Eger, Heves, Northern Hungary Region, Hungary

🇭🇺 Eger is the county seat of Heves, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque buildings, the northernmost Ottoman minaret, dishes and red wines. It is the 19th largest centre of population in Hungary according to the census. The town is located on the Eger Stream, on the hills of the Bükk Mountains.

Wine Beside its historic sights and its thermal baths, Eger is famous for its wines. It produces both red and white wines of high quality. The famous and traditional varieties of the region are Egri Leányka, Egerszóláti Olaszrizling, Debrői Hárslevelű (whites), and Egri Bikavér (a red). More recently, Chardonnay and Pinot noir wines have appeared. The region's wines are said to bear a resemblance to those of Burgundy. Although the quality of the wines deteriorated in the second half of the 20th century, especially the cuvees, Eger is slowly recovering its reputation as a wine region. The most important terroir of the Eger Wine Region is the Nagy-Eged Hill, which is a Grand Cru terroir, where premium Grand Superior wines are produced.

Tourist Industry The majority of visitors come for a single day (mostly from Slovakia), not staying overnight. Ukrainians and Russians frequent the Eger Castle, along with many Italians. Around the town, one may encounter many German-speaking travelers (Germans, Austrians, and Swiss) as well. However, the town is getting more popular for Turkish tourists, because of the common historical memories. Eger is mainly known for its castle, thermal baths (including an Olympic size swimming pool), historic buildings (including Eger minaret - the northernmost Turkish minaret) and, above all else, its famous Hungarian red wines.

Rail The main railway station is located 1.5 km from the town centre. MÁV operates intercity train services to Budapest, and the trip is about 11⁄2 hours. Local trains to Füzesabony and Szilvásvárad also depart from this station.

There are also smaller stations located near the castle and in the Felnémet district that are served by the Eger–Szilvásvárad local trains.

Coach The bus station is located close to the basilica. Buses depart approx. every 30 minutes to Budapest, and the trip to the capital is about 2 hours. Volánbusz operates an extensive network of suburban and long-distance buses. Other bus companies also offer connections to a variety of destinations. Taking the bus to Felsőtárkány gets you close to several hiking and mountain biking trails.

Local bus Volánbusz also operates a fleet of local buses, serving most parts of the town, although the majority of buses run in a north–south direction. Line 12 is the busiest line in the town, and it has stops at the railway station, the bus station and in the town centre.

Districts • Almagyar – This hill in the eastern part of the town is one of the smart areas of Eger, near the castle. The streets are steep, but there are fine views. The southern part contains some of the buildings (campus and dormitories) of Eszterházy College. • Almár – The northernmost part of the town, it consists mainly of weekend cottages and plots for gardeners. • Belváros (town centre) – The centre of Eger is often called "the Baroque Pearl of Europe". Here are located Dobó tér, the main square of the historical town, surrounded by Baroque houses and St. Anthony's Church. Other historic buildings nearby include the Cathedral and the Lyceum. • Berva is now a housing estate about 2 km to the NW of Eger. Founded in 1951, it was a huge industrial park by the name of Finomszerelvénygyár, privatized in 1992. • Castle of Eger – The oldest and most famous part of Eger. • Cifra hóstya – North of the centre, this part of town is full of small houses and narrow streets. You can find the Firefighters' Museum there. • Csákó – a suburban area with larger houses, east of the railway station. • Érsekkert (Bishop's Garden) – The largest park in Eger, with sport facilities, a small lake, and a fountain. • Felnémet – This village, north of the town, was annexed to Eger in 1961 but still has a rural character. The parish church (1715–1750s, designed by Gianni Battista Carlone, an Italian who settled in Eger) was started by Bishop Gábor Antal Erdődy as a votive church after an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1710, and completed by his successor. It was dedicated to St. Rosalia, a guardian against plague. • Felsőváros (Upper Town), formerly Csebokszári (Cheboksary – capital town of Chuvash Republic, Russia) – The largest housing estate of Eger, it is full of four and ten-storied concrete buildings, providing homes for one third of the town's population. There are three high schools there. • Hajdúhegy – a suburban area similar to Almagyar across the valley with downtown being in between these 2 hills. • Hatvani hóstya – The district is split by Highway 25. It contains the stadium and the Reformed church. • Industrial zone – Several multinational companies have moved into this area east of Lajosváros. • Károlyváros (Charles Town) – One of the largest districts of Eger, Károlyváros is west of downtown. It contains the High School for the Health Professions, and the Agria Park Shopping Mall. • Lajosváros (Louis Town) – This district in the southern part of the town has several high schools and student hostels. It consists mainly of detached houses. Also called Kanada. • Maklári hóstya, Tihamér – This district is one of the fastest developing parts of the town. It contains public swimming pools (designed by Imre Makovecz). • Pásztorvölgy – A suburban area in Felnémet. Also has a high school. • Rác hóstya – Another suburban area west from Upper Town. • Szépasszonyvölgy ("Valley of the Beautiful Woman") – An area of Eger famous for its red wines (Bikaver or Bulls Blood) and known for its wine cellars. • Tetemvár – Another suburban area. The name ("Corpses' Castle") derives from the legend that Turkish war dead were buried here in 1552. • Vécseyvölgy – A suburban area with a small airfield for sports purposes.