Get on the wakeboard!

Wakeboarding is an easy-to-learn extreme sport invented by surfers who wanted to indulge their passion even when there were no big waves. So they invented the idea of being pulled by a rope attached to a motorboat and later built cableways specifically for this purpose. Fans of this sport, which is particularly popular with young people, now have access to a number of wakeboard tracks built on natural water in Hungary.

Lupawake in Budakalász is one of the most professional wakeboarding venues in the country, with four different levels of ropes and twenty-two world-class elements. The Venice Beach Cable Park is located on Lake Velencei next to the open-air beach and the Velence Korzo, but it has become a favourite not only for its idyllic location but also for its 800-meter, five-pole track, which hosts the national wakeboard championships.

The Lido beach in Vonyarcvashegy is one of the best beaches on Lake Balaton in itself, and the exciting 820metres long, five-pole water skiing track is a magnificent bonus.

Another excellent choice is the Bamboo Island in Siofok, which really is an island: located eighty meters from the coast on a 460 square meter pier, it offers wakeboarding lovers a five-pole track no less than a kilometer long.

It's worth a try, as wakeboarding on the open waters of Lake Balaton is a really cool experience.

Where else in Hungary do you find wakeboarding facilities? Near Budapest, you can try this extreme water sport in Dunaharaszti, Martonvásár, or Gyömrő, around Lake Balaton in Balatonfüred, but beginners and advanced wakeboarders can also enjoy it in Kecskemét, Győr, Pécs, Szeged, and Nyíregyháza.

Via Ferrata - more than hiking

Via Ferrata is an Italian term meaning an iron track or climbing path. It refers to mountain trails on which various cables, chains, iron ladders, stairs, etc., are securely installed to allow safe passage. Although via ferrata trekking does not require rock climbing skills, it does require physical fitness, practice, and equipment. The difficulty levels of the routes are indicated on a scale from A to E, where the rating is always determined by the most difficult point of the marked section. However, before anyone sets off on a trail, it is important to know that you must be accompanied by a guide for the first time, and it is essential to learn how to use the equipment correctly! There are four places in Hungary: Tatabánya, Csesznek, Cuha Valley, and Sárospatak, there are fifteen different trails to try out this challenging and extremely spectacular sport.

Tip: Csesznek, a village in the Bakony, is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Transdanubian region, with different difficulty levels: the "Futrinka ucca" (not a typo) with difficulty level B is easy to complete even with children and even with mild terrain, while the memorial route named after Zoltán Tálos is recommended only for professionals, since in addition to its 70 m length, the elevation rise is forty-five meters, making it extremely difficult. But there is also the Ostromlók (‘Besiegers’) trail, the first Via Ferrata route in Hungary, or the Várpanoráma (‘View of the Castle’) trail, which, true to its name, offers a beautiful view of Csesznek Castle - but only if you walk the 180-meter trail, which is made difficult by slippery stones and some steeper sections, making it a level D trail.

Paragliding – Flying like a bird

If you've ever dreamed of flying, paragliding gives you just that experience. You can spend hours in the air, riding the air currents.

Beginners can learn the basics in courses lasting a few months, while those who are already familiar with the sport can practice almost anywhere in the country.

Paragliding is also available in Budapest and its surroundings, such as Gödöllő, as well as in Gyöngyös, Eger, Tokaj, the Balaton Highlands, and Hajdúszoboszló, but there are also suitable areas in Békéscsaba, Pécs, Győr, and Sopron. Popular paragliding spots include Csolnok near Esztergom, the Csobánc peak near Badacsony, and the Kétágú hill on the western ridge of the Pilis mountains.

Tip: For those who want to try paragliding but are afraid to take on the extreme adventure alone, there is also the option of tandem flying with a qualified instructor. This is the most direct way of flying and, as the passenger is positioned in front (and the instructor behind), the passenger's view is unobstructed. And for those who have tried the experience several times and want to try something a little more, thermal flying is worth a try. The word 'thermal' means warm, rising air, which can be used to soar to altitudes of 1,000 to 2,000 meters, or 2,500 to 3,000 meters in very good weather conditions.

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Paragliding at Lake Balaton - Photo: Profimedia

Mountain biking at a breathtaking pace

There are countless forms of cycling, from simple urban cycling to road racing and off-road cycling. The latter is becoming increasingly popular in Hungary, with downhill and enduro cycling being the two fastest-growing disciplines. Cross-country cycling enthusiasts like the sport for its speed, its struggle with terrain, obstacles, and, sometimes, the weather. Although mountain biking is not allowed on all hiking trails in Hungary, mountain bikers can also enjoy their favourite activity on dedicated trails. In addition to the Bringaréna in Eplény, mountain bike trails can be found in Veszprém, Pécs, Sopron, and several places in the Buda Hills.

Those who would like to enjoy "downhilling" - a more extreme form of off-road cycling, a high-speed descent from a mountainside - can do so at some of the country's legal downhill tracks - apart from the aforementioned Eplény - in Mátra, where a seven-kilometer track awaits the riders of gravity.

The average width of the track from Kékestető Peak to Mátrafüred is two to four meters, and there is a 600-meter altitude difference awaiting riders descending it.

In the Sopron Park Forest, an 11-kilometer track with a 300-meter altitude difference was built in 2013.

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Mountain biker on the Kékestető Peak - Photo: Hungarian Tourism Agency

Diving  – The world from a different perspective

Diving in Hungary? As incredible as it may sound at first, it's not! There are several places in Hungary where you can dive: Dorog, Csepel, Szalkszentmárton, Kőbánya, Ecséd, Gyékényes, Tata, Lake Hegyesdi, and even in the heart of Budapest, in Lake Feneketlen (which literally translates to 'Bottomless'). 
The Fényes spring in Tata is a wonderful hot springs diving place in Hungary, hidden in the ancient marshlands. The 16-25 degree springs were formed two to three million years ago along the fault lines of volcanic eruptions in Transdanubia. The largest lake in the baths was formed by the springs and their run-off water was used for bathing by Countess Esterházy, hence the name Grófi (’of the Counts’) Lake. Today, the main attraction is the constantly bubbling, crystal-clear, quartz-covered bottom of the springs, the 'mini-geysers'. However, there are several lakes in the area where you can dive: the Körtefás lake has the richest vegetation, with sunfish, bream, and carp up to 70 to 80 centimeters in size, as well as amur fish up to a meter long. However, divers say that the best lake is the protected Fountain Lake, which is the longest lake suitable for diving, with the most water lilies and the most aquatic vegetation.

You can dive among huge aquatic plants, chase fish, and look for turtles.

You can practically feel like you're wandering through a tropical jungle while diving.

Tip: Diving in the Kőbánya cellar system is an experience not to be missed. The unique Budapest site offers a glimpse into a lesser-known part of the city's past, as the cellars were once used by winemakers, later by the Dreher Brewery, and during the Second World War, the underground aircraft engine factory was located here. Today, diving is possible at the former industrial sites, which are preserved in thirteen to fourteen degrees of water, and one of the four dive sites does not require a cave diving qualification.

Adventure parks for young and old

Adventure parks are becoming more and more popular in Hungary too, and for good reason, as you can take part in all kinds of extreme challenges and experience the exhilarating effects of the "adrenaline rush" without putting yourself in danger. There are countless adventure parks in our country, each with its own specialty, from the simplest rope and board-based arcades to canopy slides. 
You can choose between complex adventure parks (such as the Sobri Jóska Adventure Park in Kislőd or the Oxygen Adrenalin Adventure Park in Mátrafüred), skill adventure parks (such as the Sherpa Adventure Park in Balatonfűzfő, the Zamárdi Adventure Park or the Tőserdei Adventure Park in Lakitelek) or bobsleigh tracks (in Visegrád, Sopron, Szilvásvárad, Balatonfűzfő).

Tip: For a more extreme experience, try the best technical parks in Hungary, the Skyward wind tunnel in Csepel, or the Hell Kart extreme go-kart track in Miskolctapolca.

Resources: drivemagazin.hu; csodasmagyarorszag.hu 

This article was written with the professional support of the Hungarian Tourism Agency.
 

What is HUNOR exactly?

HUNOR is an acronym for HUNgarian to ORbit, reflecting the complexity of the program and the versatility of Hungarian space activities. The HUNOR space program is Hungary's own space exploration and space technology project, whose main objective is the development of space technology and scientific research in space. The program works closely with the UN, NASA, and NATO and brings together space activities in Hungary, enabling the launch of new experiments, space experiments, space probes, and satellites. (The name ‘Hunor’ is a popular boy's name in Hungary, meaning "Hun". In Hungarian mythology, brothers Hunor and Magor were the ancestors of the Hun and the Magyar ethnic groups. – translator’s note)
"This initiative will allow the country to participate in international space research and create innovation in the field of space flight. Space exploration not only leads to scientific and technological advances but also inspires and motivates the younger generation and shows that the frontiers of humanity can be continuously pushed," said Dr. Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space.

