The most illustrious ball of Hungary – PHOTOS

Balatonfüred, 2017. július 29. A 192. Anna-bál résztvevõi a balatonfüredi Anna Grand Hotel parkjában 2017. július 29-én. Középen A gyík címû szobor. MTI Fotó: Mohai Balázs

Have you ever been to a real ball? There’s one in Hungary every year, the Anna Ball of Balatonfüred, which gives guests an insight into how the elite of the 19^th century used to have fun. Even though the ball is almost 200 years old, it has lost nothing of its high prestige.

According to napi.hu, this year marked the 192^nd Anna Ball in Balatonfüred, but no one knows for sure how many balls have been held since the first one in 1825, organised by Fülöp János Szentgyörgyi Horváth. Some years were missed, but its prestige never vanished. It used to be the favourite jollity of the Hungarian elite, it was frequently visited by famous people like Mihály Vörösmarty, Lujza Blaha and Mór Jókai.

The atmosphere of the ball has somewhat changed throughout history, but it kept its elite feel. Balatonfüred’s Instagram flow reaches its peak on the day of the ball, because everyone is proud to share that they attended such an illustrious event. Especially considering that the attendance is not cheap. The tickets cost 70 thousand forints (~EUR 230), plus you have to pay for the accommodation and the evening gown if you don’t happen to own an appropriate one.

Photo: MTI

An indicator of the elite atmosphere is the 60 million forints (~EUR 196 thousand) worth, 3500 piece blue Apponyi-pattern Herend porcelain set, in which the dinner was served. Moreover, the dancers of the Hungarian State Opera and the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra performed in the opening show.

The dancers of the Hungarian State Opera – Photo: MTI

The guest list included celebrities and political decision makers like Károly Kontrát, State Secretary of Interior, János Süli, the minister responsible for the Paks case, fashion designer Kati Zoób, and television presenter Nóra Ördög. Besides them, young couples, circle of friends and families attended the event.

Photo: MTI

Many of the participating girls claim that their families, mostly grandparents, have been saving up for the ball since they were little. Those who attend the ball get an insight into how baronial balls used to look like in the 19^th century. The schedule hasn’t changed in the past 200 years: dinner is served after the opening show, meanwhile people can vote for the girls until 11 pm, when the top 15 list is announced. Then, a professional jury chooses the winners, who are announced at midnight. The real gaieties start afterwards.

The winner of this year’s Anna Ball was the 18-year-old Dorina Barna. The 18-year-old Annamária Kinga Schütz was chosen as the first runner-up, while the 17-year-old Kíra Dalma Kiss was chosen as the second runner-up.