Veszprem, Hungary (© mtu.gov.hu)
To go beyond. Beyond the cliché, isolation, tradition or obstacles. This was at the heart of the concept when the Veszprém-Balaton region decided to apply for the title of European Capital of Culture 2023. As the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest will be held in the same year as the ECC, this offers a unique opportunity for locals and foreigners visiting the Balaton region in addition to the capital.
As a region uniquely holds the title next year, guests can take a dip not only in Lake Balaton, but also in the region’s history and its rich cultural programs. The organizers invite the whole of Europe to this adventure: for the experience of discovering together how the individual and the community can transcend the boundaries of piety, to create an exciting, new yet long-standing European cultural space. Which is not just Veszprém, Lake Balaton or the surrounding villages, but a common space.
Veszprem, Hungary (© mtu.gov.hu)
Veszprém is a small town in Hungary, in the heart of the Bakony-Balaton region. With the title we want to prove that even a small town can live a life where the citizenship of Veszprém, Lake Balaton and Europe is fundamentally intertwined. We hope that the successful year 2023 will help us to become an exciting destination, a new cultural-creative hub within Europe, said Alíz Markovits, CEO of Veszprém-Balaton 2023.
Although the ECOC title will have cultural, social and economic implications, perhaps the most important factor is civic involvement, community involvement. Volunteering, sustainability, tradition and innovation will also play a major role in community building.
European Capital of Culture 2023 is a celebration of one of the most beautiful regions in Hungary. Spirituality, local communities, food and wine, nature all convey the joy of life that will also appear in ECOC programs. The organizers want the slogan “city of queens” to be supplemented with the trademark “city of culture”. By compiling the series of programs, they want to show not only the values of the city and the region to foreign and domestic tourists, but also to the locals. So that they can boldly position the region as a creative cultural center that also stands out internationally.
Valley of Arts, Paloznaki Jazz Picnic, Pannon Observatory, Balaton Cross Swimming, ferry concerts, Balaton Sound, KultKikötő - just a few names from the rich and diverse program selection, which shows that culture is interpreted as widely as possible by the organizers, from motion pictures to gastronomy, from music to literature.
The aim of the organizers is that the launched processes, events and institutions brought to life would continue to operate after 2023. And local communities are becoming stronger, creating new traditions that will further increase the cultural and economic demand for the area.
If you are curious about the unique atmosphere, do not wait until 2023, head to Veszprém now, where even the vacated business premises can reborn in a special way. This is how the Papírkutya culture pub, the Pekedli Szatcsbolt, the Füge Ice Cream Parlor or the KUNSZT! design shop were created.
