Transylvania

PM Orbán’s summer university will be in Transylvania’s heart again – here is its motto

Orbán's summer university will be in Transylvania's heart

“On a Better Track” will be the motto of the 33rd Bálványos Summer University in Baile Tusnad (Tusnádfürdő), central Romania, to be held on July 23-28, organisers told a press conference in Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda) on Thursday.

Krisztina Sándor, acting head of the Hungarian National Council of Transylvania who is in charge of the event’s political programme, said this year’s motto worked in both a physical and political sense, and refers to the improved situation of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin.

This year’s panel discussions will be focused on current political trends, the issue of war and peace, the economy and green topics like climate change, energy efficiency and the green transition, Sandor said.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén will again be attending the event, along with several ministers and state secretaries.

Read also:

  • Summer university in 2022: PM Orbán said which “races” Hungarians might and would not mix with – Read more HERE

New Wizz Air flight connects Budapest with city close to Dracula’s castle

Dracula's Castle Törcsvár Bran 3

The launch of a Budapest-Brasov (Brassó) service by Wizz Air is an important step for both cities and countries, a government official said at Liszt Ferenc International airport on Tuesday. Dracula’s castle is not far from the Brasov-Vidombák international airport.

Ferenc Antal, a deputy state secretary at the national economy ministry and a member of the board of Liszt Ferenc International operator Budapest Airport, said the flight operating three times a week would contribute to the further strengthening of business and cultural ties between Hungary and Romania.

Wizz Air corporate and ESG officer Yvonne Moynihan said the flight is the sixth new route from Budapest announced by the airline this summer, adding that more services will be launched later.

Wizz Air Romania EU Dracula's castle
Photo: FB/Wizz Air

Budapest Airport deputy chief executive Balazs Bogats noted that borders controls with Romania have been lifted as the country has joined the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone.

Brasov-Vidombák international airport is just 30 kilometres away from Bran (Törcsvár) and the mesmerizing “Dracula castle” located in the village. Read more about Elon Musk’s Halloween party in the castle in THIS article.

Read also:

  • Béla Lugosi: The best Dracula of all time and the tragic end of his life – Read more HERE
  • Was Dracula really a Hungarian Count? – photos, video and details in THIS article

 

600-year-old Hungarian castle beautifully renewed – PHOTO GALLERY

Ugron Castle Hungarian castle in Transylvania

Before the work started, archaeologists found 700-year-old coins in the buildings. Now, the building looks astonishing. The owner would like to build even tennis courts and a football pitch in the garden to organise camps there. But you can already rent a room, the prices are not high, and you can even rent the entire Hungarian castle in the heart of Transylvania for events.

600-year-old Hungarian castle with 700-year-old coins in Transylvania

According to Székelyhon, a Transylvanian Hungarian news outlet, the Ugron Castle in Fiatfalva has two owners now: Éva Ugron and Miklós Maróty. They have been fighting for the castle for two decades and were successful thanks to the support of the Hungarian government. Based on the news outlet’s report on the inauguration, the Ugron Castle is one of the most beautiful buildings in the region.

Ugron Castle Hungarian castle in Transylvania
Photo: FB/Ugron Castle

Built by Miklós Mikó in 1817 in the Late Baroque style, later, the Ugron family seized the castle and carried out modifications. However, the castle’s history starts in the 1500s when the mansion of the Geréb Family stood in its place hundreds of years ago. That is why archaeologists found some 16th-century coins inside before the renovation started.

Ugron Castle Hungarian castle in Transylvania
The wine cellar. Photo: FB/Ugron Castle

In 1949, the Romanian Communists nationalised the castle, so its state began to deteriorate quickly. The former owners could gain ownership after the fall of Romanian communism in 1990. The family did not have money to renew the castle, so they sold it to Miklós Maróty and Éva Ugron, a descendant of the historic Transylvanian Hungarian family.

Ugron Castle Hungarian castle in Transylvania
Before the renovation. Photo: FB/Ugron Castle

The Hungarian government helped

Maróti reconstructed the roof using her money. However, she could not continue the work due to her lack of financial background. In 2019, they won an application and received Hungarian state support to make the plans for reconstruction. In 2021, they received more money to carry out the work.