HUNOR-objectives

The HUNOR program aims to put Hungarian space research ( exploring space weather, space plasma, etc.) and high-tech industry on an upward trajectory.

The aim is also to send a Hungarian research astronaut to the International Space Station, where the chosen one will spend almost a month on board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying out scientific experiments developed exclusively by Hungarians, including lunar rock tests and biomedical experiments.

Hungarians in space again

During the HUNOR space program, Hungary will have the opportunity to participate in an international space expedition in late 2024 or early 2025. Semmelweis University will be involved in training the astronauts and preparing the environment around them. Dr. Béla Merkely, Rector of Semmelweis University, will be responsible for the medical expertise in the HUNOR Program Steering Board. 
"Monitoring astronauts' health and managing space-related research is an exciting and challenging task. The Semmelweis team is committed to ensuring that selected astronauts are trained to the highest standards so that they can successfully complete their future space missions. The selection of the astronauts is the result of a rigorous process, with the top 8 candidates selected from 240 applicants," said Dr. Béla Merkely, who also said that the candidates were tested in a selection process lasting almost a year to assess their mental capacity, physical endurance, personality stability, scientific work ethic and ability to work as a team. They undergo physical training to improve cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, and neuromuscular coordination. Psychological training prepares them for the isolation and confinement they may experience during space missions.

Out of the four selected candidates, one will be allowed to fly into space.

Among the candidates are Gyula Cserényi, 33, an electrical engineer, Tibor Kapu, 31, an aerospace development engineer, Ádám Schlégl, a clinical orthopaedic surgeon and András Szakály, 40, an aeronautical design engineer.

Gyula Cserényi commented on his training to honvedelem.hu: "The performance diagnostic test of the medical team was physically demanding. A mask was placed on our faces to measure our breathing capacity, our upper bodies were covered with electrodes, and we had to run the kilometers on the treadmill - as long as we could. We also had psychological tests. Like we had a sea of questions, a total of 600 in psychology, for example, and we had 20 minutes for each test. Or there were a lot of maths problems, for which we were given 15 minutes in total."

At the Kecskemét site of the Hungarian Defence Forces Medical Centre, the selected participants also flew in Gripen aircraft, albeit in the back seat. The complex task sequence included high-intensity, high-overload turns, low- and medium-altitude aerobatic elements, high-altitude, supersonic flight, and other special manoeuvres to prepare the astronaut candidates for physiological conditions that differ from the norm.

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The original landing unit of the Soyuz 35 spacecraft on display at the Transport Museum. The spacesuit of Bertalan Farkas, the first Hungarian astronaut, at the seat of Valery Kubasov. - Photo: Fortepan/ László Faragó

Hungarian inventions help to explore space 

"The Hungarians have already contributed to the exploration of the cosmos with a number of equipment, developments, and research, which have strengthened the Hungarian space industry and made it more competitive on the international market.

Such achievements include the launch into space of a number of small satellites, nanosatellites, which serve various research purposes and collect data on space phenomena.

We have also sent space probes into deep space, which have helped us understand how our solar system and the universe work. In Hungary, there are currently about 40 companies that base all or part of their activities on the space industry," said the Ministerial Commissioner responsible for space research.

Some other important Hungarian-developed space assets:
Puli Space: the Hungarian-developed instrument is a very small detector, less than 40 dekagrams in size, which is capable of searching for water ice in the upper layers of the lunar rock.
Pille: It joined the Soviet Union-led Interkosmos program in 1967. Bertalan Farkas went into space in 1980, where he carried out the Doza experiment. This was the first test of the Pille, one of the most successful products of Hungarian space activities, whose later versions were also used on NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) space vehicles. The Pille was a miracle in itself, as it was the first device to accurately measure the radiation dose to astronauts in space. 
The VEGA probes, equipped with Hungarian instruments, examined the Haley comet. 
In 1971, the Lunar Rover, the lunar surface exploration vehicle, was also designed by a Hungarian, Ferenc Pavlics. 
The first Hungarian satellite, Masat-1, was launched in 2012.
Tritel RS is a radiation meter still in active service. Its touch screen allows astronauts to view measured doses in tabular and graphical form.

It is not a typical story, even in reform-era Hungary, that a talented young pianist born into a noble family can start his career with absolute parental support: no paternal reprimands, no sibling conflicts, and no poverty in the early years of his career. And Imre Székely, born on 8 May 1823 in a noble family in the Upper Tisza region, had this. Yet today we know almost nothing about him.

What could be the reason for this oblivion?

János Kéry believes that several factors have contributed to the fact that Imre Székely is hardly mentioned in contemporary Hungarian music history. 

"He was a good composer, but not as outstanding a talent as Franz Liszt, but I would daresay he was on a high artistic level with Mihály Mosonyi or Ferenc Erkel - we know them, but not Székely."

The other reason could be the Hungarian style represented by Imre Székely. As he says: "If you say Hungarian music to someone anywhere in the world, the style of classical music that comes to mind is certainly the style represented by the above-mentioned". As an example of how true this is, János Kéry cites an episode from 1947, Tom and Jerry, in which the pianist Tom plays a Liszt rhapsody, namely the Hungarian Rhapsody II, while Jerry, who sleeps on the hammers and then wakes up, annoys him in various ways.

However, this widely popular Hungarian music, with its traditional melodies, fell out of fashion at the beginning of the 20th century, during the time of Bartók and Kodály. The Bartók 'from pure sources only' principle no longer allowed classical music fantasies based on folk music motifs - in Imre Székely's oeuvre, 'daydreams' - to be identified exclusively with the Hungarian musical style. Even if this did not change the assessment of Liszt's oeuvre, the minor composers, the second line, simply fell out of fashion.

The next reason, which may lie behind the oblivion, leads us to the history of the family and the origin of Imre Székely. He came from Mátyfalva, from a Catholic noble family, where, in addition to classical education, service to the fatherland was part of his upbringing, and this background may have provided the political basis for his neglect during the Monarchy and then during the decades of communism.

From the river Tisza to the limelight

Imre Székely's father was a law graduate in the county service, who kept nearly a thousand volumes of Latin, English, German, French, and Hungarian books and journals, played the piano himself, and taught all three of his sons to play music. Lajos played the violin, Imre the piano, and István the cello.

When the father saw Imre's talent, he decided to rent out his property and move the family to Pest to provide a better education for the children. 

"He was given a job as the chief magistrate of the Pest-Pilis-Solt county, and their apartment was on the ground floor of András Fáy's house", recalls János Kéry, adding that Fáy, as a member of the most active Hungarian political circle of the reform era, was not only the founder of the First Hungarian Savings Bank of Pest but also a theatre organizer and stage director, taking the fate of Hungarian musical education and musical culture to heart.

András Fáy lived with the Székely family in his house in Pest and organized French-style salons and musical evenings in his holiday home in Fót, where the young Imre Székely also developed a confident stage routine. His audiences included prominent political and literary figures of the time, such as István Széchenyi, Lajos Kossuth, Ferenc Deák, Ferenc Kazinczy, Ferenc Kölcsey, Dániel Berzsenyi, Miklós Barabás, József Bajza, and István Ferenczy - just to name a few. Imre, meanwhile, became close friends with Fáy's son Gusztáv, who also played the piano, and they studied music and law together.

After graduating from the Academy of Law, Imre took part in the 1843-44 Hungarian Diet of Pozsony (today Bratislava, Slovakia) where his concerts were a great success, mainly performing pieces by Franz Liszt and his own works. It was then that he made up his mind to break with family and nobility traditions and devote his life to music. The decision to take up art was not uncommon at the time, but his father's attitude was all the more so, as he immediately supported his son's decision both morally and financially.

While he was still alive, he gave his son part of his inheritance to help him get further in his studies.

The investments of both the talented youngster and the "prodigal father" who supported him was a good decision. After graduating as a student of Ferenc Erkel in Pest, he travelled to Paris at the turn of 1846-47 with two friends, the aforementioned Gusztáv Fáy and the legendary violinist, Edé Reményi. Their talents quickly became known in the Parisian salon scene and they soon found themselves in Alexandre Dumas' salon, giving sold-out concerts, sometimes solo, sometimes together, organised by the Societe Philharmonique. János Kéry believes that Székely even heard Chopin live, who gave his last concert in the city in February 1848.

