Government: Culture capital of Europe title ‘unique opportunity’ for Veszprém
The European Capital of Culture title presents “a unique opportunity” for Veszprém and the surrounding region, Tibor Navracsics, the regional development minister said on Monday, unveiling the programme ahead of the official opening on Jan. 21.
Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region will now have the chance to boost their profile as popular tourist destinations, given the beauty of the landscape, the sophistication of locals, and the quality of programmes on offer, the minister told a press conference in Budapest.
A spectacular celebration will kick off the cultural capital season in Veszprém on Jan. 21, with 50 free events at 13 locations put on throughout the city over the weekend, he noted.
The European Capital of Culture initiative began almost 40 years ago as a way to highlight intersections of European cultural heritage and the cultural community, Navracsis said, adding that the idea was to show that there was more that united the nations of Europe than separated them.
Read more news and details about Veszprém, the European Capital of Culture HERE.
Read alsoHungarian city Veszprém becomes a UNESCO City of Music!
1st Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix to be held in Capital of Culture Veszprém – UPDATED
The Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix, one of the most important international cultural events of the year to be held in the summer of 2023 as announced on Wednesday at the Hungarian State Opera House. The event will debut next year as part of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme and be hosted by ActiCity. The event is organised by the Hungarian National Ballet Institute and the Hungarian State Opera Foundation for Ballet Students, under the patronage of the Hungarian State Opera.
The Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix international ballet competition for children and youth will be held for the first time in Hungary from 26 June to 1 July 2023 at Acticity in Veszprém. The event is part of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme and is organised by the Hungarian National Ballet Institute and the Hungarian State Opera Foundation for Ballet Students with the professional support of the Hungarian State Opera.
The long-term goal of the Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix is to nurture talent and to promote ballet education and the art of ballet in Hungary. Competitors will compete in professional and amateur categories, in classical and modern ballet, and the high quality of the competition will be ensured by a jury of 8 internationally renowned dance artists, masters and dedicated supporters, in addition to the partners.
“I met Director Solymosi in 2017 and have been following his vision ever since. The Ballet Grand Prix has been a priority of his directorial bid for a decade, which we began redesigning in the winter of 2021. Next year, Europe will be looking to Veszprém, and we will fill the city with ballet,” said Annamária Steiner-Isky, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Hungarian State Opera’s Foundation for Ballet Students and initiator of the Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix concept.
“Creating an international ballet competition has been a dream of mine for more than 10 years, so it has been in all my applications for ballet director. I am very grateful that within the framework of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 ECoC programme we finally have the opportunity to organise the first Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix. A competition like this is important not only for the education of young talents and professional encounters, but also for the international recognition of a country’s cultural life”, said Tamás Solymosi, Director of the Hungarian National Ballet and Ballet Institute, at the press conference.
“Both the Hungarian National Ballet Institute and the Opera House Children’s Choir ensure the high quality artistic development of more than 200 children. In the future, we would like to pay even more attention to the training of our future ballet dancers and choir singers, which is why I consider it very important to support the Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix now being launched. We are also planning to create our own eight-year school, the Opera Campus, to meet special needs of children studying in our institutions – another great need to support future talents,” said Szilveszter Ókovács, Director General of the Hungarian State Opera.
The first international ballet competition in Hungary will focus on young people aged 7-18, with pre-competitive, junior and youth categories in five age groups.
In total, candidates will have to compete in three rounds. The contestants will have to submit a video presentation of a pre-set variation, while in the second round they will have to present their individual, duet and group numbers in person. In the third round, the most talented finalists will present to the audience a completely new performance, which they will have learned during the event. The winners of the Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix will be announced on the final day of the event at a grand gala performance.
The winner of the competition, aged 15-18, will receive Youth Grand Prix recognition and a cash prize, as well as the opportunity to perform at next year’s gala as an invited performer. The winner of the 10 to 14 age group will be awarded the Junior Grand Prix.
“The Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme aims to strengthen Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region as a highly visible European cultural area in the medium and long term. The involvement of young people in the world of arts is one of the best tools to achieve this, so it was a logical decision to accept and support the Veszprém Ballet Grand Prix competition, which is aimed at creating a tradition: the classical and contemporary dance competition of young people will bring the region and the city of Veszprém into the international dance arts bloodstream in the long term”, said Alíz Markovits, CEO of VEB2023 ECoC.