Ugron Castle Hungarian castle in Transylvania
Photo: FB/Ugron Castle

The owners said they got lots of support from the locals and felt even ordinary folks regarded it as vital to get back the original castle. They have four kids, and it is heartwarming for them that their great-grandparents could play in the castle garden just as their kids will soon. They added that they would like to build tennis courts and a football pitch in the garden and organise camps there.

You can rent even the entire castle

Now you can spend your holiday in the castle even with your family and friends. They have three rentable rooms: the Granarium, the Domini, and the Palladis. The cost starts from EUR 75/person/night and includes breakfast. HERE are the details.

However, you can rent the entire castle for one or more nights. “The newly reconstructed castle can be rented in its entirety, and with the numerous activities offered and with its historical past, it is an ideal choice for a 3-5 day stay for 20-34 people”, they wrote on their website.

Ugron Castle Hungarian castle in Transylvania
Photo: FB/Ugron Castle

“Ballrooms, hotel rooms with private bedrooms, castle park, historic cellar, private chapel. We recommend it equally for friendly gatherings, family reunions, corporate team-building events, weddings and receptions”, they added. Find out more by clicking HERE.

Finally, here are some more photos of the castle’s interior and exterior:

Read also:

  • Journey through time: Discover the breathtaking castles of historical Hungary – Read more HERE
  • Luxury castles in Hungary: extravagant buildings for the richest of the country – Details in THIS article

Ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ secures seats in EP, Hungarian mayors re-elected in several Romanian cities

rmdsz

Romania’s ethnic Hungarian party RMDSZ reached the 5 percent European parliamentary threshold, while several Romanian cities, such as Târgu Mures (Marosvásárhely), elected a Hungarian mayor.

RMDSZ can keep two seats in the EP

According to the RMDSZ’s own calculations, the party has reached the 5% threshold, so it can keep its two seats in the EP, Botond Csoma, spokesman of the RMDSZ, told Transtelex. The RMDSZ politicians had already calculated on Sunday that they had collected the half a million votes needed to qualify, but it was not certain at the time that they would exceed the 5 percent threshold.

Commenting on the events, Sándor Csoma told the portal, “[w]e have not had such a result in 20 years.” According to Hunor Kelemen, president of the RMDSZ, based on 99% of the votes cast for the EP lists, the party received 566,000 votes, which is their best result in any election since 2004.

Hungarian government ally Romania rmdsz
Photo: FB/RMDSZ

Viktor Orbán also congratulated the RMDSZ party for reaching the 5 percent European parliamentary threshold in his speech in reaction to the results on Monday.

Hungarian mayors re-elected in several Romanian cities

Index reports that according to a parallel vote count conducted by his campaign staff, the independent candidate Zoltán Soós won the mayoral election in Târgu Mures. He took the lead with a significant margin of more than 22,000 votes, while his opponent Dorin Florea, a former Romanian mayor of the city collected 16,000 votes. The figures were recorded at the incomplete processing stage when the votes were counted in 77 of the 85 polling stations.

The turnout figures published by the Romanian Central Election Office showed, that 62,637 people voted in the local and EP elections in Târgu Mures, one of the most important cities for Hungarians in Transylvania, on Sunday, representing 52.30 percent of the electorate, MTI reported on Monday morning.

palace of culture
Palace of Culture (Kultúrpalota) in Târgu Mureș (Marosvásárhely), Transylvania, Romania. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Derzsi Elekes Andor

Soós was not the only one who was able to secure his position again, as in Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti), Gábor Kereskényi won his third mandate by a large margin too, according to the partial results. 96 060 voters, 44.87 percent of those eligible to vote cast their ballot in Satu Mare County. Kereskényi, who is running for the RMDSZ, announced his victory on his Facebook page on Monday morning after it emerged that he was leading by 65 percent in 18 of the 74 polling stations.

The RMDSZ announced that they also managed to retain the mayor’s seat in the Romanian-majority Mures County town of Reghin (Szászrégen), where Mayor Endre Márk was re-elected. According to the Alliance, the RMDSZ also won the leadership of Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely), where its candidate István Szakács-Paál won over the local Székelyudvarhelyért Party mayor Árpád Gálfi, who was set to run for re-election.