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Imre Székely on the painting by Miklós Barabás

Queen Victoria and a children’s song

It was in Paris, that our hero lived through the Spring of Nations, for after the events of 15 March he became a member of the Hungarian delegation that went to the writer - Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lamartine, in the hope of French help. According to János Kéry, the Hungarian War of Independence and the death of his father prompted Imre Székely to return home, but after the revolution was crushed, he set off west again, this time to London. Paradoxically, while he was persecuted by Austrian politics for his involvement in Paris, the Hungarian fashion magazines reported on his highly successful London performances, the popularity of his music, and the fact that Queen Victoria herself listened to his concerts and even played his pieces.

The first piece of his series Hungarian Fantasy, originally titled Souvenir de ma patrie, was also written in London, and it elaborates and embellishes several Hungarian folk songs and art songs. 

The most striking element of the melody to the modern ear is undoubtedly the double appearance of the popular children's song about a multicoloured calf: Boci, boci tarka.

"We will probably never know whether he was inspired by the children's song, or vice versa, i.e. whether the theme took on a life of its own as a result of the popularity of the work," says János Kéry, who believes that the three and a half years he spent in the British imperial capital were the high point of Imre Székely's career and perhaps also the key to his return home. He was already thinking about emigration when he came to Hungary for a few concerts in 1852, and the following year, thanks to a political détente towards him, he moved home and even took on the musical education of Archduke Albrecht's children.

Distinguished teacher of the National Music School

In 1853 he married Magdolna Halasy, the stepdaughter of the martyr of Arad, Vilmos Lázár, in whom he found a true spiritual companion. They had six children, but only two of them lived to adulthood. The two daughters, Ilona and Irén, were both very good pianists, and both became writers and literary translators, and composers. The family spent most of the year in Pest, but in the summer they retired to a farm near Tiszasüly. Imre Székely's last known residence between 1880 and 1886 was at 5 Szarka (today Zrínyi) Street, in the city centre, where he held music parties every Sunday. János Kéry also points out that while Imre Székely made house concerts a regular feature and was himself a concert artist, teaching gradually became the focus of his life.

After the court of the Archduke and many private pupils, the National Music School, the most prestigious institution of his time, invited him to become one of its teachers.

The National Music School (“Nemzeti Zenede”) was the predecessor of the Hungarian National Music Academy that was founded in the reform era. He taught a succession of enthusiastic and music-loving students, and together with Ede Bartai he started writing musical textbooks: he published a multi-volume collection of piano technique lessons, the School of the Sound Series (“Hangsorozati Iskola”), and his 15 Invetions (“15 Invenció”) series was made part of the piano curriculum. "It's interesting how much he has found himself in secondary teaching. Although he was a good friend and colleague of Franz Liszt and a former pupil of Ferenc Erkel, when they founded the National Music Academy, Székely did not follow them, remaining as a teacher in the Music School's class for outstanding talents," János Kéry points out, adding that he taught the poorer students for free.

He was of weak physique and his health deteriorated rapidly from the 1880s, but despite his persistent ill health, he remained an active teacher to the last. The obituaries following his death in 1887 reveal a modest artist who lived his vocation as a servant and an excellent teacher, remembered as the standard-bearer of Hungarian national music and a virtuoso performer who unashamedly deserved the praise of Franz Liszt. The authors of these texts were the students who learned from him how to play the piano in a heartwarming way, while their master regularly gave them the opportunity to participate in house and major concerts. On one occasion, he himself was honoured with a large-scale concert on his birthday: the 1879 Székely Feast included his own works as well as a tribute by his contemporaries.

Almost all of his memoirs highlight his modesty, his kind nature, his tireless work for Hungarian music, and his loving family background.

János Kéry believes that if we were to appreciate Imre Székely's life's work on the occasion of the 200th anniversary, we should probably highlight his lovable, quiet, and humble service, his debauchery-free life, his diligence in the second line behind the genius.

Asked about his plans as a monographer of Imre Székely for the bicentenary, he said that his long-term plans include a studio recording of his life's work, and in this commemorative year, he is trying to bring Imre Székely's name back to the memory of composers with a series of concerts in Hungary and abroad.

The Beach at the Körös estuary near Csongrád

Many say that nowhere is the Tisza river bank as beautiful as where the River Körös flows into it near Csongrád. It's quite a sight to see the slower, greenish Körös slowing down the fast-flowing Tisza, which by depositing its sediment created the famous 700-metre-long sandy bank. And when the water level is lower, sandbanks appear making the beach look like the seaside. The riverside beach (‘Körös-torok Partfürdő’) is Csongrád's main summer attraction, a popular social centre, filled on warm days with families bathing, sunbathing, young children swimming in the shallow water, and young people playing volleyball and football. It has everything you need for relaxation or a fun holiday: snack bars, restaurants, camping, a playground, volleyball and football pitches, and even water bikes and boats for hire.

Tip: On weekend nights, life on the beach changes, with the daytime hustle and bustle replaced by club music. On the first weekend of August each year, the Körös Torok is the venue for one of the biggest popular music events in the Southern Great Plain, the Körös Torok Days (KTN) Festival.

Körös backwater near Gyomaendrőd

Gyomaendrőd is uniquely surrounded by a number of backwaters – there are sixteen in the outskirts of the town, all of varying size and condition, which are popular with the Hungarian fishing community, as they are home to a wealth of fish. The stretches of backwater are also ideal for those who long for a bit of retreat and spend a few days on the water in a wild and unspoilt environment. The open beach on the north-western shore of the Templom-zugi backwater, on the Gyomaendrőd section of the Hármas-Körös, has retained its natural setting and bird-filled tranquillity, so if you prefer to avoid the crowds and the noise, it’s the place for you.

Tip: After time on the beach, let's visit the Erzsébet grove in Gyomaendrőd! A few years ago, the five-hectare grove was expanded with an interactive canopy trail, which includes three different trails. It's also worth climbing up to the fifteen-metre-high wooden lookout tower.

Open beach in the Danube Bend

Along the Szentendre branch of the Danube, at the foot of the Visegrád Hills, lies the charming village of Dunabogdány. When the water temperature of the Danube is suitable for bathing, many people choose the beautifully landscaped open-air beach for a splash, both on weekdays and weekends. The beach is a safe choice for small children, with its one hundred and fifty metres of fine sandy beach and slowly deepening waters. There is plenty of shade to escape the summer heat. This stretch of beach has been officially open for swimming since 2009, the water sample is always excellent for swimming and the sand is always prepared on the beach for the big rush before the beach season. And it's not just sunbathing and swimming that you can pass the time with here: the beach has a playground, football and volleyball fields, and a bakery and restaurant are just a short walk away.

The good news for dog lovers is that a special beach has been set aside for them so that dogs can also have a chance to cool off.

Tip: The town of Visegrád is not far from here where you can visit the Solomon Tower, the citadel or choose the bobsleigh track! With small children, you can also visit the King Matthias Historical Playground and the Mogyoró Hill Wildlife Park.

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The beach of Dunabogdány - Photo: dunabogdany.hu

Göd – One of the gates of the Danube Bend

Everyone should try open water bathing once in a while, and Göd, located on the bank of the Danube, offers two great alternatives: the Lower and Upper Göd open beaches, which are also accessible from Budapest by bike. On this stretch of beach, you can enjoy the closeness to nature, a slowly deepening sandy beach where you can rent a canoe and even bathe with your dog.

Tip: Walk to Homoksziget (’Sand Island’), where you can swim and bathe to your heart’s delight far from civilisation.

Lake Szelid

The Lake Szelid in Bács-Kiskun county with its grassy shore and sandy beach reminds us of the most beautiful beaches of Lake Balaton. The lake is five kilometres long, three to four metres deep, with a water surface area of approximately eighty hectares, making it the fifth largest natural lake in Hungary, and it was deepened thousands of years ago by the Danube.

Its water is excellent for bathing and even has healing properties.

It has not yet been classified as medicinal water, but the sodium magnesium carbonate and sodium iodide released from the soil are beneficial for nervous, hormonal and rheumatic disorders. The beach offers children more than just a swim, with other activities such as a giant water slide, water bikes and playgrounds. Older children can hire a boat, canoe or even windsurf.

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Lake Szelid - Photo: Kiskunság National Park

Lake Kotró near Gyékényes

The biggest attraction of Gyékényes, the village on the Hungarian-Croatian border, is its gravel pit lakes, including one of the most popular, the three hundred and twenty-hectare Kotró, which is not only a favourite destination for anglers, but also for divers because of its crystal clear waters – visibility underwater can reach up to eight metres – and its open beach, where you can also enjoy all kinds of water activities. 
The shore of the lake of Gyékényes is dotted with small cottages, cosy chalets and a campsite, an ideal destination for those who want to enjoy idyllic nature.

