it is we loved exploring the vast caverns under Buda.

The caves themselves hosted humans beginning a half a million years ago and continued to be used by human beings throughout the millennia. Since the historical period, the extensive cave/cellar system was used for a number of purposes. During the Middle Ages the caves were used for storing food and belongings and its natural wells provided fresh water. The Turks were the first to connect the separate caverns in the 16th century, primarily for military purposes.

During WW II the interconnected caves and cellars were fortified and used as an air raid shelter and a hospital. In the Cold War period the caves were upgraded to serve as a nuclear bunker. The entire network of caves, cellars and passageways is approximately 6 miles (10 km) long and most recently has been used as the “Labyrinth” and “Hospital in the Rock” museum.

The cave/cellars were filled with original brick cellar work and whimsical modern sculptures that seemed to spring out of the cave rock floors and walls. It was a little dim, but that only added to the mystery of following the maze of tunnels, never knowing what you would see next. We loved it!

Unfortunately, the Labyrinth Museum we visited has been closed by the government off and on, for the last several years. Be sure to check whether it is currently open or not before you visit!

When you are on Buda hill, be sure to take the time to stroll through Fisherman’s Bastion. It is a fanciful 19th century construction designed and built between on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen that was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Milddle Age and it has a fairy-tale look with walking paths and terrific views of the Danube. If you are lucky, a Hungarian band will be playing at the café and you can listen to their lively music while you sip a tea or beer!

Finally, and naturally since it is me and Jim after all, we had to stop and have a cool frothy beer to finish off our wonderful afternoon on Buda hill.

Exploring Hungary - Budapest to Vienna: Sometimes You Just Need a Private Car & Driver!

8/10/2013

Sometimes it just makes more sense to book a car & driver. This was the plan when we explored Hungary & visited Vienna Austria in the spring and it was amazing, educational, beautiful, fabulous…… in other words, it was a great choice!

Follow along on our Hungarian adventure via our amazing private guided car tour with Illes Andras, including a side trip to Vienna, Austria just because I had never been there and Jim wanted me to see Vienna.

Jim is kicking off this series with a review of our hotel in Budapest. Staying at the Marriott Budapest Hotel really was the perfect way to ease into a country where the language would be a challenge for us. They were gracious, spoke English and the hotel was beautiful and well situated and incredibly comforting to our jet-lagged sensibilities.

Budapest Marriott Hotel: Views of the Danube are Fantastic! READ MORE & SEE THE PICS!

Where to Find the Best Sour Cherry Liqueur? Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary!

7/24/2013

Jim and I love to find unusual liquors and we have found some delicious ones!

My favorite find was picked up at the Pannonhalma Archabbey located high on the hillside in Pannonhalma Hungary. This huge abbey was originally founded in 996 by Prince Geza, and was the first Benedictine Monastery built in Hungary. It was built in honor of St. Martin of Tours who was believed to have been born at the base of the hill. Little of the original monastery remains.

The Basilica's pillars and the early Gothic vault were built in the early 13th century, using the walls of the former church. In 1486 the abbey was reconstructed under King Matthias in the Gothic style.
In 1541 the monastery became an Archabbey and was fortified with walls against the Ottoman incursions. For the next 150 years, the monks had to occasionally abandon the abbey to the Turks. Later when they finally returned, the monks saw the buildings had suffered terrible damage. Archabbot Benedek Sajghó started a major repair and construction phase in Baroque style. In 1832 the Library and Tower were added in the Classical style.

After 1945 Hungary became a communist state and in 1950 the properties of the Benedictine Order and the schools they ran were confiscated by the state. These were not returned until after the fall of communism. But now, decades later, the abbey is a World Heritage Site and travelers are welcomed.

We toured the Library which houses the oldest surviving document using the Hungarian language, the Charter of the Tihany Benedictine Abbey, dating back to 1055. Priceless antique books lined the room to the brightly painted baroque ceiling and statues of scholars stared down at us with stony gazes.

We also entered the Basilica’s tall Gothic interior where the vaults soared high above us and the sculpted carving of pulpit spiraled down from the ornate canopy to the stone of the nave floor. Up near the altar stood a small group of men practicing hymns and their harmonic voices floated out over us.

The Benedictine monks at Pannonhalma have had a long relationship with viticulture and wine-making and in the 1900’s they had approximately 100 hectares of vineyards adjacent to the abbey. They now have a nice winery and a wonderful wine-tasting terrace.

Before we left the abbey, we visited the gift shop which is filled with locally grown lavender products, Wine and Balsamic Vinegars, and other locally made products. This is where we found Bence’s Meggylikor, the yummy Benedictine sour cherry liqueur.

The taste is perfectly balanced between tart cherry and sweet liquor. The sour cherry liqueur is made at the Agardi distillery according to ancient descriptions found at Pannonhalma Archabbey. They also make a bitter liqueur and an herb liqueur, but to my pallet, the sour cherry is the best!