Read also:

Hungary just got closer to the United States: direct flights launch from nearby airport

rsz_new_york united states

After two decades, direct flights between Romania and the United States have resumed. This makes it easier for Hungarians and travellers from Hungary to reach New York.

United States one step closer to Hungary

After twenty years, direct air traffic between Romania and the United States of America has resumed, economedia.ro reports. The HiSky airline plane took off from Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport on Friday morning. After a flight of about 10 hours, it will land at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport in the afternoon.

Passengers are carried by a wide-body Airbus A 330-200. The airline will operate four flights a week between Bucharest and New York. For the transatlantic flight, the operator will provide a connection from Cluj Napoca, “Transylvania’s capital”, with a waiting time of only 1 hour and 10 minutes, according to maszol.ro.

As the portal writes, there has been no direct flight between Romania and the United States for more than 20 years, following the suspension of the Bucharest-New York route by the state-owned airline Tarom in November 2003.

HiSky is a low-cost airline registered in the Republic of Moldova. The airline has been present on the Romanian market since 2021. HiSky has two air bases: one in Cluj Napoca and one in Chișinău.

Read also:

Day of National Cohesion – Culture Minister: Creating value right response to Trianon

Magyar Zászló Magyarország Hungarian Flag Hungary

It is by creating value and organising themselves that Hungarian communities can give the best response to Trianon, with a culturally strong, economically confident and prosperous Hungarian nation in every corner of the Carpathian Basin, János Csák, the minister for culture and innovation, said on Monday at a graduation ceremony in Targu Secuiesc (Kézdivásárhely), celebrating Hungary’s Day of National Cohesion.

Csák noted that the Hungarian government was wedded to the policy of creating a work-based society, and he said Szeklerland had proven itself capable of fostering a successful economy that has attracted foreign investments over the last 14 years, and for this to happen, he added, places were needed “where people want to come and study”.

The minister thanked the region’s political and ecclesiastical leaders for their cooperation, and he noted the manifold increase in the number of students studying at the local vocational school.

He referred to “world-class Hungarian dual training” as “vital knowledge platform in Szeklerland, noting that the Hungarian vocational training system ranks second among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries.

Meanwhile, Csák called Hungarians survivors of history, not its victims, but Hungarian survival in the future required “knowledge and self-organisation”.

“We have been here for 1,100 years, even longer … and we want to be here for another thousand years. For this to happen we must create value…” he added.

read also:

What happened today in Hungary? – 1 June, 2024

10th Danube Days in Torockó, Central Transylvania
  • Everything you need to know about guest workers in Hungary in THIS article
  • Bomb threat in popular Budapest mall – Read more HERE
  • What happened? Lots of Russian flags in the Hungarian Parliament – click HERE for more
  • Sandy tropical paradise Budapest beach opened with unchanged prices – PHOTOS and more in THIS article
  • Mesmerising Wizz Air plane connects Budapest with Paris, CEO may get historic £100M bonus
  • Shocking: More than 50 pc of young Hungarians would leave Hungary
  • Legendary Budapest Vén Hajó boat restaurant moves to the city heart – Read more HERE
  • Liget Budapest Project: Hungarian buildings among best in the world
  • PM Orbán: “We do not want to shed blood for Ukraine” – Read more HERE

Featured image: 10th Danube Days in Toroció, Central Transylvania

Anti-Hungarian Romanian President Iohannis as NATO Secretary General candidate supported by Orbán’s cabinet

Iohannis

Hungary does not support Mark Rutte’s candidacy for NATO secretary general, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Monday, adding that as complete trust was an essential requirement in the alliance, and the Dutch leader had in the past talked about “bringing Hungary to its knees”.

At a press conference held in Tirgu Mures (Marosvásárhely), Szijjártó welcomed that Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, an “eastern candidate” for the post, had emerged.

He said much talk focused on strengthening the alliance’s eastern flank but “it doesn’t occur to anyone that if a threat is from the east, then the secretary general might also be from the east”.

The minister said that in NATO “you even have to die for each other, so it must be led by someone in whom we can trust 100 percent”.

