BRODY IMRE SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 4. BRODY STREET AJKA 8400 HUNGARY Travel Guide in Veszprém County Hungary on 11.A’s recommendation Imre BRODY Grammar School
Places to visitvisit: Badacsony, Balatonederics, Balatonfüred, Devecser ,Keszthely, Kislıd, Kup, Magyarpolány, Sümeg, Tapolca, Tihany, Vörösberény
10th June 2010, Ajka Badacsony by Márton Makkay
Badacsony lies in the north of Lake Balaton. Four towns make up this region: Badacsonylábdihegy, Badacsonyörs, Badacsonytördemic and Badacsonytomaj. But when Hungarians say Badacsony, they usually mean the little resort at the Badacsony train station, near the ferry pier southwest of Badacsonytomaj.
Badacsony is thrice blessed. Not only does it have the lake for swimming and the mountains for wonderful walks and hikes, but it has produced wine lots of it since the Middle Ages. The most fa mous wines are Szürkebarát and Kéknyelvő. On the mountain of Badacsony we can see some basalt organs which also attract a lot of tourists.
I have a personal attachment to Badacsony. From 1995 to 2009 my family had a summer house in Badacsonytomaj. We spent there a lot of memorable moments. Unfortunately last year we had to sell this house. However, this summer I will visit Badacsonytomaj again because it is a great place to relax and I can recommend it to every body who want to spend a few calm days here with his/her family or friends. Brody Imre Secondary Grammar School 4. Brody Street Ajka 8400 Hungary
Balatonederics by Anett Merse
Balatonederics is situated on the North side of Lake Balaton near Keszthely. The village is famous for its well known museum called 'Africa Museum'. It displays African collections and introduces animals and animal groups to the public. If you are interested in African culture or animals, you mustn't miss visiting it! You will have a great time here.
The village is also famous for the so called 'Black Castle'. It has got its name because of its black doors and windows. It is located in a woodland so it has beautiful landscape. You can visit it any time of the year. If you want to go on a trip, choose this place to see!
Vörösberény by Natália Pásztor
Vörösberény is rich in art monuments. The name (vörös) indicates the red sandstone of the neighbourhood, which has dyed the ground red with its iron content. The present Reformed Church is the oldest among its art monuments. There is a written hint from 1297 about the medieval building. In the 15th 16th centuries, the church was surrounded by a stone wall and the building was reconstructed in the 18th 19th centuries. The baroque Roman Catholic Church is situated along the main road. Its interior is decorated with figurative baroque paintings. Balatonfüred by Zsanett Strang
The town Balatonfüred is situated in Veszprém county on the north side of Lake Balaton. It is the capital of the Northern lake shore and it has important yachting life. The town has two marinas, carbonated mineral water springs, beautiful build ings from the middle of the 18th and the 19th centuries and there are fine res taurants. It has modern hotels and guest houses for the tourists in summer. History The first Hungarian stone theatre of Transda nubia was built in Balatonfüred by Kisfaludy Sándor. Horváth János organized the first Anna ball and it is organized every year nowadays as well. Jókai Mór had a house in this town and he wrote one of his famous nov els called Az aranyember here. Blaha Lujza had a holiday resort in Balatonfüred. Famous places, things People come here to enjoy the beautiful scen ery, the local wine, made of Olaszrizling grapes, sailing, swimming, the Anna gora aquapark, the Greek quarter and the Tagore promenade. Cardiology and Tagore promenade There is a State Hospital for Cardiology, which is the largest cardiac rehabilitation centre in Hungary. The hospital is built on the lake shore. An In dian poet, Rabindranath Tagore was treated here and when he got over his illness, he planted a tree. The Tagore promenade is named after him. Then following him a lot of Indian politicians and famous people planted trees there. Transport Balatonfüred has two railway stations, there are buses and people can travel by coaches to the nearest towns. It has a landing place. Keszthely by Brody Imre Secondary Grammar Zsofia Jáger S c h o o l and Ábel Futó
Keszthely is a beautiful Hungarian town, it’s the second biggest town on the western shore of Lake Balaton. It was founded 750 years ago. Keszthely is famous for its tourism so it’s also called the capital city of Lake Balaton.
Keszthely’s most important historical monument is the Festetics Castle which attracts about 200 000 visitors a year, mainly in summer.
This Baroque castle was built from 1745 by a rich Hungarian count, Kristóf Festetics. Although its final shape wasn’t formed until 1880, the castle was renovated from 1980 to 1986.
Festetics Castle is the fourth biggest castle in Hungary as it contains 101 rooms and a big park. At the entrance you can see the statue of György Festetics who founded the castle’s library. There are 20 rooms in the castle which th th show how rich people lived in the 18 and 19 century. We can also see period weapons and furniture. In the Mirror Hall a lot of concerts are organized. Another famous part of the castle is the Helikon Library which is the biggest unbroken library of counts. You can find 52 000 books there which was collected by the Festetics family. And there is a 500 year old cellar system which has been the House of Lake Balaton’s wine so you can taste a lot of kinds of wine there.
