Gyöngyös [antikvár]

Introduction In 2004 Gyöngyös celebrated the anniversary of its being granted the privileges of a town by King Charles Robert in 1334. Hundreds of years of history sleep within the real and imaginary walls of our beloved little town: destinies, dreams, aspirations, fights, peace-making, fires and rebirths and much else besides. Gyöngyös and its surrounding area is where the Sun touches the hill, as the local saying puts it There is indeed some truth in this, as the town and the Mátra Hills are a cradle of beauty and cultural wealth of which we are deservedly proud. The Mátra, where the Sun comes to rest, is criss-crossed by hundreds of kilometres of footpaths. The countryside along them is ideal for active relaxation in the fresh, clean air, and the many botanical, zoological and geological rarities make walking there all the more worthwhile. You can get to the hills from Gyöngyös by a romantic means of transport, the Mátra light railway, which has two lines, one to Lajosháza and the other to Mátrafüred via Farkasmály. The row of cellars at Farkasmály, now historic monuments and closely tied to the town's history, are becoming increasingly well-known and justly acknowledged. The special beauty of the natural and two hundred year-old built environment are a splendid backdrop for civilised wine drinking, winemaking and tending the vineyards. The row of cellars is a national conservation area, offering a memorable experience that should not be missed. Gyöngyös has for centuries been the undisputed economic, cultural and tourist centre ofthe region. The museums and exhibition areas show the traditions and cultural assets ofthe town. The old library ofthe Franciscans has a valuable collection of early printed books. In the House ofthe Holy Crown, once the home ofthe Almásy family, the Hungarian crown was guarded on three occasions and now the priceless collection of the treasury of St Bartholomew's church is housed there. The former mansion of the Orczy family is today the home of the Mátra Museum with local history and hunting exhibitions as well as one of Hungary's largest natural history collections. The park around it is currently being re-landscaped for the third millennium and will be one of Hungary's most beautiful landscaped parks when it is completed. The Main Square has always been the hub of this town of34,000 people, a town which has won the Hild Prize in acknowledgment of its town planning. Today this well-pro-portioned square is still a dynamic centre of activity, which is bound to be to the liking of all visitors to the town. Renovated together with the town centre in 2000, it is a fitting venue for the colourful and varied events held there attracting many people.