He confirmed that he had a tough debate with his Lithuanian counterpart in Brussels earlier in the day. He insisted that Gabrielius Landsbergis was “one of the most pro-war politicians” among the EU foreign ministers. “No matter how much someone shouts at me … I still favour peace,” he said.

Many were surprised by the Hungarian Foreign Minister’s statement, because despite his minority (Saxon) origin, Iohannis did not defend the interests of Hungarians in Transylvania during his presidency. According to pro-government media Magyar Hírlap, in fact, according to the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD), Klaus Iohannis insulted the human dignity of his fellow Hungarians when he mocked his Social Democratic political opponents by greeting them in Hungarian in 2020, accusing the party of selling out Transylvania.

In 2020, Hunor Kelemen, the President of the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (RMDSZ), called for Iohannis’s apology for his “hysterical, unworthy of a state president, reminiscent of the violent and dangerous policies of the Greater Romania Party.”

We have witnessed an unprecedented manifestation of misinformation and incitement to hatred against Hungarians from the microphone of the presidential palace in the last thirty years,” the RMDSZ president said.

While one candidate’s long-ago speech seems unforgivable for the Hungarian government, the other candidate’s outburst is acceptable.

  • read also: Romanian president fined by Romanian authorities because of anti-Hungarian hate speech – details HERE

Szijjarto highlights ‘exceptional significance’ of EP elections in Hungary, Romania

On Monday, the European parliamentary and municipal elections on June 9 “will be exceptionally important” both in Hungary and Romania, Szijjártó said in Tirgu Mures (Marosvásárhely).

The more MEPs Fidesz and the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (RMDSZ) have, “the stronger the voice of peace in Brussels will be”, he told a joint press conference with Hunor Kelemen, RMDSZ’s leader.

“Romania and Hungary have lived in the neighbourhood of war for two and a half years… It will not surprise us that we Hungarians want the swiftest possible peace.”

“We Hungarians don’t want to get involved in the war in the neighbourhood … we do not want a nuclear war,” he said.

Szijjártó noted that Hungary and Romania are scheduled to hold their European parliamentary and municipal elections on the same day. “On June 9 we will decide whether we want peace or war, and we will elect the officials to lead local communities,” he said.

Szijjarto said both Fidesz and RMDSZ supported peace and trusted that there would be as many pro-peace deputies in the EP as possible. He said the two parties have an interest in good Hungary-Romania cooperation and that “the stronger RMDSZ is in Romania, the easier it is to build good ties.”

“The stronger representation RMDSZ has in municipalities, the stronger the Hungarian communities will be, and the stronger they are, the stronger and more stable support they can provide for good cooperation between Hungary and Romania,” Szijjártó said, calling on ethnic Hungarian voters in Romania to support RMDSZ.

Szijjarto said he had pledged continued, close cooperation between the Hungarian government and RMDSZ, “in order to build further success stories in bilateral cooperation, especially in the economy. The government will work together with RMDSZ to promote Romania’s long-deserved Schengen entry,” he added.

As we wrote today, Hungarian businessman to own one of Romania’s largest telecoms companies, details HERE.

New passenger terminal to be built at Transylvanian airport

transylvania airport terminal

Approximately a million Hungarians are to get a new passenger terminal at a main Transylvanian airport. The development of Târgu Mures Airport will not only improve transport but will also lay the foundations for the economic development and prosperity of Mures County, said Ferenc Péter, President of the Mures County Municipality.

The airport is currently undergoing its biggest-ever investment of EUR 35 million from EU funds. The modernisation is a major milestone in the development of infrastructure and economic recovery in the Central Transylvanian region, turizmus.com reports.

What is being built at the Transylvanian airport?

transylvania airport terminal
Illustration. Photo: depositphotos.com

The project will include the construction of a new passenger terminal with a capacity for 1,000 people and the extension of the aircraft parking area. The latter is almost complete. In addition, a bus stop will be built on the main road in front of the airport and a roundabout will be created to facilitate access to the facility.

According to the county council, increasing the number of flights in Mures County is key to making the airport one of the “gateways” to Transylvania.

“EU funds have enabled us to launch investments in recent years that we could not have carried out on our own. If we had relied only on the local budget, we would not have a renovated Culture Palace, running water, modern roads and we would not be able to develop the airport to the same extent,” the statement quoted Ferenc Péter, President of the Mures County Assembly, as saying.

