Hungarian Town Named European Capital of Culture in 2023

In 2023, in a somewhat unusual way, not just one city, but a region – the Veszprém-Lake Balaton region – will be the European Capital of Culture. The city, which is the county capital, is close to popular Lake Balaton, which is why the two regions could be merged. As a result, visitors can enjoy a rich cultural program in the coming year.

Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region will launch the European Capital of Culture program year on January 21-22, 2023 with a spectacular celebration and accompanying cultural events to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian national anthem and the Hungarian Day of Culture. Music, dance, art, and regional gastronomic delights await visitors for two days at the opening, but there will be no shortage of activities after the weekend, or even before, as they will start before the launch event.

The European Capital of Culture title is awarded by the European Union on a yearly basis and was launched in the 1980s. During the one year, the chosen city is given the opportunity to showcase its cultural life and development. In recent years, many European cities have used the title to renew their cultural life and put themselves on the map across Europe. It is important to note that there is no EU funding for Capitals of Culture; the events are financed by the local and central government, and sponsorship.

The title of European Capital of Culture has already been held by another Hungarian city, with Pécs being awarded the honor in 2010.

Among other things, Veszprém is a university city, often referred to as the ‘city of queens.’ There is also a castle in the town, which may have been there as early as the 9th century and is one of the earliest Hungarian stone castles. Veszprém is also the episcopal center of Veszprém county, and the history of theater there goes back two centuries. In the summer, the town hosts several festivals, such as the Veszprém Street Music Festival since 2000, the Veszprém Summer Festival since 2001, and the Veszprém Holiday Festival (VeszprémFest) since 2004, which features concerts in the castle by well-known artists.

It is not uncommon for several towns to bear the cultural title in a given year, and this year is no different. In addition to Veszprém, two other cities have been named as European Capitals of Culture this year: Timișoara, Romania, and Eleusis, Greece. Timișoara was originally due to become the Capital of Culture in 2021, but requested a postponement due to the outbreak of Covid-19. The preparations for the event have been preceded by a series of controversies, the main one being the lack of support from the Bucharest government for the project.

Featured photo via Facebook