Alíz Markovits added: “Veszprém has a grand tradition of movement arts and dance. Next year of the ECoC title, we will organise the 24th edition of the Dance Festival, and in the spirit of this great festival the Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix will join the ActiCity, the home of this international ballet competition.
At the end of the event, the CEO invited everyone to visit Veszprém on 21-22th January for the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture and then to enjoy the thousands of events of the ECoC throughout the year.
The detailed competition programme of the Hungarian Ballet Grand Prix will be published by the organisers at the beginning of 2023 on www.hbgp.hu also worth visiting for information concerning the competition, finals and gala performance in Veszprém.
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European Capital of Culture programme presented in Brussels
Bearing the title European Capital of Culture in 2023 is “an opportunity for Europe and for Hungary, and for Veszprém to further develop its cultural life and present it to domestic and foreign audiences”, György Hölvényi, MEP of Hungary’s allied ruling Christian Democrats, told an event at which the Veszprém-Balaton region’s programme was presented in Brussels late on Wednesday.
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Andrea Bocskor, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, said it was important “to treasure and preserve Europe’s cultural heritage and diversity, and support the arts and creative industries all across Europe”.
Veszprem Mayor Gyula Porga told Hungarian reporters that the programme was designed not only to present the special culture of his city and its region but to take Hungarian culture to other countries while “bringing to the region Europe’s diversity”. He said the European programme was instrumental in developing the city and a community, while it created “good financial and intellectual opportunities for Veszprem to belong among Europe’s most liveable cities by 2030”.
Read alsoLargest Hungarian exhibition in Germany since 1989 opens in Berlin!
Cornerstones and evolution of Hungarian Culture
Located on the Eastern side of Europe, Hungary possesses a unique past that has shaped its culture to be one of the most eye-catching on the continent.
Culture Around Hungarian Work
Hungary’s political background has been transcribed into the business culture of the nation. There is a strict hierarchy amongst most organizations where society is taught to know their place in terms of their status and follow strict customs of respect and loyalty to their superiors.
All actions are completed within the hierarchy framework, which has been indoctrinated into Hungarian culture. This has created a huge emphasis on discipline amongst Hungarian teachings.
Hungarian Art, Music, and Leisure
Hungary is home to some of the most well-renowned European composers of the 19th century, including names such as Zoltán Kodály and Ferenc Liszt. These still have relevance in Hungarian music culture and have managed to survive through the test of time.
In addition, Hungary prides itself on its unique architecture that can be found in all the major cities, however, places like Veszprem and Szentendre are hidden gems for this form of artwork.
When it comes to more modern forms of leisure, Hungary also excels in this department as shopping, casinos, and general forms of tourism have been flourishing in the country for the last decade.
Even though Hungary prides itself on staying grounded in its traditions by conserving Hungarian forms of art, music, and architecture in the culture, the nation has made some recent amendments to its leisure scene over the past couple of decades.
For instance, the gambling scene in Hungary has been on the rise. The scene has utilized universally known gambling customs to try and adapt this form of leisure to Hungary’s culture and ultimately draw more attention. For instance, inspiration has been taken from original slot games like Rainbow Riches, a vibrant, Irish-themed slot with loads of features that continues to be a staple on most online casino and bingo sites. By using established titles as inspiration Hungary has been able to take advantage of the decades of knowledge that have gone into creating the current generation of titles.
Religion in Hungary
From a global perspective, Christianity is declining in numbers but in Hungary, it remains a cornerstone of the nation’s culture. There is a range of Christian denominations across Hungary, including Roman Catholic, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Greek Catholic. There are strands of Judaism across the country as well.
Most Hungarians celebrate Saint Stephen’s Day, remembering the first Hungarian king who famously brought Christianity to the country. This has lived on ever since.
Furthermore, the religious city of Veszprem will be the European Capital of Culture in 2023, highlighting how Budapest isn’t the only city that Hungary has to offer to tourists.
Hungarian Food and Drink
Hungary’s signature dish is Gulyas, a thick soup that contains Hungarian red paprika, a variety of vegetables, pork fat and beef. The origins of this dish can be traced back to stews eaten by Magyar shepherds.
Another popular dish is Langos, seen as an alternative to bread. There are a variety of toppings that come with it and it can be eaten with sausages, cheese, or garlic sauce.
Ultimately Hungary’s rich culture makes it one of the eye-catching places to visit on the continent based on its ability to adopt new forms of culture as well as being able to maintain an authentic feel to the nation as a whole.