Read also:

Featured image: depositphotos.com

Stunning 600-year-old Transylvanian castle restored to glory – explore the photo gallery

Rákóczi-Bánffy Castle in Gyalu/Gilău Transylvanian castle

The renovated castle in Gilău (Gyalu) was inaugurated over the weekend and will now serve as a cultural centre. The Rákóczi-Bánffy castle near Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár) was renovated with EU funds and support from the Romanian and Hungarian governments.

History of the Rákóczi-Bánffy Castle in Gyalu/Gilău

The first written record of the castle dates back to 1439. Located 20 km from Cluj-Napoca, the 60-room square castle of Gyalu, with its four corner bastions, was owned by Countess Katinka Bánffy before nationalisation. Until 2002, it was used as an auxiliary school, and the Countess’s grandson, Tamás Barcsay, took possession of it after seven years, before the castle was bought from the Barcsay family by Hungarian businessman Elek Nagy ten years ago. Hundreds of guests were present at the opening ceremony of the Transylvanian castle, which is now in its former splendour.

Rákóczi-Bánffy Castle in Gyalu/Gilău
Rákóczi-Bánffy Castle in Gyalu/Gilău. Photo: MTI

Renovation

The Romanian state secured EUR 5 million in EU funding for the renovation, but this proved insufficient, so the Hungarian state matched this with a grant of HUF 850 million (EUR 2,2 million).

The cultural centre has multifunctional event halls and plans include furnishing them and renovating the garden and castrum. The castle gardens will also host major events.

Elek Nagy, the founding president of the Transylvanian Traditions Foundation, recalled at the opening ceremony that ten years ago, the castle had almost fallen into disrepair, and he felt it was a mission worthy of his ancestors to save it for the benefit of the wider and narrower community.

Gelu Vasile Topan, mayor of Gilău, expressed his delight that the restored castle would put the village on the tourist map.

As we wrote yesterday, hundreds of thousands of Hungarians celebrated Pentecost in Csíksomlyó in 2024 – PHOTOS

Read also: Building of Hungarian university in Transylvania renovated – Beautiful PHOTOS

Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians celebrated Pentecost in Csíksomlyó in 2024 – PHOTOS

Csíksomlyó pilgrimage

Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians gathered in the mountain range of Csíksomlyó in Transylvania’s Szeklerland, Central Romania. Apart from being a religious pilgrimage, Csíksomlyó means much more for the Hungarians: a place where all Hungarians can meet once every year to celebrate the religious holiday.

Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus, but it means much more for many Hungarians. Hundreds of thousands of people go on a pilgrimage on this holiday to Csíksomlyó, one of the sacred places of the Carpathian Basin. Religious participants can get full absolution at the pilgrimage, but many non-Catholics also take part.

Csíksomlyó pilgrimage
Photo: MTI

Csíksomlyó became a pilgrimage site in the 15th century, and the most important creation of the Pilgrimage Church was the statue of the Virgin Mary made between 1510 and 1515.

In 2024, László Felföldi, the bishop of Pécs, celebrated the Holy Mass, talking about the importance of making peace in ourselves and the world. He said there are “physical, spiritual” wars. He highlighted that we need a renewal and strengthening of faith and love.

Csíksomlyó pilgrimage
Photo: MTI

The pilgrims will start to travel home this afternoon.

Here is our photo report of this year’s pilgrimage and celebration in Csíksomlyó:

Csíksomlyó pilgrimage
Pilgrims’ train to Csíksomlyó from Budapest. The Csíksomlyó Expressz and the Székely Gyors brings thousands there every year. Photo: MTI

Many participants arrive on horseback. Below, you may check out some photos of the participants of the 7th Márton Áron Equestrian Pilgrimage:

And on foot, behind crosses:

Large crowds listened to the mass of the bishop of Pécs in Csíksomlyó this year despite the bad, rainy weather:

Read also:

  • Why do hundreds of thousands of Hungarians go to Csíksomlyó on Pentecost? – Read more HERE
  • Shops are closed today and tomorrow in Hungary! Here are the exceptions – Details in THIS article

Hungarian minister Bóka: Strong Hungarian representation in EP important

jános bóka

Strong Hungarian representation in the new European parliament and cooperation between Hungarian MEPs from various countries on strategic issues is important, the minister for European Union affairs said in Bucharest on Wednesday, after meeting the top candidates of the ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ party.

