The must-have newsletter about Hungary

NAVRACSICS: CULTURE CAPITAL OF EUROPE TITLE 'UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY'

 

The European Capital of Culture title presents “a unique opportunity” for Veszprém and the surrounding region, Tibor Navracsics, the regional development minister, said on Monday, unveiling the programme ahead of the official opening on Jan. 21. Veszprém and the Bakony-Balaton region will now have the chance to boost their profile as popular tourist destinations, given the beauty of the landscape, the sophistication of locals, and the quality of programmes on offer, the minister told a press conference in Budapest. A spectacular celebration will kick off the cultural capital season in Veszprém on Jan. 21, with 50 free events at 13 locations put on throughout the city over the weekend, he noted. The European Capital of Culture initiative began almost 40 years ago as a way to highlight intersections of European cultural heritage and the cultural community, Navracsis said, adding that the idea was to show that there was more that united the nations of Europe than separated them.