Veszprém-Balaton European Capital of Culture 2023 presented in Berlin
The Veszprém-Balaton European Capital of Culture 2023 programme is being presented in Berlin with contributors from Berlin and Lake Balaton making an appearance on Tuesday at the Collegium Hungaricum Berlin.
The event entitled Berlin by Lake Balaton will include wine tasting and musical performances hosted by János Can Togay, the event’s chief creative consultant, with the participation of German-Hungarian siblings Lilla and Bence von Puttkamer. Lilla is a painter and performance artist, while Bence is a forester and winemaker based on the northern shore of Lake Balaton.
In 2018, Veszprém and the Balaton and Bakony regions won the 2023 capital of culture title.
Programmes starting in January will showcase the region’s traditions and cultural diversity.
Read more information European Capital of Culture 2023 – Veszprém
Hungarian City of Queens to become European Capital of Culture?
The fact that the government has provided 39 billion forints (EUR 110m) to support a large-scale upgrade of episcopal buildings in Veszprém, a European Capital of Culture in 2023, goes to show that it is committed to the city not only politically but financially as well, Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said in Veszprem on Friday.
The grant will cover the overhaul of several episcopal buildings including the cathedral, smaller churches, the Archbishop’s Palace, administrative offices, and museum and community spaces in Veszprém Castle, Semjén told a press conference in the city in western Hungary, which is a county seat and a historically important religious centre.
He noted that the large-scale renovation of the buildings in the castle area is a project signalling the development of the city as next year’s cultural capital itself and its region as well. “The development will also serve that the city and its region can thrive spiritually, intellectually and economically,” Semjén said.
- Read also: Veszprém – The city of Queens – PHOTOS
Veszprém became the first episcopal seat of Hungary in 1009 and an archiepiscopal seat in 1993. It was the favorite city of Queen Gisela, the wife of St. Stephen, Hungary’s first king.
Read alsoThe Hungarian “City of Queens” then and now – PHOTOS
5 things not to miss if you visit Bulgaria as a Hungarian, Part 2 — PHOTOS
Bulgaria is visited by many tourists every year. Most of them go for the beaches, but the rest of the country also offers exciting experiences. Bulgaria has a variety of programs on offer at all times of the year. We’ll show you the best programs that are worth trying as a Hungarian or wherever you come from.
Plovdiv
In 2010, the European Capital of Culture was represented by Pécs in Hungary. In 2023, Veszprém will become one of the cultural capitals. In 2019, Plovdiv, the second-largest city in Bulgaria, was the European Capital of Culture. In light of this, the ancient city has been renewed in many places. Its most significant sights are the theatre and stadium from the Roman era. The old town and the interactive Bishop’s Basilica of Philippopolis are also worth visiting.
Skiing
Skiing is becoming more and more popular in Hungary as well. Most people travel to Slovenia and Austria, but Bulgaria is also an excellent choice in this respect. In Bansko, there is a 1,500-metre level difference, and more than 48 kilometres of ski slopes are available. Bansko is a lesser-known destination, which is why the prices are much lower than in the popular western ski resorts. Among other things, alpine and biathlon competitions are held here regularly.
Tsarevets fortress — Veliko Tarnovo
The monumental Tsarevets fortress in Veliko Tarnovo shows what great power Bulgaria was. Veliko Tarnovo was the capital of the country twice. Thanks to its location on a hill and its strong walls, it was an almost impregnable fortress and withstood Turkish attacks for 3 months. In the Middle Ages, the struggles against the Turks were also a significant part of Hungary’s history. Tsarevets housed 400 houses, 22 churches, and 4 monasteries. The huge castle offers a fabulous view during the day, as well as some shade thanks to the trees, while at night, there are shows with colourful lights and music.
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Rose
For many people, Bulgaria is immediately associated with the rose. The rose is one of the main symbols of Bulgaria. The Rose Valley, Rose Festival, and various preparations are known and loved all over the world. In the Damascena complex, you can visit the first private rose oil distillery. In a beautiful environment, we can learn about rose oil production, we can study different types of roses, and we can buy different lavender and rose products. If we get hungry, we will find a solution to this problem in the local restaurant.
Winery
We Hungarians are famous for loving good wines, and accordingly, we have great winemaking places. Tokaj, Villány, Eger, Badacsony are just some of the many Hungarian wineries. The same can be said for Bulgarians. There are also many famous wineries in Bulgaria. In addition to delicious wines, the Starosel complex pampers tourists and those wishing to relax with a hotel and a spa. Molerite Winery is a family business. Here, too, it is possible to stay, so we can taste as many kinds of wine and Bulgarian food as possible.