This popular recreation and fishing spot was awarded the title of ’Our Heritage – Treasure of Somogy’ in 2011.

The area is part of the Danube-Drava National Park, where there are plenty of other natural treasures, too to admire.

Tip: At Kotró Lake you can play beach volleyball, go water biking and wakeboarding. In summer, fishing and sporting events, festivals and diving cups are also held here. For the latter, the lake hosts have sunk several cleaned wrecks in the water, so that divers can see motorboats, cars and water bikes in the depths.

The Nagytevel Lake in the Bakony Mountains

The area around Bakonybél and Lake Hubertlak is probably familiar to many hikers, but in summer it is worth heading a little further west, as the reservoir of Nagytevel is a few kilometres away. The reservoir, which is artificially inflated from the waters of the Pápai-Bakony brook, is a popular fishing spot all year round, but in summer it is also a great place for a relaxing beach holiday. The water is not only at a pleasant temperature but also crystal clear, according to recent measurements. After hiking in the area you can relax on the shore of the Lake, on the north-western part of which you’ll find a well-equipped beach with a refreshment bar, playground and camping facilities.

Tip: Next to the beach, thirsty visitors will find the ‘Ida Spring’ with its fresh, cool water and a statue of the Holy Mary with a nice resting place.

This article was written with the professional support of the Hungarian Tourism Agency. Published in the July issue of Képmás magazine.

Resources: 
https://www.top7hungary.com/legjobb-kis-hazai-furdotavak/ 
www.ilovedunakanyar.hu, https://csongradikorostorok.hu/koros-torok 
www.szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu 
 

On the road to world fame as a child prodigy

Her parents noticed her talent very early, as she began to play the pieces on the piano she had picked up in a self-taught way, at first by listening to the piano lessons of the piano teacher next door. As a child, she attended the Academy of Music, where she studied with Arnold Székely and later Ernő Dohnányi. In 1924, at the age of ten, she made her first public appearance, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, and a year later she so charmed a Swiss artist couple with her playing that they immediately offered her a contract, and from then on her career continued to climb steadily. With their support, she became an internationally renowned concert soloist of her time at a very young age. Never playing a piece the same way twice, she became passionately immersed in the music. She built her repertoire primarily on works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, and Liszt, and also enjoyed playing works by Handel and Bach. In 1933, at the age of 19, she won first prize at the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition, which brought her worldwide fame, although she never liked competitions.

Her marriage was love to the grave

At the beginning of her career, she met her future husband, the music critic Aladár Tóth, who kept a close eye on the exceptionally talented young musician. "This fragile little girl, when she sits at the piano, is already imbued with the introspection of a true artist's soul, a solitude withdrawn from the world. She is full of seriousness and a sincere, true temperament," he wrote of her when she first appeared in public at the age of ten. He and Annie Fischer became close during a tour of Italy, where Annie's mother asked the critic, who was sixteen years older than her, to accompany her.

On this journey, a lifelong love was born between the two, which lasted until the death of Aladár Tóth.

After the trip to Italy, Aladár Tóth stopped writing reviews about her, but he actively supported Annie's career, and later he also helped her to put together her repertoire for her concerts. Annie was 23 when they married in 1937. They survived the Jewish persecution of the Second World War in neutral Sweden, where they travelled for Annie Fischer's piano concert, and from where they returned to Hungary only in 1946. According to their contemporaries, their relationship was fabulously harmonious, and their marriage, according to their friends, was characterized by a deep intellectual connection as well as a close spiritual bond.

An artist couple in the Rákosi era

Aladár Tóth was the director of the Opera House from 1946, while Annie Fischer toured the world as Hungary's "musical ambassador" from the 1950-1960s. So they were " favoured" by the communist regime, but it was precisely because of their recognition that they managed to save the careers and perhaps even the lives of many of their friends and acquaintances. Annie Fischer, for example, personally went to see Mátyás Rákosi when their landlord was about to be deported, and Aladár Tóth did much to save the artists of the Opera House from the harassment of the regime. 

"Annie and Aladár Tóth – just like my mentor Zoltán Kodály – used their name and influence tirelessly to help marginalized and discriminated artists", recalled pianist Tamás Vásáry.

They spent their summers at their house at Lake Balaton, in Balatonaliga, where, in addition to everyday recreation, they regularly hosted the greatest composers, musicians, and critics of the era. They maintained close friendships with Zoltán Kodály and his wife, as well as with leading musicians of the music world, such as György Solti, Imre Ungár, Lívia Rév, and Mihály Kuttner. They had a lively social life; the sounds of Annie Fischer's playing on the Bösendorfer piano and the music they listened to on foreign radio stations could be heard from the house.

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Annie Fischer in the hallway of the Hungarian Radio, with Soviet pianist Emil Gilels to her right - Photo: Fortepan/Zoltán Szalay

The artist couple's idyll on Lake Balaton was disrupted for a time by the communist party state when the Party decided to build a recreational house on the site of their house. According to the story, they were offered several local properties as compensation, but Annie Fischer and her husband insisted on their familiar surroundings, so in the end the Communist Party leadership had a replica of their summer house built for them. Lake Balaton was a prominent place in Annie Fischer's life: she loved fishing, boating on the lake, and, in the evenings, dazzling guests with her cooking.

Later, when she travelled to the farthest corners of the world, she said she would not trade the sunset at Lake Balaton for anything.

Royal dignity and authentic simplicity

Throughout her career, she has worked with world-renowned conductors such as Otto Klemperer, with whom she performed Beethoven's complete Piano Concerto at the Royal Festival Hall in London. She has also appeared at Carnegie Hall in New York, and her performances have travelled the world from Japan to Australia. Although she never taught piano, she was well acquainted with the students of the Academy of Music and followed and supported the path of many young talents throughout her life. She helped Zoltán Kocsis, Tamás Vásáry, András Schiff, Péter Frankl, Ilona Prunyi, Donatella Failoni, Adrienne Hauser and Csilla Varga from the very beginning. Tünde Csoba was the only one with whom she worked for a long time, informally but as a student. "She was very irritated by the 'empty' piano playing. [...] For her, there was only one thing that was important, and you had to deal with that: what the composer was thinking, what he felt, why he wrote this or that piece, and what he had to say. Even if today all that is completely unfathomable. That's what you have to convey to the audience, that's the only thing that makes sense," recalls Tünde Csoba, whom Annie also helped to reducer her performance anxiety. This is in line with Zoltán Kocsis' description of her: "Perhaps no one has pursued the artistic truth of the music with such fierce perseverance as she has." Elsewhere, he said that Annie Fischer was characterized by "authentic simplicity combined with royal dignity".
Nevertheless, she was also a chain-smoker, who put down her cigarette almost only for the time she sat on stage in front of the piano, and by the time she reached the curtain at the end of the performance, she was awaited with a lit cigarette. She always dressed with elegance and modesty, and her beautiful figure and photogenic face often inspired photographers.

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Photo: Fortepan/Antal Kotnyik

The pianist who didn't like to listen to her own playing

In her old age, she had become so immersed in Beethoven's works that she was the only pianist in the world to record all 32 of his sonatas. 
She later repeated the recordings several times because she was dissatisfied with them, then refused to allow them to be released, and it was only after her death in 1995 at the age of 80 that they became available to the public. Throughout her life, she was reputed to dislike recordings, especially of her own playing, and so she left relatively few recordings for her artistic stature. "After I die, they can release anything with me," she told her friends.

She did not give any interviews either and tried to avoid the adoration that surrounded her. However, several pirate recordings of her piano playing were made and anecdotes record how, despite her self-criticism, she was sometimes surprised by the excellence of her own playing. It is recalled that once, on entering Péter Frankl's apartment, she heard music playing on a record and asked, "Who plays Mozart so beautifully?" "This is a rare pirate record of you playing the Piano Concerto in E flat major with Otto Klemperer," was the reply.
Annie Fischer has received three Kossuth Prizes among her many awards. She devoted her whole life to her vocation and music, which is why she never had children. Even as she approached her eightieth birthday, she gave a few concerts for audiences in Italy, Japan, and Italy. "When we talked about a career as a performer, she often asked me: 'Do you know what you're into? It's a hell of a career." She often talked about how hard it was, but she could never give it up. The career was her life," recalls his student Tünde Csoba. She played and dazzled the world for seventy years.

