The Esztergom and Nyergesújfalu Region [antikvár]

Ilhe rocky slopes of the Pilis and Gerecse hills abounding in game; their valleys crisscrossed by streams; their forests of oaks and beeches rich in flora and fauna; their cool cellars full of good wine; Danube islands with their birdlife; the fish ponds and riding schools of Pilismarót, Esztergom and Nyeresújfalu; and the good, fresh air - all offer recreation and diversion to lovers of nature.One could hardly wish for a better and more beautiful stretch of country, one where north-south and east-west trade routes cross, and where water, hills covered with forests, and level fields of ripening wheat form a harmonious whole.During the course of history all human cultures have left their mark on this region. It is no wonder that the conquering Hungarians, Prince Géza and King Stephen - the founder of the state and Hungary's first royal saint - all made Esztergom - the natural centre of this region - the country's first capital and the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Hungary.With its many monuments, museum exhibits and old documents, with its masterpieces from different periods of fine art, and with its plethora of applied art, literary, musical, and ecclesiastical art treasures, the region can add to the knowledge of those interested in the achievements of European culture.During the troubled centuries of Hungarian history, the Tatar invasion and the 150-year-long Turkish occupation, the great majority of its fine buildings fell into decay, and the region became almost completely depopulated.New strength and new colour were brought to the life of its settlements by German and Slovak settlers during the 17th and 18th centuries.As a result of these links almost every settlement is twinned with one in Germany or Slovakia; and some have partners in both. All this has exercised a beneficial effect on the economic and cultural life of settlements.The region rich in natural attributes and Esztergom, formerly a royal centre and still an ecclesiastical one, have always attracted lovers of science and culture. In the course of the millermia Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor, came here, as did Frederick Barbarossa, Master Rogerius, the great composer Claudio Monteverdi, and the well-known traveller Evila Chelebi. The Hungarian poet and soldier Bálint Balassi died of wounds received beneath the walls of Esztergom.In the 19th and 20th centuries many prominent artists, writers and composers had a home or a place to work or relax in this region - for example, the poet Mihály Babits, the writer Gábor Goda, the sculptor István Marisa, and the painters Károly Kernstock, Lajos Nóvák, Piroska Szántó, Sándor Vecsési, and József Vertei.With its succession of programmes, events, exhibitions, theatre performances, and festivals and concerts building on this intellectual life, its historical traditions, natural endowments, and its camping sites, hotels and restaurants offering a wide selection of dishes, the region awaits visitors.