Eastern Europe Travel Notes
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Slovakia: Prague
[NYT Feb 20, 1994]
Could you give me any information about folklore and folk dance classes in the
Czech Republic? -- Myrtis Mixon, San Francisco
A. There are a number of options.
- Cedok, a Czech travel agency, offers one-week folk dance courses for groups
of at least 10 on special request. The classes are held in castles in and around
Prague. The courses, including lodging, meals and dance lessons, cost about $350
a person. More information: Cedok Inter travel, 18 Na Prikope, 111-35 Prague 1,
Czech Republic; 241 971 11, fax 232 16 56 (the dialing code for the Czech Republic
is 42; the Prague code is 2).
- In Moravia, annual folk dance summer schools are organized by the Armed Forces
Folk Art Ensemble in the city of Brno. Program information and prices can be obtained
from Vojensky Umelecky Soubor Ondras, Attention Cestmir Komarek, Post Office Box
541/A, 602-00 Brno, Czech Republic; (42 5) 411 820 46.
- Artama, an organization that promotes amateur art, provides information on all
folk festivals in the Czech Republic. More information: Artama, 7 Kresomyslova,
140-00 Prague 4, Czech Republic; (42 2) 438 471, fax (42 2) 438 935.
- A Prague tour operator, Dvorana, puts together dance trips, including a Folk
Dance Week tour from July 30 to Aug. 6 and a Moravian Folklore Adventure from
Aug. 13 to 18. More information: Dvorana, Spanielova 1275, 163 00 Prague 6, Czech
Republic; (42 2) 302 1330, fax (42 2) 301 8267.
- Information on all folk-art-related events in the Czech Republic may also be
obtained from the Czech Folklore Association in Prague: Folklorni Sdruzeni C.R.,
Attention Zdenek Psenica Senovazne, 24 Namesti, 110-00 Prague 1, Czech Republic;
telephone and fax (42 2) 242 146 47.
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Prague to Warsaw night train 1993 - DON'T - Can't lock doors on first-class compartment
& forbidden due to sleep, due to "hooligans". For $50 dormitory
car with guard. Plus don't go to police, as they will hold onto your passports.
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Slovakia: Bratislava
Arkadia - 3 Beblaveho Street, just below the castle - inexpensive - try grilled
goose liver.
Madarska - Hviezdoslavovo Square, near the National Theater.
Rybarsky Cech - I Zizkova St - rococo building along the Danube - fish.
View: flying saucer-like restaurant-cafe above Slovak National Uprsing Bridge.
Nightlife:
Star Sladovna - 32 Cintorinska OR Old Malt House/Mammoth.
Velky Frantiskani - Dibrovovo Square - one of the famous wine taverns with Gypsy
or Slovak folk music, in centuries-old building.
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Austria (+ see recipe files)
Vienna - St. Stephen's Cathedral - take elevator to observation deck.
Kunsthistorisches Museum <<<
Belvedere Palace (Klimt, Schiele) + Stökl (cozy restaurant).
Grand dining: Hotel Palais Schwarzenberg.
Schönbrunn Palace
Hundertwasser House - 3 Kegelgasse, corner Löwengasse. Take the U-1 subway
from its State Opera-Kalsplatz stop or from Stephansplatz to Schwedenplatz and
proceed (free transfer) by N tram to Hetzgasse stop.
Kunsthaus - 13 Untere Weissgerber Strasse - U-1 subway to Schwedenplatz, proceeding
by N tram to Radetzkyplatz.
Number 1 streetcar runs the whole length of the horseshoe-shaped Ringstrasse.
St. Marx Cemetary (6-8 Leberstrasse) - 2 miles from city center.
Saturdays along the Linke Wienzeile: Stiegengasse and Eggerthgasse flea markets.
Art Deco lamps. Alpine farmers with wine, apples, old lederhosen. BEWARE OF PICKPOCKETS
1990.
Vienna woods/Wienerwald: Stretch from Kahlenberg Heights in the north, westward
in a gentle arc through the Föhrenberge (Fir Mountains) towards Baden in
the south - 540 square miles.
Northenmost salient of the Alps. The farther from Vienna, the more beautiful the
villages and the countryside. Once Vienna had heavily fortified walls, only torn
down mid-1800s (and became the Ringstrasse).
Famous wine villages: Grinzing, Nussdorf, Neustift am Walde - close to being Vienna
suburbs. Heurigen = wine taverns - now may be full of Japanese + tourists. But
still good:
Perchtoldsdorf - 8 miles from city center.