Resources used:
•    http://www.parlando.hu/Csoba1.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20170815135801/http://lfze.hu/hu/nagy-elodok/-/asset_publisher/HVHn5fqOrfp7/content/fischer-annie/10192#
http://www.parlando.hu/2014/2014-4/Egy-hamis-FischerAnnie-kep-urugyen.pdf
http://epa.oszk.hu/02900/02964/00014/pdf/EPA02964_gramofon_2014_nyar_006-016.pdf
https://www.ujsagmuzeum.hu/fischer-annie/
https://mersz.hu/mod/object.php?objazonosito=matud202110_f66602_i1
 

If someone were to ask me to explain the difference between arrogance and the healthy self-confidence needed for world sporting success, I would suggest they sit down in a café with Dominic Szoboszlai to have a chat. And then just watch his eyes, his movements, his gestures. The respect with which he thanks the waiter for the drink, the way he talks about his profession, football, with his eyes sparkling, and the way he looks at his father, who is watching him with stern pride from the next table. Zsolt Szoboszlai, who taught this boy to work and be humble from the age of three, and only when these two were already basic did he make him realize that he was not only hard-working but also talented.

Because "Talent is a divine blessing, but without incredible will and humility, it is worth nothing" – as Dominik had tattooed on his arm at the age of 15.

The quote comes from 114-time England national team player Steven Gerrard, who spent 17 years as a footballer for Liverpool, where he became captain and an icon. And whose Liverpool number 8 jersey was recently inherited by Dominik Szoboszlai. To get this far, he needed the confidence that, among many other things, the wolf tattooed on his other arm reminds him of when he is hit with a mean remark. He said it makes him remember that he had never seen a wolf sleep badly because of the sheep's opinion.

This inner strength also requires, of course, that you never forget where you started. Dominik claimed that he had no role models because he wanted to follow his own path, but when I asked him if he always wanted to be the best at everything, he said "Of course!" and nodded towards his father saying “Like him”. "What if they were competing against each other?" – I tried to corner him. "Then I always win!" – two of them said at the same time. "All I have to do is look in the mirror and I see him," resumed the father.
The father, who never gave Dominik any digital gadgets until he was 14, only let him play with ‘the’ ball. And when he finally got an Xbox like his peers, he didn't play with it, because he was still only interested in the ball. Learning still was there, but there was no going to the cinema, or hanging out with friends in the square or the mall. His parents' discipline made it clear: you only get something if you do something for it, nothing comes for free.

"Have you ever wavered if you are on the right path to your goal?" – I asked. "Never," he replied.

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Dominik Szoboszlai (right) and the author Adrián Szász in 2019 - Photo: Adrián Szász

The fact that Dominik Szoboszlai, the 22-year-old captain of the Hungarian national team, has now signed for one of the most famous clubs in the world – for more than three times the money ever paid for a Hungarian footballer – is also down to his manager, Mátyás Esterházy, who comes from a prestigious family. He says it's not difficult to get on the same page with the boy because he's the type who responds to care. Dominik said of the occasional disagreements with him and his father, "Usually they are right, but there will come a time when I will be." But they never tried to break his self-confidence: "I'm glad it's almost limitless, otherwise he wouldn't be able to bring out what he has in him," says Esterházy.

And as a fan, I'm glad that I've never seen any unnecessary fuss or star drama from this young man on the pitch, he always does his job in a disciplined manner – no matter if he's having a great day or a bad one, he's still doing his job. He never uses his excellence to overshadow others but to shine out from among them in a way that makes them also shine. He is not an individualist but humbly works for team interests. As elegant on the pitch, he is generous to the fans: he never forgets, for example, to give his jersey or shoes to a chosen one – usually a child – after a match.

The very fact that Liverpool's Facebook page, with its 40 million followers, has been welcoming the Hungarian Szoboszlai for days is, in itself, a huge boost for Hungary’s image.

But more importantly, when I saw a little boy riding his bike in a Messi jersey the other day, I thought that soon he might ask his parents for a number 8 Szoboszlai jersey instead of the number 10 of the Argentinian national team. I must admit, even I felt like buying one, even though there is a slight age difference between us in my favour.
It was also then that I realized that although I had loved football all my life, I had never bought a football jersey with a name on it. I wanted to as a child, but at that time there was no successful Hungarian footballer whose name I was proud enough to wear. Instead, I remember running around the beach in Balatonfüred in a jersey with my own name. The German tourists had a tough time trying to pronounce my name “Szász” when they saw it on my back, assuming it was a local star. Something tells me that the English will soon learn to pronounce “So-Boss-Laee” and that we can have an icon in common with them.

Dominik doesn't wear his own name on his body, but he does wear his little sister's and his parents' birth dates on his arm, also as tattoos. So they often "run out" with him on the pitch of the stadium where he has to prove himself. Whether it's the packed Puskás Arena, with the national colours on his arm, or – after Leipzig – Liverpool's Anfield Road, where the fans now sing the club anthem for him: "You'll Never Walk Alone". Well, of course not. Because he's taking everyone who’s ever helped him succeed with him. Mostly his mother, who used to sit down to study with the tired kid in the evenings. Or she'd just put out a good ‘vadas’ (hunters’ stew) in front of him from which a second helping was a lifesaver.
 

What have been the main positive aspects of your 13 years of service?
I can say that my national awareness was strengthened, I felt the essence of being Hungarian. I also experienced what living faith is, and how important the church is for the people of Transcarpathia. On weekdays at seven o'clock in the morning, they put down the hoe, go to church, and then go back to the fields. I experienced their will to live, I saw their survival. They look for a task and try to do it, not expect someone else to do it for them. There is also no competitiveness. Of course, there were difficulties and people who were separate islands, but the empathy and mutual care that I experienced in Nagydobrony contributed a lot to my personal development, as I was only nineteen when I first got there.

Why did you feel your place was in the girls' home?
I was invited to a missionary week by Éva Balogh and Gyöngyi Tar; I was an assistant pastor at the time. At the end of the week, László Katkó Sr. who was the director at the time asked me if I wanted to come and work with the kids. I accepted.

On what goals have you tried to be a spiritual leader?
In theology college, we learned how to get close to people, but practically no one prepared us for what it means to work in a home with seventy abused children. I was still only 25. I didn't know what to do when I had children telling me that they hated God and I had to listen to them. In theological education, you get a general picture, which is a good starting point. That's why I think it's very important to have different trainings and workshops for pastors where we can get tools and training for these situations. I was very lost in this at the beginning.

We had a Bible study where, in the story of Joseph, the little girl said something about what happened to her at home, and I just sat there wondering what to do next.

Shall I close the Bible study? What should I do? I always came across yet another shocking story, unbelieving that this could happen to a child, that a person could do this to their own child. I just hope that I did not make a mistake, that I made a decision according to my abilities, and that my support could benefit the girls.

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Pastor Viktória Katona – Photo: Hungarian Reformed Church Aid

What were your duties as a pastor?
Talking with children, spiritual care, Bible studies, and worship services. Only later did I become a pastor-director. I have seen and experienced a lot, but I don't really feel that my role has ever been anything else but to say that change is possible, because God can work that change in the life of an abused person, so that she can decide whether she will remain a victim or start a new life, a life that will be more meaningful than the one of her parents. I love that they regard the shelter as their home, not an orphanage. I got really angry when someone said orphanage. It is a home and everyone needs a home. A very diverse community has gathered in this wonderful place!

When did you start a family?
I cannot have children because of a health problem, so my husband and I decided to adopt. Miraculously, we waited less than six months after filing the papers and God gave us a baby. Fülöp came to our family at the age of eight months, from the state children's orphanage in Szolyva (Svalyava, Ukraine). We did not have a clause of origin, which made the process faster. I adopted him as a Hungarian citizen in Ukraine, everything was done officially. He is a little boy of Roma origin, to this day I have no doubt that he is my child!

We have received many gifts through Fülöp: you could say he has saved something on us and we have saved something on him. He knows that he is "born from heart", and that he has parents whose features he bears. Of course, we are now struggling with his questions about his origins, but there is help there too. We pray for his birth parents and I am grateful to his mother for placing him to secure hands. She knew she couldn't raise him, but she gave her child the opportunity to have a life. I feel the same way about the girls in the home. I have told them many times that their parents did as much as they were able to do, but they gave them that they are safe now.

Of course, that doesn't absolve the parents from being abusive, and it was a big task to get the girls to stop hating their roots because everything can heal from its roots.

Just this morning I thought of the analogy that a tree that has been cut down can sprout, even a new branch can come from the trunk. I can only think of these girls as the ones who were cut down, pruned, and not wanted. We have a girl who is now a kindergarten teacher in a Waldorf kindergarten in Budapest. Another works as a nanny and is studying to be a kindergarten teacher in Budapest at the same time. A third girl works as a nurse at the Schweitzer Home. Another "daughter" of mine, who lives here in Budapest and is expecting her second child, has already surpassed her own parents by lovingly caring for her child. What are these if not miracles?