After meeting Gyula Winkler, Lóránt Vincze and Dóra Szilágyi, who head RMDSZ’s list for the EP elections, János Bóka said the past five years had been “fundamentally a period of failures” for the EU. The bloc had stumbled on tackling crises such as loss of competitiveness, the ongoing migration crisis, and weaknesses of its defence capabilities and agricultural policy, he said.

Hungarian MEPs had been cooperating on issues such as the representation of indigenous national minorities and linguistic communities in the EU, Bóka said, while initiatives such as Minority Safepack “brought no breakthrough” in the past cycle, hopes were now high that “common sense will prevail in the EU in the next cycle,” he said.

Bóka said Hungary would also work to expand EU regulations on big game, as they currently failed to tackle problems experienced in Transylvania.

Read also:

Beautiful PHOTOS: Building of Hungarian university in Transylvania renovated

sapientia university transylvania

The Hungarian Sapientia University of Transylvania is crucial in terms of the survival of the Hungarian nation, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said, addressing the inauguration of the institution’s renovated building in Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár), in north-western Romania, on Friday.

sapientia university transylvania
The renewed Sapientia University building in Transylvania. Photo: MTI/Kiss Gábor

In his speech, Semjén expressed his congratulations and thanks for the renovation that was supported by the Hungarian government.

He said the Sapientia University was one of “several of the Hungarian government’s successful projects”, but stood out as a “force for the preservation of the nation”. He said the university had a presence from Szekler Land to Cluj-Napoca, “bringing life” to those places and “uniting all of Transylvania”.

Hungarian university in Transylvania

sapientia university transylvania
The renewed Sapientia University building. Photo: MTI/Kiss Gábor

The deputy PM said the Sapientia University was key for the nation’s survival because it offered a competitive education, thereby guaranteeing that ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania are able to make a living. He said it was also important for there to be a uniform Hungarian academic language in the Carpathian Basin.

The university, Semjén said, also served the objectives of the government’s policy for Hungarians abroad. Whereas Hungarian kindergartens formed the base of the Hungarian “education pyramid”, the Sapientia University formed the top, he said, adding that the “full Hungarian-language education pyramid” was in place in Transylvania.

sapientia university transylvania
The renewed Sapientia University building in Transylvania. Photo: MTI/Kiss Gábor

Semjén also said that attending the Sapientia University offered “a unique kind of solidarity”.

The university building’s renovation cost around HUF 474 million (EUR 1.2 million).

Read also:

Outrageous: 15-year-old sportsman assaulted in Romania for being Hungarian

Romanian flag hungarian boy assaulted

Following the incident, Hunor Kelemen, president of the Hungarian Democratic Alliance of Romania (RMDSZ), called for action by Romanian state leaders and punishment of those responsible in a video posted on Facebook on Friday.

“So far and no further”, said the President of the RMDSZ in a video message, reacting to the brutal abuse of a 15-year-old gymnast from Lugoj by his Romanian peers at a training camp “just because he is Hungarian”.

The abused boy was tied up, shaved bald, beaten, given alcohol to drink and ashes thrown on his head, and made to mime sexual games,

the politician wrote in his post.

He said that as a father and as a leader of the Hungarian community, he finds what happened to the 15-year-old Hungarian boy unacceptable and “shocking”, Index writes.

The boy’s sin was being Hungarian

He said that it was the anti-Hungarian campaign of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and the fact that Romanian society had tolerated the hate-mongering for years without a word.

He called on his Romanian political colleagues and the leaders of the state to condemn the incident, because “this cannot be left without words or consequences, anti-Hungarianism must be repressed”.

He said he expects a “very swift” response from the head of state, the prime minister, the interior minister and the justice minister, and an investigation into the events by the national leadership of the gymnastics federation.

On behalf of the RMDSZ and on his own behalf, Hunor Kelemen expressed his condolences to the abused boy and his family and promised help for reparation.

