1. About the town

Whatever direction approaching the town from, the picture of the streets and features sloping down the hills are awe-inspiring. The seat of Tolna county lies at the meeting point of the Transdanubian Hill and the Great Plain. The town started growing in the valley of Remete creek. In Roman times the town was known as Alisca, the recent name was mentioned first in the deed of foundation of Pécsvárad which was sent to Szent István. King Béla founded Benedictine monastery here in 1061 where later on Szent László and Könyves Kálmán also appeared. The very first charter, which reports on Szekszárd’s market town rank is from 1485. Under the Turkish invasion the settlement almost lost its population. In the 18^th century the significant German colonization helped recovering, craft guilds were formed, and Szekszárd became county town. An outbreak of fire destroyed most of the town in 1794. The 19^th century brought major changes; a hospital was found, churches were built, public buildings like county hall, city hall and savings bank were raised, and by the end of the century high school and museum were established.

Today Szekszárd has a population of approximately 33.000 and the neighbouring area on 26 settlements 100.000. All of them are proud of their traditions and colourful culture. Szekszárd is a real festival town, during the László napi Piknik, the Pentecost Fish and Venison Festival and the Harvest Days thousands of people turn up in the town and in the surrounding villages. Beside its vibrant cultural life the world famous red wine is the prime attraction for visitors.

The wine-growing area of Szekszárd is one of the oldest wine region in Hungary with its almost two thousand year old past. The size of the region is 2200 hectare mainly covered by blue grape. The climate and soil of the area is perfect for producing excellent quality red wine. The most important wine types are kékfrankos, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, zweigelt, merlot and kadarka which is the trademark of Szekszárd. The wine region is also famous for the cuvée named Bikavér. Over the last 15 years the number of the wineries that bottle competitive wines by international standards have increased significantly. Their work has been recognized by the Hungarian Wine Academy many times; in 1993 Ferenc Vesztergombi, in 2004 Ferenc Takler, in 2011 Péter Vida and in 2014 Tamás Dúzsi was elected for the wine maker of the year. The major wineries have implemented many great projects in order to provide a higher level of technological background.

Tolna County’s only higher education institution, the Illyés Gyula University Faculty got integrated to the University of Pécs and broadened its profile with new programs based on economic and social demand. Folk dance and music education are also available for hundreds of children. The most important food processing company, the Tolnatej Zrt. is the only Hungarian owned milk and cheese factory in the country.

Hungary’s only German theatre The Deutsche Bühne Ungarn was opened in 1982. Among the DBU’s mission a primary is to cultivate the German language and intermediate as well as preserving the cultural heritage of the Germans of Hungary. The theatre acts as an open forum for cultural dialogue between the Hungarian population and the German minority.

2. Main sights

The heart of the town is the Béla király square which is the best place to start a sight-seeing tour. The Catholic Church, the biggest single-nave church in Central Europe was built in 1805 in Copf style. Three times a day carillon can be heard from it. In the opposite way the Holy Trinity statue commemorate the sad memento of the plague. The statue of King Béla 1^st who played an important role in the stabilization of Christianity can be found on the square bearing his name. The Béla király square is bordered by the Town Hall on the west and the old County Hall on the east. The County Hall houses offices, the archives and many exhibitions. During the summer programs and concerts are held among the emblematic ruins of the monastery founded by King Béla 1^st in the court.

With a few minute walk to the west the birthplace of Babits Mihály can be reached. The bronze statue of the famous poet hosts the visitors from the garden. In the modest building the memorial museum displays childhood memories, furniture of the guestroom and written relics.

The Garay square is the centre of the town with the statue of Garay János in the middle. The poet raised the character of Háry János into literature and also wrote about the wine of Szekszárd creating the bikavér phrase. The German theatre built in secessionist style is a characteristic feature of the square. The Augusz House is not only a sight of architecture but of cultural history. It was built by Baron Augusz Antal and Liszt Ferenc was a regular visitor in it. Today it houses the music school bearing his name.

Szekszárd has a high standard of music life which takes place mainly in the House of Arts. The former synagogue was reborn by the plans of Kerényi József and now it is a basic venue for high-toned concerts and exhibitions either contemporary or classic.

The impressive building of the Wosinsky Mór County museum is right next to the House of Arts. The bronze portrait of the founder which is the work of Farkas Pál can be seen in front of the entrance. Several permanent and seasonal exhibitions wait for those who are interested.

3. Recent cultural and functional investments

In the framework of the Agora project the Babits Mihály Cultural Centre and the House of Arts have been fully renovated just like the park between them.

The Garay cellar was elaborated from the oldest cellar of the town into a modern interactive tourist attraction. The size and the character of the cellar is unique in Hungary and it represents the wine culture from the aspect of gastronomy, art and technology too.

The renewal of the town centre ended in 2013. The Béla király square received an artistic pavement in order to get a homogenous image and a modern surface that preserves the past as well. Beside the Catholic Church a roundabout was built and traffic calming measures were planted in front of the Town Hall. Both the Town Hall and the County Hall and was restored. The latter one’s garden was completely revived and opened to the square.

The market place became a two-story building hosting a large community space too where small and large gatherings can be organized regardless of age or social needs