Read also5 things not to miss if you visit Bulgaria as a Hungarian, Part 2 — PHOTOS
The Hungarian “City of Queens” then and now – PHOTOS
Veszprém, the county’s capital with the same name, is one of the most important cities in Transdanubia.
Its proximity to Lake Balaton and the good motorway connection to other parts of the country are only two aspects that make Veszprém an essential and popular city.
It is one of the oldest urban areas with one of the oldest standing castles in the country.
For this reason, the city was a significant place already a thousand years ago to the first Hungarian king, Stephen I. Moreover, Veszprém played a vital role in the life of his wife and Hungary’s first queen consort, Queen Gisela. It is thanks to her that Veszprém is called “the City of Queens” since their reign.
Find out a bit more about Veszprém and its history here.
Of course, Veszprém is an important city for us, Hungarians, for all the reasons mentioned in the article above. Moreover, Europe and the whole world also appreciate the beauty and culture the city offers, as Veszprém gained the UNESCO City of Music title in 2019.
Maybe an even more significant recognition is the fact that
Veszprém will be the European Capital of Culture in 2023.
Naturally, the city has changed a lot since the time of the first Hungarian king. But going through the past 1000 years would not only take a lot of time, but it would also be quite impossible. So instead, we will only go back around 100 years to see how differently the City of Queens used to shine.
We start our tour in 1900, over 100 years ago. Óváros tér (Old City Square) is one of the most important squares of the city. It received its current name after the regime change at the beginning of the 90s. The picture you see below is from the first year of the 20th century when the square was still called Market Square, referring to the big market operating here at that time.
Staying in the same year, below you can see one of the most important buildings, not only of Veszprém but of the whole county. This is the County House, where all the important officials worked and held their sessions. It was built little before this photo was taken and inaugurated only in 1887. Today, one of the best confectionaries in the city is situated on the opposite side of the street.
The Benedek Hill is not only a beautiful place under the castle with a mesmerising panorama of half of the city, the castle and the so-called “island of love”, but it is also the perfect place to meet friends, have a drink or a snack and spend the perfect sunny afternoon before taking a walk in the oldest part of the city right below the hill.
The Veszprém Castle, as mentioned above, played a crucial role not only in the life of its city but in that of the whole country. It is still standing strong and beautiful today, attracting many tourists every year, especially in summer, during all the exciting and cool events the city organises. It gives place to concerts of the Street Music Festival or the Rozé, Rizling and Jazz Festival in summer, among others.
The Saint Stephen Viaduct connecting the two parts of the city is Hungary’s first viaducts. It is one of Veszprém’s symbols up until today. The area changed quite a bit since its inauguration in 1937. Today, the streets running under it are much more crowded, mainly thanks to the city’s zoo, which opened in 1958. Again, Veszprém is a leader in this respect, as the Veszprém zoo is the third one built in the country. Today the park has everything a big European zoo could present you with.
And finally, the main street of the city, Kossuth street. Actually, today’s street might not be the most important one in Veszprém, at least not when it comes to transportation. The long street starting from the city centre is more like a walking avenue today. Nevertheless, its big clock standing right at the start of the street from where the avenue continues downhill is still an important meeting point for those of Veszprém.
Veszprém – The city of Queens – PHOTOS
A small, cosy city to raise your kids in, but at the same time, a big county capital full of students which, in the past years, has been growing and becoming more important in the region. The proximity of Lake Balaton makes it even more attractive to live in, not to mention programmes organised all year round, but do you know anything about the historical significance of Veszprém?
Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, the administrative centre of Veszprém County. Its Castle, together with those of Esztergom and Székesfehérvár, is one of the oldest castles of the country.
It was already standing in its place back in the 10th century, in the times of Géza, the Grand Prince of Hungarians, who was the father of Hungary’s first king, Stephen I of Hungary.
The castle itself played an important religious role in the country’s history, as
Stephen I defeated the armies of his chief opponent near Veszprém, thus becoming the first king of the country and making Christianity the official religion.
It became the first episcopal seat of Hungary some years later.