Now a lot of cultural events are organized in the castle. In the ceremonial hall and in the castle’s park you can see classical music concerts and plays so visiting Keszthely is a good programme for everybody. You can get to Keszthely easily: by rail, road and water which can be very interesting.
Magyarpolány by Krisztina Szeip
Magyarpolány is situated in the South Western sloping region of the Bakony, and it is 21,5 miles far from Lake Balaton. Magyarpolány is a Kraut village with a population of about 1270 people. With its almost 100 protected buildings which were built traditionally it is a part of the Na tional Heritage.
There is an active cultural life in the village. Every year, the Passion play is an outstanding local occasion to celebrate Pentecost. It has been or ganized since 1993, and thanks to the natural givens, it is unique in the country.
The Calvary was built around 1780, and it was renovated in 1855. In the five stations, we can see life sized, wooden statues. The cross at the ap proach was set up from the benefaction of 107 local people, who were leaving to the USA at that time, so it is also called the ,,American Cross”. 153 stairs lead us up to the Calvary, and on the top there is a fascinating view at the village, the surrounding hills and valleys.
The forests near the village provide hunting facilities, hiker ways, beautiful environment, and horse riding facilities. Magyarpolány is a perfect place for a holiday, Hungarian people and foreigners are also welcome here by the friendly, local people. Sümeg Brody Imre Secondary Grammar by Freili Lilla S c h o o l
If you like castles and you are interested in history, you must visit Sümeg. There are lots of programmes which can make your holiday more fantastic.
Sümeg is a little town 20km far from Lake Balaton. In the middle of the town you can see the old castle which is becoming nicer and nicer every year.
People live here from the very beginning. Archeologist found bronze age graves and stone axes in this area. Then the Romans could feel themselves great there. In the 13th century the Tatars destroyed the area. After it people began to build the castle so that they could protect themselves. In the 16th century the Turkish occupied this town. Now lots of tourists visit Sümeg every year. They visit the: • Castle of Sümeg • Kisfaludy Museum • The Episcopal Palace • The Stable of the Castle There are medieval tournament shows and medieval feasts every Wednesday and Saturday in the area of the Castle. You can ride a horse in the Stable of the Castle and see the house where Kisfaludy Sándor, the famous poet was born.
Devecser by Richard Kolat
This is a small town with 5369 residents at the foot of the Bakony Mountains. It lies near Ajka. There aren’t many sights but there’s a beautiful Castle of Gothic origin with rich Renaissance motives, now it’s a library. The church was being built from 1759 to 1762 in Baroque style. It was built by the Esz terházy family.
Tapolca by Krisztina Horváth
Tavasbarlang in Tapolca Tapolca is a town in Veszprém country, Hungary. It is close to Lake Balaton. It is famous for its cave. It is called Tavasbarlang which means: a cave with a lake inside. Tavasbarlang was discovered during digging a well in 1903. It was opened for the visitors in 1913.In Hungary it was provided with the first electric lighting, and it can be visited by tourists.
Tavasbarlang is chalk and marl. Its full length is 3280 metres and its depth is 16 metres. This is the only cave in our country which can be wandered over by a boat. Its hot water formed lines into the 13,7 million year old rocks. The water of the cave now is 18 20 degrees. The tem perature is around 20 degrees in the whole year in the cave.
There are smaller halls in the dry branch of the cave. The largest hall is almost 20 metres long, 3 5 metres wide and 8 metres tall. It is called Lóczy hall. The following hall is the Batsányi hall. There are cavities which are formed by water. And there is one more hall: the Maxim hall where there are the most beautiful crystals of the system.
Tapolca is also famous for its Malom Lake which is directly connected to the Tavasbarlang . It is a beautiful area with a big park and is very popu lar among foreign and Hungarian tourists as well.
BRODY IMRE SECONDARY GRAMMAR SCHOOL 4. BRODY STREET AJKA 8400 HUNGARY Tihany by Petra Holczinger
Tihany is one of the most frequented and famous place in Hungary, Vesz prém Country. It’s located near Lake Balaton, so it’s allures a lot of visi tors. This village is the largest peninsula of Lake Balaton. It has spectacular land scape and several historical values.
A long time ago it was famous for its echo which has already ceased because of the buildings. There are antiquarian remains of roman set tlers and other people’s mortal remains who lived in the Bronze and Iron Age. The famous king, Andrew I. built here the burying place of his family in 1055. He established a Benedictine Abbey. The monastery and the church are the two noted sights of Tihany. The church was recruit in baroque style in 1754 by the Benedictine monks. The abbey is a popular tourist spectacle and it has historical and artistic relevance. There is a castle (Óvár) which was built at the end of the Bronze Age. It was a hermit settlement in the Middle Ages. The view is beautiful from here. Collection of Puppet Museum including of puppets in folk clothes is worth visiting. There is an observatory where one can notice the changes of magnetic fields of the Earth. A lot of ethnical old monuments are lo cated in Tihany. For example: the Out door Ethnical Museum, the Skanzen and the Calvary. The area of Tihany peninsula is a nature conservation area. It’s the third region in Hun gary which was awarded the Europe Diploma in 2003. Spend your time in the nature Kupi Forest by Anita Horváth
Adventure Park in Kislıd by Adrienn Mészáros
Kislıd is a village in Veszprém county. It’s well known for its adventure park. The park opened on 11th July in 2009. It has an area of 30 hectares. Its name is : Sobri Jóska Bakonyi Adventure Park.