The Helenental - valley 8 miles south of Perchtoldsdorf.
Heiigenkreuz - beautiful Benedictine monastery.
Gumpoldskirchen.
Need good map: Kompass series.
(20-minute walk from end of D tram line (up Zahnradbahnstrasse to the Beethovengang
to the Wildgrubgasse, following the "Wanderweg" signs) puts you into
the vineyards, dotted with Heuriger taverns)
Baden - spa town + gambling.
Graz - in the wine-growing southeast - second largest city - center of Austrian
writers and artists. Grandhotel Wiesler.
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Hungary
Budapest - BE CAREFUL OF GETTING VASTLY INFLATED BILLS IN RESTAURANTS!!!
12/23/1990 - In broad daylight in the crowded Vaca shopping mall, shoulder bag
cleverly opened. LEAVE PASSPORTS AND OTHER VALUABLES IN HOTEL SAFE & CONCEAL
CREDIT CARDS AND CASH IN ZIPPERED WAIST BAG!!
Avoid Pesta hotel hub across from the palace, esp. at night.
One man had Mace sprayed face while walking on the beach at Lake Balaton &
lost valuables.
Ibusz Private Rooms and Apartments, operates 24 hours a day at Petofi Ter 3 in
Budapest; 118-4842 (the country code for Hungary is 36, the city code for Budapest
is 1). Rates start at $18 a night for a double room. (10-27-91 NYT & 11-20-91
BG)
[Nov 1990] Marco Polo - "One of best Italian restaurants anywhere in Europe"
- opened by Italian importer of Hungarian beef who married a Hungarian. In former
library of the Hungarian Hydrological Society. $95 for two.
Sense of exuberance, food, witty articulate handsome talented.
Central market bursting with fruits, flowers, cheeses, peppers.
Hilton built around the ruins of a 13th-century Dominican church atop Castle Hill.
Have dinner at the Matyas Pince, where only the best gypsy bands play.
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[NYT 1-19-92] Folk Dance -
Fridays -
The Teka at Almassy Teri Szbadido Kozpont (Almassy Square Free Time Center), 6
Almassy Ter, seventh district, 5 pm - midnight. 500+ people. Faithful village
music.
The Zsaratnok group at Lagymanyosi Kozessegi Haz, 17 Korossy J. Street, 11th district.
Balkan (Serb, Macedonian, Greek, Bulgarian).
Saturdays -
Kalamajika plays at the Belvarosi Ifjusagi Haz (Downtown Youth House), 9 Molnar
Street, fifth district. Béla Halmos (fiddler) helped found the dance movement.
Best practitioner of Szek Village music this side of Rumanian border.
Pontos Ido at XII Kerulet Polgarmesteri Hivatal (Twelfth District Municipal Building),
23-25 Boszormenyi St. (Lackluster, but visiting musicians liven things up.)
Sundays -
Meta at Jozsefvarosi Klub (basement), 13 Somogyi Bela St, eighth district. Has
woman leader & uses bagpipes.
The Hora dance house, with Israeli dances taught by Israelis (usually not to live
music) alternates between the Il Kerulet Muvelodesi Kozpont (Second District Culture
Center) on Marczibanyi Square OR the Almassy Teri Szbadido Kozpont. Hungarian
Jewish Cultural Organization = 142-6924.
Tuesdays -
Muzsikas at Szakszervezetek Fovarosi Muvelodesi Haz (Union Culture House), Fehervari
St 47, 11th district. Most polished & internationally known.
Wednesdays -
Tatros plays Csango music at the Il Kerulet Muvelodesi Kozpont (Second District
Culture Center) on Marczibanyi Square. Music from far reaches of Rumania. Popular
sound. Five minute walk from Moscow Square.
Falkafolk plays Balkan at Szakszervezetek Fovarosi Muvelodesi Haz (Union Culture
House), Fehervari St 47, 11th district.
Tukros at the Ferencvarosi Muvelodesi Haz, 27 Haller Street, ninth district.
Thursdays -
Mezo at Czerepeshaz, 28b Vezer Street, 14th district.
First dance is always from village of Szek, an island of Hungarians amid their
enemies the Romanians.
Tanchaz
Csárdás
Bela Bartok & Zoltan Kodaly had collected earlier.
Zoltan Kallos = noted collector.