What is the typical age of the girls who come to the home?
From age zero to age 18, but they don't leave at eighteen. The home is called the Good Samaritan Reformed Children's Home Aid Association, and its constitution does not state that 18-year-olds must leave the home. There is a building called the Care House, where sixteen girls can live in four apartments. The girls living in this mentoring house continue their education while still being part of the community, so they can start an independent life. The home does not receive a capitation grant from the Ukrainian state for the children, which is why external support is so important. On social media platforms, you can find the bank account number with all contact details.

How is everyday life?
Girls go to school, and do homework and chores at home.

Has anyone ever not arrived on time, or wandered off?
Oh, of course, but that's normal! If they didn't rebel, it'd be a problem. I was in a children's home, and they told me to look at how well-behaved and clean they were. Oh, I said, you know what's not good here? The fact that there's not a greasy handprint on the window, the glass hasn't been licked or the walls kicked.

Where there is iron discipline, there is no life. Where fifty children live together, the walls must be dirty.

I always say that the children who don't rebel, who don't start trying to be themselves, should be approached with love, because they may have problems, and they should be given a kind of therapy. Of course, it is not good when a child gets carried away, there are problems there too.

There must have been problems that seemed unsolvable...
The hardest part was when it turned out that they had been sexually abused. Especially if I knew it was a close family member, a relative... There were times when I felt sick after the conversation, I couldn't bear it because the child was so open. It was very difficult to listen to, there were so many cases. When they were kept tied up, or not fed, destitute, helpless, or when they were victims of abuse, their mother was a prostitute, or they were looking for food in the trash... I always hope they will recover from it because they are very strong. I can't tell you how much I have received from them, and still receive to this day. They were honest.

I've learned that when the kid slams the door on me, she's not really slamming the door on me, she's slamming the door on somebody else, only that somebody else isn't there, I'm there instead.

I cannot fix what happened to them but God's healing love can, and time never heals. I've buried a lot of people and they say time heals wounds, but that's not true because the process itself is the one that heals. If you go through it painfully, sometimes screaming, sometimes stuck, now that heals. There is no insoluble problem! What seems to be, with enough energy and time, will be solved.

Do you have any positive memories?
Oh, plenty! It's hard to choose. One was a Bread of Hungarians celebration. We had a child who was severely abused, and treated as an adult woman. She sang in the choir, like everyone else, in clean black and white. The little girl stood in the aisle and I watched as she looked at herself in a mirror and smoothed her dress. I didn't understand. Suddenly she looked at me and said, "Viktória, look, I'm a little girl!" I said OK. We reached our goal. When a child stops putting lipstick on at 11 and says she's a little girl...
Another memory is when a disabled girl ran up to me after one of my surgeries, shouting for joy, "I thought you were going to die, but I prayed so hard for you not to die, and you didn't, my God loves us, He heard our prayers!"

The third is related to a traumatic experience I had. I had twin pregnancies from an IVF program – one baby was stillborn and the other had spontaneously aborted earlier, so I was very stressed out. It was nine years ago on 11 May. I was lying in the clinic in Debrecen (Hungary), and I was in so much pain mentally that I slammed my hand into the wall, I was covered in blood. I couldn't cope. Anyone who has been through something like that knows what it means - then I got a text message.

It was from the girls. They wrote: "Dear Viktória, today we know that your heart is broken and we also wanted very much to have little siblings. But please know that your 87 daughters are waiting for you at home." I felt then that I was really at home among them.

I have many other positive experiences, of course: when a skin-and-bone child becomes a healthy adult, or when they are accepted to college. They go to learn a trade, they get their first paycheck. Or when their first child is born. Even in the hard memories, there are positives. I have my mission statement on my desk: "It is love for Christ that makes you worthy of a greater calling, of belonging to a community." I think about them a lot, I try to support them in prayer and in whatever I can. I also visit them once a month. I am studying now so that I can help young people from similar circumstances in Hungary, in my own country. I feel this is a mission that has no end. In the meantime, I am also healing, I am being healed.

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Photo: Hungarian Reformed Church Aid

Why has your stay in Nagydobrony come to an end?
My little boy has special educational needs and there was no Hungarian institution there that could take him. Fülöp did not develop properly, and when I found out that he has ADHD, I wondered how much responsibility I had for the child who belonged to us. This was the main reason for us to leave, but it was a very difficult decision. Secondly, seeing that war had broken out, I knew that I had to be in this chair to help the people of Transcarpathia. I did not arrange it this way. God knew it, and He led me. Thirdly, perhaps I was carrying too much mental burden.
 

István Gáborecz, 35, from Visk, a village in the Transcarpathian region, Ukraine, has lived in Hungary since he was 13. His family moved here in the early 2000s primarily to make a better living, but the move was also due to the fact that his father had been already working in Hungary for several years then. As the education system in Ukraine is completely different, István had to re-do the eighth grade of school after the move in order to continue his studies at a vocational high school. 

"I originally wanted to be a painter because I loved drawing from a young age and I thought it would give me skills that I could use almost anywhere. However, my application form was mixed up at the admissions stage. Whether it was intentional or just a coincidence, I don't know, but that's how I ended up in stone sculpture. They advised me to give it a chance and if I didn't like it, I could reapply from the second semester. I ended up staying."

From polishing gravestones to chainsaw carving

István's primary goal was to learn a trade, and his parents supported him in this, not telling him what to do. After finishing vocational school, he started working for a gravestone company, where his job was water polishing instead of carving gravestones. Soon afterwards, he continued his career in the construction industry, where he spent a good ten years. 

"For ten years, I worked alongside my father, where I was a kind of handyman, also dealing with the purchase and transport of goods. But I felt that this was not the work I was meant to do.
If I hadn't quit, I might be running a big construction company now, but I wanted to go back to sculpture. It took time to find myself.

I was 27 when I realized what I wanted to do."

He didn't feel that stone carving was his thing, he found the stone too cold, so he turned his attention to something else. He was inspired by the TV show Carver Kings to try his hand at woodcarving, and one particular branch of woodcarving, chainsaw carving. He watched the show almost continuously for two years, having seen the first two seasons at least thirty times. When he decided to try it, he relied mostly on his memory, trying to put into practice the techniques he had seen on TV.

"The first thing I carved was a teddy bear stuck in a log. Looking back now, it looks more like a mix of a chimpanzee and a dog, not a bear, but it was fine then. Mainly because I was just getting to know the tools. I'd never even held a petrol chainsaw before, and I didn't know how to sharpen a chain. It took me a while to get the hang of everything."

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István Gáborecz with a wooden sculpture in the making - Photo: Tímea Gribek

More effort, more freedom

Despite initial difficulties, István quickly learned the ins and outs of chainsaw woodcarving. When he started six years ago, only a few people in the country were doing it. He says that his work has helped to revolutionize woodcarving in Hungary, as traditional woodcarvers basically work with chisels, using saws only for cutting out the bid shapes. This process, however, is time-consuming, whereas chainsaws allow you to work much more freely and quickly. 

"Chainsaw woodworking gives you much more freedom, but it requires a lot of effort. It is physically very demanding to use saws, especially if you do it for a long time. But when the work is finished, it makes up for everything and I forget the hours of suffering that are often a part of the task."

Seeing the possibilities in logs

When talking about woodcarving, the artist points out that it all starts with the selection of good-quality wood. "I usually carve oak and walnut, occasionally linden, and I can practically see what can be made from the logs just by looking at them. I don't draw beforehand, I prefer to look at pictures of the given figure. Once that's done, the magic begins. You have to completely change your perspective, and you have to know three or four cuts in advance that if you cut in one place how the sculpture will turn out on the other side."

"The more the tree shrinks, the more the statue grows."

István says that he can sculpt anything, but he prefers to work with animal figures, his favourite species are those living in the forest. He started his career sculpting bears. In the first two years, he carved nearly 200 sculptures, 80 percent of which were bears of various sizes. But he has also sculpted owls, deer, wild boar, eagles, and falcons. Today his sculptures can be seen in many parts of the country.

A master woodcarver, he has competed in international competitions and has given countless demonstrations. Previously, he has toured the country in collaboration with a well-known chainsaw company and has sculpted live at various events. At first, he had a hard time getting used to the audience, but after a while, he got used to the crowd – so much so that he only felt comfortable when there were curious onlookers around. In his opinion, this also helped the creative process.

