Why you should visit Veszprém, Hungary’s new Capital of Culture for 2023

The little bar is packed. Its windows are steamy with the breath of people nestled shoulder-to-shoulder. Glasses clink in chorus while a jazz trio jams in the corner. Yet it’s only 3.30pm.

I’m discovering this is what happens when a UNESCO City of Music is chosen to become a European Capital of Culture, as Veszprém in Hungary has been for 2023. A city which already pulses with live music performances – both pop-up and planned – is ready to put on even more of show. Organisers have created the city’s new mantra, ‘No more boring Tuesdays’, to ensure weeknights are just as buzzy as weekends. New venues will also spring up across the city, such as the ActiCity cultural centre and events space, opening in Veszprém’s old children’s hospital in spring.  

I had come to Veszprém for the official Capital of Culture opening ceremony. The event is about to kick off when it starts to snow. The flakes turn to sleet and my shoe grips start to slip. Yet, the Veszprém locals go nowhere. They cheer, clap and dance as everyone from the LED-lit high-impact drumming band to electronic DJs take turns to perform.

Just an hour and a half’s drive, or train journey from better-known Budapest, Veszprém was chosen as a European Capital of Culture for its ‘vibrant’ cultural offering and ‘high-quality’ festivals it had promised in its application. In cooperation with 116 villages and towns in the nearby Bakony-Balaton region, it will host hundreds of events throughout the calendar year. Even if you can’t time your trip to coincide with a festival date, you’ll still find plenty to do in the city and its surrounds. This is a land of deeply-rooted history, above-par gastronomy, and natural eye candy.

Discover the City of Queens

Like Rome – as several locals remind me during my visit – Veszprém is set across seven hills. The most famous of these is Castle Hill, where the streets are unevenly cobbled, and the buildings are confectionary coloured.  

The history books opened on this area in the Bronze Age, when there was a fortified chiefdom seat on the hill. However, the buildings you can see today have timelines that can be traced back to either the eighteenth century or the tenth and thirteenth centuries – when Veszprém became known as The City of Queens, due to being the place where the queens of Hungary were crowned. The Castle District is currently undergoing a major renovation, so some of the buildings and exhibitions are currently closed, but there’s still plenty to see.

An initial recce of the area will introduce you to Heroes Gate, a sturdy archway that commemorates all those who played a role in the Hungarian revolutions and the world wars, and the former Fire Tower, which plays a piece of music by Veszprem composer Antal Csermák on the hour, every hour.   

There are also several time-sapping lookout points in the castle area. The one behind Heroes Gate serves up 180-degree views of northeast Veszprém, with its many timber-framed houses, and the green area known as Veszprém’s Cloisters and Gardens.  

From the cross-topped Benedict Hill viewing area, just behind Veszprém Cathedral, meanwhile, you can look out across the Sed river valley to the Bakony mountains in the distance.

Tuck into the Old Town’s culinary offerings

Crouched at the feet of Castle Hill there’s a dinky Old Town of Art Nouveau buildings that offer as much as a feast for the stomach as they do for the eyes.

This area is the best place in Veszprém for a pit stop. For coffee and cake, try Fuge with its exposed stone ceilings and flower-topped tables. For brunch, make it Kunst, where you can tuck into dishes like bunda bread (Hungary’s answer to French toast). For drinks and dinner, meanwhile, head to Papírkutya, to wash down a tapas platter with your choice of 40 rums as you listen to live jazz or acoustic music.

Explore outside of the city

If you’re staying in Veszprém for more than 48 hours, you’ll want to visit Lake Balaton. Just a 20-minute drive, train ride or bus journey from the city centre, it’s Central Europe’s largest lake and also known as the Hungarian Sea. There are multiple ways to enjoy this water giant. You can hike or bike all the way around it or, between spring and autumn, the water temperature settles between 20 and 26 degrees: the ideal conditions for wild swimming.

Alternatively, you can head out to visit the vineyards that halo the water. Six distinct wine regions nuzzle up to the lake. The Balatonfüred-Csopak Wine District is closest to Veszprém. Here wineries like Figula, Gyukli, Koczoe and Zelna produce fruity olaszrizlings, smooth sauvignon blancs, and woody pinot noirs and welcome visitors for both tours and tastings in al fresco bar areas overlooking the vines.

Key diary dates for 2023

13 to 16 April: Blues Festival. More than 30 artists and bands will converge on Veszprém for this year’s blues festival held in spaces from bars to the Hangvilla music hall.

12 to 16 July: VeszprémFest. Taking place in outdoor venues such as the História Garden, 300 metres from Veszprém’s Castle Hill, this festival welcomes musicians in all genres from pop to jazz and the 2023 line-up includes stars like Norah Jones.

7 to 16 July: Veszprém Street Music Festival.The music of both amateur and professional artists fills the streets of Veszprém for this festival.

13 to 22 August: Rose, Riesling and Jazz Days. Food and wine stalls and temporary music stages pop up in the Old Town’s main square for this annual musical foodie event.

28 September to 1 October: Balaton Wine & Gourmet Festival. Launched in 2022, this foodie festival promises free wine tastings, ticketed dinners with Michelin-starred chefs, workshops, demos and more.

To find out more about Veszprém Balaton 2023 visit veszprembalaton2023.hu/en. 

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