What we are proud of… … in Zalaegerszeg

Geography Zalaegerszeg is a city of circa 60000 inhabitants in Hungary, Europe. It lies on an ancient floodplain where two small rivers meet among hills and forests. Thus the city is surrounded with beautiful green areas inviting tourists, runners, bikers and families.

Geography II.

A short history There are proofs of inhabitation in the area from the 7th millennia BC. There was an important meeting point of Celtic peoples in the Iron Age. The city was first mentioned in the scriptures as Egurscug, in 1247. 1421: Zalaegerszeg is a country town (oppidum) 1885: Zalaegerszeg is a municipality.

A short history II. The real growth began after the World War II. The population of Zalaegerszeg quickly grew form 14000 (1940) to 62000 (1990). The cause of this growth was the general after-war boom both in the population and the industry.

We are green! If a nature loving visitors come to our town, they can choose a number of places to go. They can choose form walking paths around a lake or more demanding routes up-and-down to the hills around Zalaegerszeg. If they want to have a picnic or a barbecue, or they like water, the number of possibilities is numerous.

Alsóerdő Leaving the town to the east, and walking only 1 km, we find a popular forested are. You can go here running, cycling or just walking. There are areas designated to sports like football or basketball. Downhill bikers can find here excellent areas for their trainings.

Alsóerdő II. Here can you find the so called Rhododendron-valley, which attracts tourists from all over the country in May, when the bushes are in bloom.

Gébárt If you leave the town to north, soon you arrive to Gébárt, a suburb of Zalaegerszeg. The lovers of water can find a very special experience here. In a circle of 800 meters, they can find a lake, a thermal spa and a water adventure park.

The town In the town centre we can see beautiful buildings in the style of neo-baroque, neo-gothic and secession. You have to find time to stroll through the streets and squares or just sit in a café to eat some ice cream or cake.

Maria Magdalena Church The twin-tower Maria Magdalena Church was built in baroque style in the 1750s.

County Courthouse The twin-tower Maria Magdalena Church was built in baroque style in the 1750s. The square in front of it is named after Ferenc Deák, a Member of Parliament during the Revolution in 1848.

TV tower Do not forget to make a trip to the 100 m high TV tower, which is on a hill above the city giving a breath taking view to the town and the nearby hills and forests.

Museums – 3 in one Zalaegerszeg has a very unique museum complex. You can visit for the price of one admission three different museums; all of them are precious pearls of Zalaegerszeg. The village museum gives a look to the life of village people in county Zala. All the houses you can see there are original. They were dismantled and brought to Zalaegerszeg to the exhibition.

Skanzen In this village museum – Skanzen – if you come in the right time, you can enjoy festivals, taste traditional Hungarian food and drinks and see traditional Hungarian dances.

Finno-Ugric Ethnography Park As Hungarian is considered to be a Finn-Ugric language, in this park we present the houses and lifestyle of our language relatives (Khanti, Mansi, Komi, Mari, Udmurt, etc).

Museum of Oil Industry Just next to Skanzen, you can experience the history of oil mining in our country. You can see huge machines, beautiful crystals, and have a quick view on the lives of oil miners. You may not believe, but it is engaging!

Thank you for your attention!

Sources http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Zalaegerszeg.jpg http://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/europe/Hungary-physical-map.gif http://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalaegerszeg http://www.velo.hu/UserFiles/p/a/r/partiandras_fotosorokpeter(1).jpg http://neta.itthon.hu/site/upload/2009/06/TV-torony.JPG http://photos.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/81/22/32_big.jpg