Veszprém was not only important for our first king but also for his wife and Hungary’s first queen consort, Queen Gisela. Together with her husband, she played a fundamental role in spreading Christianity and Western culture in Hungary. Veszprém was her favourite city and thus, for centuries,
queens of Hungary were crowned by the bishop of Veszprém in the city, giving it the nickname “the city of Queens“.
Veszprém was not only one of the first cities to have a castle but was also among those to have a university. Students had the opportunity to study law and arts in the beginning, until 1276, when the university was destroyed in a fire. Its successor, the University of Pannonia, is more than 70 years old, and today, the most important faculties are of Engineering, Agriculture, and Information Technology. The city has numerous secondary schools, from which two are among the best ones both in the county and in the country every year, which gives the city another nickname, “an academic city“.
There is no unilateral agreement on the origin of the city’s name; however, there are several theories. The most probable one is that the name comes from a Slavic word “bezprem” which means “uneven”, “with hills”, referring to the geographical characteristics of Veszprém lying on seven hills. According to another explanation, and this is, of course, the dearest to us, Queen Gisela withdrew her fur coat with a cry of “no fur” (“Vessz! Prém!”) to contribute to the cost of building the St. Michael’s Cathedral.
Nowadays, Veszprém is a little less medieval and much more international, despite its beautiful old centre and castle area. It is no surprise that
Veszprém has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2023.
The city is full of programs all year round. In the winter, we can choose from two wonderful theatres offering either traditional or modern plays or go to a concert at the newly-built concert/theatre hall called Hangvilla. At Christmas time, taking a long walk in the old city centre in the little, narrow, medieval streets just under the castle offers a wonderful experience. If we get too cold, which does happen in the snowy weather, we just head to the main street, called Kossuth Street, where the Christmas market is set up, and we just grab a bite of a traditional chimney cake or a sip of a good mulled wine.
When spring sets in, and the weather gets a little bit nicer, the number of leisure and outdoor opportunities multiplies. The Veszprém ZOO offers the perfect activity for kids and grown-ups, with its dinosaur park and African Savannah-like playground, not to mention, of course, its hundreds of inhabitants.
If we would like to escape from the city a little bit, the best destination would be Lake Balaton, of course, which lies only 15km from Veszprém.
It can be reached easily and quickly, not only by car or bus but also by the newly-built and regularly maintained cycling track that starts in Veszprém and goes up to the lake itself, offering not only a beautiful panorama on the way but also a healthy option to arrive there.
www.facebook.com/VeszpremFestOfficial/
As spring turns into summer, the city offers a huge number of concerts and festivals. VeszprémFest brings the best musicians to town every year on its numerous stages throughout the city. The nr1 music festival is the so-called Utcazene Fesztivál where hundreds of unknown bands and singers play on the streets from the early afternoon until the evening to fight to be chosen the best. And when the night falls, it is time for national and international heavyweights of the music industry.
The list of activities to do in Veszprém goes on, but we would need several articles to write about everything, so we are closing with one suggestion: make a New Year’s resolution and make sure to visit this wonderful and picturesque gem of Transdanubia this year.
Hungarian city Veszprém becomes a UNESCO City of Music!
As reported by sokszinuvidek.24.hu, on Thursday the UN awarded the prestigious UNESCO City of Music title to Veszprém. With this, Veszprém is amongst cities like Liverpool, who are represented by The Beatles.
Veszprém Mayor Gyula Porga believes that the city was given this award due to Veszprém’s love for music; not just for hosting grand festivals such as VeszprémFest and Auer Fesztivál, but for the important role music plays in residents’ everyday lives. In his words, music helps build communities in Veszprém and is a crucial element in local education.
Music can be heard everywhere in Veszprém – whether performed by professionals or amateurs – as it is part of the cultural fabric of the city.
During Veszprém’s Utcazene Fesztivál, musicians take to the city’s streets to perform all sorts of musical genres – from classical to hip-hop, from folk to rock.
According to a statement by the local government, the city was able to achieve this award by being the European Capital of Culture in 2023 and being part of the UNESCO Creative Cities network.
Veszprém is amongst cities such as Liverpool, the home of The Beatles, and Kingston in Jamaica, where the roots of reggae can be found. Other notable cities include Sevilla for being the hotspot for flamenco. London and New York are also UNESCO Cities of Music, as their theatres host world-famous musicals.
The House of Hungarian Music won the best public building award. We also communicated that Carlos Santana is coming to Hungary next year!