It is a wonderful place to have fun. Peo ple can go hiking. There is a cycle track where people can ride a bike. One of the best things here is the bowling track and the other is a lake which is 2 hectares large. In the lake there is fish so it is a good place for fishing. There are two islands and between them children can boat. And on the islands people can or ganise birthdays parties. Who likes climb ing can try wall climbing. Archers have the opportunity to have a super time. Tourists can also roast bacon here. There are a trampolines and an adventure castle for children, too. So there are a great variety of nice programmes to spend your free time here.
Kupi forest is bordered by the Bittva stream on the north and Hajagos stream on the south. In middle of the forest the Körös stream is winding. Nowadays, the gurgling of the once abounding stream can seldom be heard. The most impor tant natural value of the forest is the ’pale crocus’ which has got beautiful col ours and which is a rare in Europe. The ’fleece sedge’ and the ’scented onion’ also exist here. Among the animals we can find snakes, lizards, squirrels, foxes, deer, red deer and fallow deer.
In the 1600s Esterhazy earls took over the place. The Esterhazy Education Centre, established in 2004, also has strong ties with the past. The building of the forest school was erected in 1922 on behalf of Tamás Esterhazy and it functioned as a forester’s lodge until 1972. The outward appearance of the building fits into the natural surroundings. The path lures us to go for a walk in the forest. It was named after Pál Tallós, a botanist and forestry officer.
Ajka
Ajka is situated in Veszprém county, 30 km west of Veszprém and 40 km north of Lake Balaton in the Bakony Hills. The variety in the surrounding country side charms visitors to the town. Even before the Hungarian Conquest this territory was settled by the Romans, the Avars, and the Slavonians. The first written records date back to 1214. Dur ing the Turkish occupation Ajka was destroyed, but it was rebuilt in the 18 th cen tury when the Germans settled here in 1717. Ajka became a large village in 1925 and later it got its town status in 1959. Nowadays it has a population of about 35,000. Ajka is first and foremost an industrial town. Its glass factory, founded in 1878, has made Ajka famous for its fine, hand ground glasses with the "Ajka Crystal" trademark. The commencement of lignite mining promoted the industrial devel opment of the town. At the beginning of the 20 th century a brick factory and in 1937 a krypton plant were opened in Ajka. Alumina production and aluminium metallurgy started in 1943. A new power plant was opened in the 1960's. Heavy manufacturing and electronics came to dominate the industry of the town. The factories and other industrial developments offered great job opportunities for the people of this region. This initiated the extensive housing programmes of the 1970's. A lot of young people moved here despite of the relatively high air pollution. By the beginning of the 1990's, not only had Hungary's political, social, and eco nomic systems changed, but Ajka, too, had undergone a transformation. The former state run industrial companies and factories have been privatised, work facilities have been closed down, and unemployment is prevalent. Despite tem porary difficulties the economy of Ajka has made great headway since the end of the 1990's: the newly built Industrial Park has launched several new enter prises and the infrastructure has kept developing at a rapid pace. New housing estates of detached houses have been built in the town. Those who would like to learn more about the town can get information at the town museum. Three rooms dedicated to Gábor Molnár, Miklós Borsos, and István Fekete are inside the building. One can see sculptures of Miklós Borsos throughout Ajka, and animal figures from István Fekete’s novels decorate the islands of the boating lake. If you want to get to know how miners lived and worked, be sure to visit the village of Csinger and the local Mining Mu seum. You can relax there in the Forest Park, which is a great place for hiking and watching wild life.
Bródy Imre Secondary Grammar School in Ajka
The institute was founded in Ajka in 1953 as a secondary grammar school. The grammar school didn’t have a permanent building for seven years, but moved into the present building in 1961.
Although grammar school education has always been dominant, the range of vocational school education has varied: mechanics was taught until 1981, and from 1978 students could get medical studies in a three year course. In 1990 a more complex four year long medical course with GCSE was introduced. From 1991 to 2009 the secondary vocational section has specialised in economics. The school provides grammar school education exclusively nowadays.
The school assumed the name of physicist Imre Bródy in 1961. By 1930 he had obtained a patent for inventing the electric light bulb filled with noble gas. He then solved the problem of profitably producing krypton gas from air. As a result of his invention the world’s first krypton factory was built in the territory of pre sent day Ajka, namely in Alsócsinger. His electric bulbs were a great success all over the world.