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The works of István Gáborecz - Photos: István Gáborecz, Collage: Képmás

After the woodcarving came the ice

István started to work with ice almost at the same time as he started carving wood. He started wood sculpting on 12 April 2016 and ice carving on 25 November 2016. The reason why he remembers the dates so precisely is that these moments brought a radical change in his life. Everything there is to know about ice sculpting, he learned from Zsolt M. Tóth, a well-known ice carver.

"I first approached Zsolt back in 2016, saying I wanted to learn the trade. He said he would welcome me, but he would not pay me for my work, but I could learn from him for free. Luckily, I got into it pretty quickly and it wasn't long before he was already paying me. He saw from the first session that I was not afraid of the task. The ice is cold, difficult, slippery, you have to put up with all that, not to mention the whims of the master."

István not only did well in his first "exams", but also earned the praise of his mentor. Zsolt M. Tóth had had many students before, but none of them had been able to endure the ordeal for more than a month or two.

However, seeing István’s talent and how he works, he said that he should stay in this career.

There is no other ice sculptor in the country

After his mentor moved to Germany and retired, István became the only active ice sculptor in the country. He says he now has less and less time for woodcarving, with ice taking up most of his daily life. He set up his own "ice workshop" in March 2021 and has been building it ever since.

Ice carving is no easy art: it's very versatile, with lots of tricks that take years to learn. According to István, these can only be developed with practice. However, gaining experience is often quite expensive, as the process requires a lot of time, energy, and, not to mention, electricity. Despite all this, István loves working with ice. 

"Ice can be used to make many things, including sculptures that have a function. My team and I have made a lot of swans, seahorses, and hearts out of ice, and these are the ones we get the most orders for. But once we have also carved an ice carriage that you could sit in. Another memorable one was when, a few years ago, we carved a huge floating inflatable duck out of the ice of Lake Balaton, which we did together with my mentor."

István would like to see his name among the great ice sculptors, as well as that of Zsolt M. Tóth. His aim is to create quality and unique works, he does not think about mass production. He does not want to learn any more trades, he wants to make the most of this. 

"I have sacrificed a lot to get my business off the ground. My three-year-old daughter had to live without me for a long time, and my job meant I had little time to spend with her. It was hard for the family and for me. However, I did it not only for myself but also for the future of my family. I trust that I have made the right decision.”
 

Canoeing among swamp cypresses on the backwater of the River Körös

The backwater of the River Körös at Szarvas-Békésszentandrás, commonly known as the ‘Kákafoki-backwater’, was formed during the regulation of the river Hármas-Körös and is one of the longest backwaters in Europe. While canoeing on it, you might think you were in a South American jungle or a Mississippi swampland, as the arboretum's founder, Pál Bolza, planted the river branch with exotic plants, including cypresses. The section near Szarvas is hardly a straight line, and it leads through beaches on the riverbanks, and even a theatre with a stage over the water. Paddling further under a bridge to arrive at the cypresses, among which you should look for the group of trees known as the Three Sisters. In the middle of the water, you can have a look at the Millennium Monument and on the right bank the Bolza Castle. 

The stretch between Szarvas and Békésszentandrás is an excellent choice even for families with small children, not only because of the pleasant and easy route but also because in summer you can swim in the well-equipped and free-of-charge beaches of both of these settlements.

Tip: For a longer journey, take to the water at Kunszentmárton, and from there head towards Szarvas. You'll pass through beautiful summer cottages and then unspoiled countryside, where you'll see flocks of herons, egrets, and cormorants.

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Canoeing on the Szarvas-Békeszentandrás backwater of the river Körös - Photo: Hungarian Tourism Agency

Canoeing on the floodplain of the river Rezéti-Danube

The Rezéti-Danube is a side loop of the River Danube that flows through the unspoilt forests of the Gemenc woodlands. A canoe trip on this water is recommended for those who seek the closeness of untouched nature. The first two kilometers of the loop are down the Great Danube, while most of the tour is on the loop that flows out of and later back into the main river. Starting from the dock of Érsekcsanád and following the shore of Veránka Island, after about two kilometers you will reach the estuary of the Rezéti-Danube loop. Here, a sharp right turn takes you into the calm waters of the Rezéti branch, where you can comfortably follow the river. After four kilometers of paddling from the estuary, we arrive at Nyárilegelő, a docking, and resting stop, which is also a train station at the narrow gauge railway of the Gemenc State Forest Railway. Paddling on, you will find yourself deeper and deeper into the thick of the Gemenc floodplain forest: willow trees growing closer to the riverbank and poplars further away, offer excellent hiding places for big game. Gemenc is world-famous for its valuable and beautifully antlered red deer, its rich roe deer, and wild boar populations. The birdlife is also very varied, and with a little luck, you may spot grey herons, white-tailed eagles, saker falcons, and lesser-spotted eagles.

Paddling on in the river Rezéti-Danube, you reach the top of the island which also means that you’ve reached the upper, inflowing mouth of the side branch. After that all you have to do is to cross the Danube again and dock at Érsekcsanád, the starting point of our tour.

Tip: The fact that this eighteen-kilometer-long canoeing route leads through unspoilt nature makes it special for sure but it can be its disadvantage, too: the floodplain forest of Gemenc is part of the Danube-Drava National Park, therefore, the number of options where you can dock and step on shore is very limited, so it is a good idea to stock up on food and drink.

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The Gemenc forest – Photo: Hungarian Tourism Agency

Easy family rafting on the river Rába

The river Rába is one of the wildest, most romantic, and most naturally preserved rivers in Hungary. Originating in the Austrian Alps, it reaches Hungary from the West near Szentgotthárd and flows northeast to join the Mosoni-Duna at Győr. The river, densely packed with gravel banks, sharp bends, and sudden sections of rapid acceleration, sometimes challenges even experienced water hikers. A special feature of the Rába is that its upriver section between the border and Sárvár has hardly been regulated, preserving its wild and unspoilt atmosphere. Thanks to the natural environment, the wildlife both in the water and around the banks surrounding the river has remained undisturbed, allowing you to discover unique species of flora and fauna while paddling on the river.

The meandering section of the river between Szentgotthárd and Csákánydoroszló is part of the Őrség National Park. This is perhaps the most beautiful part of the wild Upper Rába: it is not the strength of the current that gives this section of the river a white-water atmosphere, but the small and large alluvial islands, rapids, and reefs, as well as the bushes and fallen trees that overhang the water.

Tip: The twenty-kilometer rowing tour starts from Szentgotthárd and ends in Rábagyarmat, but can be extended to thirty-five kilometers if you go up to Csákánydoroszló. As the Rába is considered wild water, you should only set off with a qualified guide! If you're planning a long weekend, you might want to include a swim in Lake Hársas in addition to the paddling. The lake is one of the jewels of Szentgotthárd, fed by the Hársas Stream, which originates in the forest of neighbouring Apátistvánfalva, and is popular not only with anglers but also with swimmers and hikers. The one-kilometer-long Lake Hársas Nature Trail along the lakeside promenade introduces the wildlife of the lake and its surroundings.

Nádi szél – a water study trail on the Lake Balaton

If Lake Balaton has been all about the beach for you, it's time for a trip on the water! Opened in 2018, the three-kilometer-long, six-stop nature trail on Lake Balaton invites you to explore the bay of Badacsony, either as part of a guided tour or independently, following GPS coordinates.

The water trail starts at the foot of Badacsony, at the Herczeg Ferenc Beach in Badacsonylábdihegy. From the canoe or kayak, you can enjoy an unparalleled view of the Balaton landscape: from here you can see the basalt organs of Badacsony, and also Szigliget from a completely different perspective.

You can find the stops of the trail by paddling along one of the largest contiguous reed beds of Lake Balaton, about two hundred and fifty hectares in size, with directional posts in the water and QR codes on them for easy access to further information.

Tip: You can rent binoculars at the Badacsonytördemic Ecotourism Visitor Centre for the 3-kilometer tour, which can be comfortably done in an hour. And if you just want to look but not paddle, you can also book a guided boat tour by appointment. After the tour, head to the castle of Szigliget for a great concert experience in the summer evenings.

Water tour around the Tihany peninsula

Whether you're in a kayak or on a SUP board, the Tihany peninsula and its surroundings are perhaps even more spectacular from water than from the mainland. The tour starts from Gödrös beach in the eastern part of the peninsula, where you can rent a kayak or SUP and paddle on towards the Abbey and the Tihany ferry. As you leave the ferry port, the landscape changes as you paddle towards Sajkod, where the inhabited areas are replaced by forest and unspoilt nature.