Read also:

The Hungarian tradition of sprinkling on Easter Monday – UPDATED

Sprinkling in Hungary

Hungary has a couple of interesting traditions that foreigners (or even younger Hungarians) might find weird. One of these is sprinkling on Easter Monday.

Even though Easter is a Christian holiday, Easter Monday traditions, including sprinkling, have no significance in the Christian church. What does sprinkling look like? – you might ask.

In the old days, girls were taken to a well or trough in the countryside and doused with buckets, which had fertility charms and also referred to the purifying properties of water.

Indeed, since this is an age-old tradition, many Hungarians do not keep it. As for those who do, the implementation has changed quite a bit. Men who still prefer to keep this convention sprinkle some perfume or cologne on girls and women instead of dousing them with buckets full of cold water (for which many of them are grateful).

In turn, men usually receive painted eggs and some hearty treats (sometimes some coins) from girls and women.

Check out some photos below:

New photos:

Sprinkling in Szeklerland

Watch a video below of a (lot more peaceful and comfortable) Easter Monday sprinkling in Szeklerland, Transylvania, Romania:

In many countries, Easter egg decorating has become an established tradition, and Hungary is at the forefront of this too. Read our guide on how to master the art of traditional Hungarian Easter egg painting HERE!

Read also:

Amazing news: Special saltwater spa opens in Transylvania with new look

saltwater In Praid (Parajd), the centre of the Salt Region in Transylvania, an indoor spa was inaugurated in 2015.

In Praid (Parajd), the centre of the Salt Region in Transylvania, an indoor spa was inaugurated in 2015. After more than six months of closure, the Praid Wellness Center reopens this week. The year-round facility offers an extensive array of services to guests.

Special saltwater spa in Transylvania

The newly opening Wellness Center offers a saltwater pool, a freshwater pool, a children’s pool, two jacuzzis and a sauna area for guests, Termál Online reports. The main attraction of the spa, which is owned by the municipality of Praid, is its special saltwater. It is mainly used to treat musculoskeletal and articular problems, dermatological, gynaecological and respiratory diseases.

Although it is a young facility, a major renovation was needed. Thus, the spa, which welcomes 120-140,000 guests a year, closed in mid-September last year. It was estimated at the time that the works would take two to three months, meaning that even in the worst-case scenario they could reopen for the end-of-year holidays.

Renovating the Praid Wellness Center

However, unexpected defects were found during the works, so this deadline could not be met. There were also serious structural problems, with some columns requiring structural reinforcement. According to Termál Online, this was probably due to the fact that the saltwater had eroded many of the building elements over the years.

Promised to reopen in February at the beginning of the year, it was once again delayed, this time by a month.

Praid Wellness Center
Praid Wellness Center. Source: wellnesspraid.ro

The Wellness Center in Praid is opening again on Saturday, 23 March.

“Indoor pools in spacious enclosed areas are open all year round for those who prefer a healthy lifestyle and those who want to recover,” the Wellness Center’s official website reads.

Thermal water with high salt and mineral content

The spa’s greatest treasure is its thermal water, with a high salt and mineral content, which comes from a depth of 1,000 metres and is stored in a 10×20-metre pool. The beneficial effects of the saltwater can be experienced by those suffering from musculoskeletal and joint problems, but it is also recommended for skin diseases, gynaecological problems and respiratory diseases, the operator writes.

In accordance with today’s needs, in addition to the spa pool, you can find additional services in a spacious area of almost 1000 sqm:

  • 10x20m freshwater swimming pool
  • 3x8m, 60cm deep warm freshwater children’s pool
  • 2 jacuzzis
  • 2 steam baths
  • 1 infrared sauna
  • 2 Finnish saunas
  • Cold splash bath
  • Play area
  • Summer terrace
  • Fitness room
  • Bathtub

The recommended bathing time is 20-30 minutes, which can be repeated 2-3 times with at least 20-minute breaks.

A full-price day ticket costs RON 120 (EUR 24), while a discounted day ticket costs RON 90 (EUR 18).