WOW! – 6 Hungarian towns among Europe’s most cultural and creative cities
Six Hungarian towns – Budapest, Győr, Veszprém, Pécs, Szeged, and Debrecen – have been ranked on the list of Europe’s most cultural and creative cities. The ranking was carried out by the European Commission; the body awarded 30 towns from 190 European countries.
Budapest
Budapest achieved outstanding results in the area of job creation in the creative sector – 87.3% – which is a remarkable percentage not only in its own category (population over 1,000,000), but it highly exceeds the 37% EU average as well. According to the report of Cultural and Creative Cities’ Monitor,
in the area of creative economy – namely, how creative industries contribute to the employment capacity of the city – Budapest (47.3%) also outperformed the EU average (34.5%).
Győr
As far as Győr is concerned, the city’s dynamic development and its innovative features have been emphasised, by which it has become one of the largest economic and industrial centres of Hungary. Besides several cultural events and festivals, they highlighted The Ballet Company and The National Theatre of Győr due to their outstanding role in the region.
Pécs
In the case of Pécs, the city’s multi-ethnic and multicultural composition has been emphasised, which “opens the door” to non-EU Balkan countries. They acknowledged the city’s effort to protect the cultural values of minorities and its attitude towards refugees of the Balkan wars. Besides this, the city’s Early Christian monuments listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been highlighted as well, along with the well-developed Zsolnay Cultural Quarter.
Szeged
Szeged was described as a significant historical heritage and a university city with numerous cultural treasures.
Among several cultural festivals, the 85-year-old Szeged Open-Air Games has been pointed out as one of the most outstanding cultural scenes of Hungary.
Veszprém
Veszprém – designated as European Capital of Culture until 2023 – has been ranked on the list of cultural and creative cities for the first time. Several cultural institutions can be found in the city, including museums, art galleries, and theatres, as well as numerous world-famous music festivals, including VeszprémFest and Street Music Festival of Veszprém.
Debrecen
Debrecen was also ranked for the first time – described as one of the most important cultural centres of Hungary. Here, they highlighted the largest exhibition space of Hungary – MODEM Modern and Contemporary Arts Centre – and several cultural events, including the Béla Bartók International Choir Competition, Debrecen Flower Carnival, and Campus Festival.
According to nullahategy.hu, the report also revealed that within the cultural and creative sector, employment has grown particularly in Northern and Central-Eastern European cities.
On average, an annual growth of 12% has been experienced in Budapest (Hungary), Tallinn and Tartu (Estonia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Krakow and Wroclaw (Poland).
They pointed out that the cultural venues of the cities are perfectly accessible from the residential area – 30 minutes by walk, or only 5 minutes by bike. However, they also noted that future EU cohesion funds should promote further convergence of socio-economic and territorial cohesion by focusing on creative jobs, innovation, and transport connections. The latter areas experience the biggest deficiencies.
They also added that the listed settlements are characterised by prosperity; in the case of these cities, a positive correlation can be observed between cultural and creative indicators and the income level.
Veszprém is going to be European Capital of Culture 2023
It is Veszprém’s bid for European Capital of Culture that is backed by the project’s independent, international experts’ board, the decision was announced on Friday in Budapest. Veszprém mayor Gyula Porga and the team of Veszprém-Balaton 2023 wish to thank all who have helped in the preparation process over the past three years.
Before the official announcement, Aiva Rozenberga, chair of the board declared: they have read and encountered a great number of excellent initiatives and progressive ideas in all three finalist candidate cities’ bids. She added: winning the title does not only have an effect on the one city, but on the country, and indeed, the whole continent. After the annozncement, she added:
Veszprém has the potential to make a valuable addition to the European cultural heritage.
After the moments of overwhelming joy, Gyula Porga, mayor of Veszprém said: In addition to several hundred civil organisations, business entrepreneurs and private people, gratitude is owed to the participating self-governments and experts for their work in developing the bid. He stressed: great emphasis has been placed in Veszprém’s bid on cooperation, and so, the city will work together with over two hundred settlements from the Balaton and Bakony regions to put the programmes of ECoC 2023 into reality.
Execution of the bid programme will start in January 2019 to allow the city and the area to be fully prepared to carry the title by 2023.
In 2023, one single city, Veszprém is going to be European Capital of Culture, and this fact makes winning the title truly exceptional.
Cultural Capital is a European Union initiative aimed at highlighting shared cultural characteristics across the community, while promoting cultural diversity as well as the international character of cities through culture.
Photo: facebook.com/VeszpremFestOfficial