Budapest Spring Festival - March 16th - April 1st, 2007
Palace of Arts - Béla Bartók National Concert Hall
1095 Budapest Komor Marcell u. 1.
555-3300, 555-3301
March 28 - Márta Sebestyén and her guests: the Muzsikás group,
Ferenc Seb?, Béla Halmos, Balázs Szokolay Dongó, Mátyás
Bólya, Andy Irvine, the Bisserov Sisters, the Vujicsics and the Söndörg?
groups will appear.
http://www.budapesthotels.com/touristguide/Tancz.asp
http://wherebudapest.hu/2001_03/hungarian_dance_house.html
Google: Bela Halmos Budapest
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http://wherebudapest.hu/
Szentendre - 20 kilometers north of Budapest along the Danube.
SoHo on the Danube: An Artist's Village [NYT 11-18-90]
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Holloko, dans les montagnes du nord-est de la Hongrie et à 60 km de Budapest,
est un exemple exceptionnel d'habitat traditionnel volontairement conservé.
Ce village, qui s'est développé surtout aux XVIIème et XVIIIème
siècles, reste un témoignage toujours vivant des formes de la vie
rurale avant la révolution agricole du XXème siècle. Les
maisons reposent sur des soubassements de pierres, les clochers des églises
sont en bois, et les murs blanchis à la chaux. Hollóko est inscrit
sur la liste du Patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco depuis 1988. <<<
http://www.bourlingueurs.com/hongrie/page_04.htm
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Pecs - mosque Hassan Jakovali + grill with locks
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[NYT 9-27-92] the Orség - uncharted region - tip of western Hungary,
next to Austria & Slovenia - "behind the back of God".
Ancient villages and medieval churches. Long harsh winters. Home-made fruit brandy
= palinka. Potter = Fazekas.
Oiszentpeter, the central village, is 160 miles west of Budapest, about a 4-hour
drive.Trains to Kormend & Szombathely. Ispank & Szalafo are the most charming
villages. (If they cook breakfast, leave a few extra dollars.) Rooms $10 for double.
Peasant houses = paraszthazok.
Pityerszer open-air museum - settlement with "bun-topped" houses. From
Oriszentpeter, take road to Szalafo and follow signs. Walk around looking in through
the windows.
Fazekas Haz, Fo Ut (Main Street), Magyarszombatfa Village - preserved potter's
house and kiln.
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Bulgaria
Actuel - May 1990
17 UNESCO reserves
Ce qui frappe, ce sont ces couleurs. Couleurs des paysages, couleurs d'un peuple
fier, avide de rencontres et d'échanges.
A Sofia, les pavés son jaunes, le dômen or de la cathédrale
Alexandre Neva éclate au soleil relayé, la nuit, par la gros étoile
rouge du parlement. En plein coeur du pays, ce sont les roses dans les champ de
Kazonlac au pied de la chaine des Balkans. La Bulgarie est le premier producteur
mondial d'essence de roses.
La cueillette dure un mois, du 15 mai á 15 juin.
Reste le bleu de la mer Noire, aux Sable d'Or, á Albena Duni ou Sozopol.
C'est le deuxieme pays au monde en beautés naturelles incensées.
Plovdiv fut le fief de Philippe II de Macédoine en 342 avant notre ère.
L'ancienne ville Thrace a tourjours fasciné le voyageur. Lamartine habita
cette maison.
Les moines, eux, ont traversé l'histoire, á l'abri du monastère
de Rila, un chef d'oeuvre d'architecture.
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Slovenia: Ljubljana
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Serbia: Belgrade
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Croatia:
Plitvice = Nacionalni Park Plitvice (UNESCO)
By bus from Rijeka, Ljubljana, & other cities, even from resort towns like
Rab. 50 miles inland from main coast road.
Three good hotels in the park - Bellevue, Jezero, Plitvice - change $25 to $60
a night for two in summer (1989).
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Croatia: Dubrovnik
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Cruise through Ukraine (Sunset June 1990)
Vienna to Kiev 13-14 days
Akademik Viktor Gluschkov - 300 passenger Soviet
Mozart - 212 passenger Austrian
Ukranian only is 10-11 days including 2 days in Moscow & 1 day in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Midway point is Ruse, Bulgaria - change to other ship.
$3,315 for Dnieper-Danube / Ukraine $2,565.
Stops at Kiev, Zaporozhye, Kherson, Odessa.
Exuberent beauty of Kiev - largely rebuilt since WW2, hilltop. St. Sophia, 11th
century Byzantine church with lavish mosaics.
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