Eger

So we arrived in Eger just as it was starting to get dark and so since we figured the tourist information office would be closed we made our way to where Lonely Planet said there was a dorm we could stay in. After spending a few minutes looking for it we decided that it no longer existed so we set off to look for other accommodation. After wandering around unsuccessfully for just over an hour we decided to ask in a 4 star hotel if they knew of any place and the lady at the desk told us there was a cheap hotel just around the corner. Arriving at the cheaper hotel we were disappointed to find a very nice 3 star hotel but we decided to ask if they knew of any other place. When we asked the girl working the desk she said that she had a room that she could give to us 50% off because it didn't have a window. Since we were both tired of searching for a place to stay we quickly said yes and made our way up to our great room. After dumping our bags we went out to enjoy a late dinner before returning to the hotel to crash.

The next morning we got up and discovered that the 3 star hotel and the 4 star hotels were owned by the same people so we got to use the same facilities as them and even enjoy the same quality of breakfast. Delicious. After breakfast we set off to check out Eger Castle which is located on a hill in the centre of the town. Climbing up to the castle we were delighted to find out that an historic reenactment was taking place there that weekend. So we spent the rest of the morning wandering around the castle grounds enjoying the views over the old city and watching people dressed up in costumes have mock battles. Unfortunately everything was in Hungarian, including the museum exhibits, so after a while we decided that it was enough and left to explore the rest of the town. Leaving the castle we came across a minaret standing in the centre of a traffic circle but without a mosque which is apparently Europe's northern most remains of the Ottoman invasion in the 16th century. After the minaret we visited the Minorite Church which is a beautiful building on the edge of a nice square. After the church we enjoyed a small bite to eat (the breakfast was big enough to be our lunch as well) before heading to Szepasszony Volgy (Valley of the Beautiful Women) which is a small street that has nothing other than wine cellars on it. Arriving there we just got a plastic bottle filled up to enjoy that evening as we planned on coming back the next day to sample more of their wares. Returning back to the hotel we spent a little bit relaxing and using the internet before heading out to dinner. After our enjoyable dinner we returned to the square with the Minorite Church where we sat and enjoyed the last bit of our bottle of wine before returning to our hotel for bed.

The following morning we took it easy and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before heading out to check out the last few sights in Eger. We started with the huge yellow Eger Cathedral which was pretty magnificent although not as nice as the Minorite Church. From the cathedral we went to the Lyceum (an old university built by a Bishop) where we saw a spectacular 20 000 volume library complete with a frescoed ceiling. Climbing higher in the Lyceum we checked out the Astronomy Museum which contained several old telescopes, cameras and filming equipment. However the highlight of the museum had to be the Eye of Eger which is a camera obscura, something like a periscope where the surrounding scenery was reflected onto a white table in a dark room. This gave a great live picture of the surrounding city from high up in the Lyceum. After the Lyceum we returned to the Valley of the Beautiful Women to sample more of the famous Eger wine (specifically Egri Bikaver or Eger Bull's Blood) and to fill up a few bottles which we planned to take with us to Budapest where we were heading to the next day. After getting our wine we made our way back to our hotel and the rest of the evening was spent enjoying dinner and having a swim in the hotel's pool.

The following morning we got up and checked out of our nice hotel after breakfast and made our way to the train station. At the train station we quickly boarded a train bound for Budapest where we planned to spend the next week so that we could explore the town and also enjoy the Sziget music festival.









One person dressed up for a reenactment at the Eger Castle.




















The northern most minaret from the Ottoman invasion.




















Enjoying our wine in the plastic water bottle and McDonald's cups that we had to drink it out of while sitting in the square.

















The amazing library in the Lyceum with the frescoed ceiling.














Lianne enjoying a glass of wine in one of the wine cellars located in the Valley of the Beautiful Women.