Along this stretch, it's worth contemplating in silence, listening to the sounds of nature and the birdsong and looking out for a glimpse of a Grey heron, Great egret, Ferruginous duck, Cormorant, or Black-headed gull.

The coast of the peninsula rising above us leads to the lovely little beach of Sajkod, where it's worth stopping for a swim, but if you feel fit to paddle more you can continue to Örvényes.

Tip: In the courtyard of the Lavender House Visitor Centre, you can also take a peek into the reeds of the Inner Lake. The plank over the water is a nature trail that introduces you to the wildlife of the reed beds. In the lakeside pasture, you'll see Hungarian grey cattle and playful families of gophers.

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Lavender House Visitor Center, Tihany - Photo: Hungarian Tourism Agency

Paddling among freshwater jellyfish in the Szigetköz wilderness

This 14.7-kilometer, moderately difficult tour - guided only - starts from the Trianon Sluice on the outskirts of Rajka, where you can learn how this landscape was transformed into a gravel desert by the end of the 1980s as a result of the construction of the Bős-Nagymaros Water Steps system, and how a real wilderness developed here.

After getting on the water, the tour leads along the Homoki branch towards Lake Tilosi. The gravel ponds in the area were connected by artificial channels in 2016 to ensure ecological permeability. These "stepping stones" make the tour more exciting, with the water getting a little faster at each one. Later on, you will reach wider and wider branches and then the Ördögszigeti Lakes, an excellent place for resting and swimming. As we continue, the landscape opens up even more. These wide branches of the Danube are responsible for a large part of the water supply of the Szigetköz tributary system. If you're feeling adventurous, you can paddle up the second section too and admire the Helenai Lakes, famous for their freshwater jellyfish, which you might even see yourself on warmer days in July and August. From here, you can travel with the flow to Dunakiliti, at the Wild Water Campsite, at the end of the tour.

Resources: www.termeszetjaro.hu; www.aktivmagyarorszag.hu

This article was written with the professional support of the Hungarian Tourism Agency.
 

No one even suspected she would become an interpreter

Little Katalin was born in the winter of 1909, the daughter of Ármin Szilárd and Gizella Schwartz. Her father was a district doctor for the poor in a small rural town in Baranya County. Kató studied Latin and French at elementary school, but later, at high school in Pécs, she did not speak German well compared to her classmates, who were either looked after by a German governess or of Swabian (German-speaking) origin. "I was very far behind them," she told later at the Friderikusz Talk Show.

At the time, no one could have guessed that she would become one of the world's first simultaneous interpreters and that her language skills would take her around the world. After graduating from high school with a D in German, she went on to study chemistry at college and later earned a doctorate in physics and chemistry at the Erzsébet University of Pécs. "We don't like each other with chemistry, it doesn’t like me and I don’t like it. I lacked the precision and manuality that is essential for chemists," she told Tamás Vitray in the 1970s on the TV program “Ötszemközt”.

But back to the university years! When she finished her studies at the end of the 1930s, she could not find a job. There were more experienced professionals than she not finding jobs, let alone a beginner. Her personal life turned out well, however - in Budapest, in Terézváros, she married Frigyes Laub (Lomb), who was ten years older than her and took his name, thus becoming Kató Lomb from Dr. Katalin Szilárd.

Knocked at the mayor's office

Thus her diploma was of no use to her, and soon the Second World War intervened. Because of her Jewish origins, she was forced to go into hiding with her young son before and during the siege of Budapest. Her husband, also of Jewish origin, was spared by the Arrow Cross, as he was an electrical engineer at the LAUB factory, where vital military equipment was produced. In 1941, in a secondhand bookshop, she found a very old Russian-English dictionary.

"I was fascinated by this unfamiliar alphabet," she said.

She ran home and started to study and read a lot about Russian literature in translation. Russian was a forbidden language at the time, she had to hide the books, and the young wife studied even during the air raids - alone, without a language teacher. She learned Russian in two years.

When the war ended, she tried to look for a job. "During those weeks when the Soviets came in, I was pretty much the only person who could write on a Russian typewriter in Cyrillic, that was the main attraction to it," she said. So in February 1945, she took up a post as an interpreter for the then mayor-general. Budapest was in ruins, but the light was on in the mayor's office and she knocked on the door. "I asked him if he needed an interpreter. He replied, 'Stop talking so much, sit down and call the city commander,'" she recalled. Two years later, she found herself in Parliament interpreting for MPs.

”Language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly”

She was able to speak and interpret in ten languages, translate scientific literature and enjoy fiction in another six, and understand journalistic texts in eleven more.

She worked for money in 16 languages in total but knew at least 28 languages – at least at the level of written comprehension. 

"How many languages do I know? I have only one mother tongue: Hungarian. I know Russian, German, English, and French well enough to be able to translate or interpret them in any combination at any time. For Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Polish, I have to prepare a bit: I read my own diaries in these languages. I read Swedish, Norwegian, Romanian, Portuguese, Dutch, Bulgarian and Czech literature: I can translate the written texts - political or technical", she wrote in her 1988 book Harmony of Babel.

Her book, Polyglot: How I Learn Languages, was published in 1970 and has gone through four editions. When the last edition was published in 1995, she told journalists:  "When learning a language, it always helps to give yourself a bit of a pat on the back. Self-criticism and anxiety can be crippling." She believed that self-confidence and a good method play a much bigger role in language learning than linguistic talent. She did not believe that language learning should only be done at a young age, because language, according to Kató Lomb, is an effective tool not only for building human relationships but also for maintaining our mental ability and spiritual balance. She was convinced that it is not only in the native country of the target language that one can learn that language well.

"Language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly because while a doctor can't make a mistake because it could cost a patient his life, a grammatically incorrect but still understandable sentence can still be useful" –  was her most famous saying.

She was a linguistic genius, but she didn't consider herself one. In her writing, she liked to use an equation she had invented for language learning: invested time × motivation/inhibition= result.

So if you know what you want to achieve by learning a language, and you can spend at least ten minutes every day, even with the tightest of work schedules, and put aside your fear of speaking, you'll have an easy time of it. She always clung to the fun part of language learning, was bored of the made-up dialogues in language books, and never went to a language teacher. Instead, her habit was to buy a good novel in the target language and use it to discover the basics, grammar, and vocabulary of that language.

She took notes in Chinese characters while working

She travelled the world as an interpreter, visited forty countries on five continents, and worked at international conferences. She interpreted for UNESCO meetings, and at one event she was able to take seven or eight interpreting seats thanks to her incredible skills.

While listening to the text, she took notes, not in Hungarian or in the target language, but, for example, when she had to translate from French into English, she took notes in Chinese characters for speed (in Chinese hieroglyphics, one symbol covers several words). As a professional interpreter, she was what might be called a freelancer or self-employed translator of the time. "Our employer changes three times a week," she explained to Vitray at the talk show.

She believed that there is only one world, but through languages you can get to know its many more colours and forms. During her travels abroad, she always engaged in conversation with locals.

"I go (into a shop) to bargain for a glove that I have no intention of buying, but it's a great way to expand my vocabulary." She picked up three new words, and it didn't really matter what the assistant thought.

In an interview, she also said that while people say that the Finnish language is related to Hungarian, Finland was the only country where she could not communicate in any language.

"Lecture, nature, skiing"

An interesting fact is that, although she was considered a language genius, she only had an official language exam in Chinese. "I then applied for a Japanese exam and was assigned an examiner, but when I heard that he was going to conduct the exam, I was so offended that I didn't go. And he was so scared that he had to test Kató Lomb that he didn't come either," she told Friderikusz at his Talk show. The examiner didn't know half as much as Kató Lomb.

"I tend to say about myself that I have three obsessions: lecture, or reading, nature, or nature walks, and skiing." She was passionate about all three. When interpreting was in the off-season, she would go skiing. As she put it, she skied through January. She was convinced that exercise helped with her mental work.

In her last years she was still keen to learn languages, and, according to her son, after the age of 92 she tried her hand at learning Ivrit (a modern version of Hebrew), but not with much success. She preferred to call herself a 'linguist' (as opposed to a philologist), referring to someone who learns several languages for practical purposes and out of interest.

By her own testimony, her long life has been brightened not by knowing languages, but by learning them.

Her death on 9 June 2003, at the age of 94, is as much forgotten as her achievements in life. Her passing was reported in only two or three newspapers. She is buried in Budapest, in the cemetery in Farkasrét.

Resources used:
MTI  (Hungarian News Agency)
https://mystique.cafeblog.hu/2017/02/08/egy-elfeledett-lingvista-lomb-kato/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM95By6tzpQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltcmUwFuIhA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_tEi31qKss
https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomb_Kat%C3%B3