Opening hours:

  • Weekdays: 12:00–21:00
  • Weekends: 10:00–21:00
  • During school holidays and public holidays: 10:00–21:00
  • Special occasional opening hours for night bathing: 22:00–00:00

Read also:

Hungarian FM Szijjártó marks 1848 anniversary in Transylvania

péter szijjártó sepsiszentgyörgy 1848

The message of Hungary’s 1848 revolution is that Hungarians must join together and “each of them is counted on in improving our nation’s future”, the foreign minister said in Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), marking the 176th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1848-49 revolution and war of independence, on Friday.

Péter Szijjártó said Hungarians must join their forces in the interest of their nation and “act together, by helping one another in cooperation across the border”, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

At the same time, he said, there were “traitors paid by large powers to divide Hungarians in the mother country and beyond the borders”, adding that “all of them will end up being washed away by history” because “the ideal of the Hungarian nation does not exist without Sfantu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), Lendava (Lendva), Osijek (Eszék), Mukachevo (Munkács), Dunajska Streda (Dunaszerdahely), Senta (Zenta) and without the diaspora”.

“This is why it is our duty to firmly stand up for the rights of the Hungarian communities which we have done and will also do in future.”

At the commemoration of the battle of Simeria (Szemerja), Szijjártó said “we here stand together and declare that we are proud to be Hungarian”. “We are proud of what we have achieved through history. That we are the inheritors of a Christian culture which is older than a thousand years… we have continued to always exist as Hungarians midst the big hurdles and uncertainties we faced in history.”

“And above all, we Hungarians are proud to be free,” the foreign minister said and called for peace in Ukraine.

Addressing a commemoration in Oradea (Nagyvarad) later on Friday, Szijjártó said Hungarians’ freedom meant “we can decide about our own future”. He said the revolutionaries in 1848 had fought for “the obvious, clear and much desired goals of freedom, peace and consensus, goals that we want here, today, too.”

“We have always been ready to fight for our freedom and independence, even when facing the biggest, most dangerous and brutal and massive forces including the Ottoman and the Habsburg empires and later the Germans and the Soviets. We took up the fight against them, and stood our course,” Szijjártó said.

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Góbéfest: Celebrate Transylvania and Hungary in Manchester in June!

góbéfest manchester

Góbéfest, Manchester’s original urban folk music and dance festival with strong Central and Eastern European leanings, is back!

Established in 2017, Góbéfest has its roots firmly in Transylvania and Hungary, but over the years has expanded its reach to cherry pick some of the finest performing artists from around the Carpathian Basin and beyond.

Returning to Cathedral Gardens from Friday 21-Sunday 23 June 2024, the festival will for the first time be selling day or weekend tickets for the Friday and Saturday. Sunday – which has become known as Dance Day – will remain free.

The weekend promises an expertly curated mix of bands and solo artists, folk dance troupes, choirs and more. Independent food and drink traders will be serving up favourites from around the Carpathian Basin, from giant pans of goulash, to the fried flat breads known as lángos and Transylvanian barbecued chimney cakes.

Alongside craft beer, there will also be a Hungarian wine stall and a palinka (Hungarian fruit brandy) bar. Free activities in the family tent include music and dance workshops, storytelling and crafts.

Friday’s headliner, Parno Graszt has been described as ‘the source of gypsy music’ and will be performing exclusively at Góbéfest in what will be the band’s first UK appearance in a decade.

Saturday’s dual headliners are klezmer and Balkan music supremos She’Koyokh and Manchester’s own Rioghnach Connolly and Honeyfeet.

On Saturday 22 June 2024, Márta Sebestyén, Judit Andrejszki & Béla Szerényi Jr. will be in concert at Hallé St Michael’s as a Góbéfest special event.

Keep an eye on the Góbéfest website or socials for updates as more acts are added to the bill.

Early bird tickets for Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June are £25 (£12.50 child over 5) until the end of March. After that, tickets are £35 (£17.50 child over 5). Family tickets are also available for £60 (early bird) and £80. Sunday 23 June is free entry all day. Tickets at gobefest.com/tickets.

Important information about this year’s Góbéfest:

góbéfest manchester
Source: Góbéfest

Where? Cathedral Gardens, Manchester M4 3BG

When? Friday 21 – Sunday 23 June 2024

Website: www.gobefest.com

Tickets: Friday & Saturday £25 early bird tickets until the end of March

Sunday is FREE!

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