Itineraries.(travel information)

Jaszbereny

Wandering all the way from Iran in the 1200s, the Jasz tribe came to the banks of the Zagyva River, a tributary of the Tisza, and said this is home. Thus was born the town of Jaszbereny (www.jaszbereny.hu). With time, a number of other towns would emerge as well, developing a regional Hungarian culture with Iranian roots. Any towns on the map that begin with Jasz have their roots in Jaszbereny. After Ottoman Leopold I sold the town to the Knights of the Teutonic Order, whose taxation policies were renowned, the citizens of Jaszbereny fell into serfdom.

But their independent spirit would not let this last rest. In a particularly poor crop year, they held an emergency meeting. All the "Jasz" towns attended. Knowing that heavy taxation was about to descend upon their small shire, they collected 500,000 gold florins, a king's ransom for that time. They were going to try to buy off their new rulers with a lump sum payment and thus escape taxation. Empress Mother Theresa ended the sacrifice, however, when she restored the lands and semi-independence to the Iranian descendents. The Jaszkunsag made the agreement with Empress Theresa in 1745, in which they also agreed to make the lump sum payment as a security pledge in place of their taxes, thus witnessing in hard cash that they were loyal to the Hapsburg Empire. They succeeded in paying the entire sum in 1751, thus insuring a semi-autonomy that lasted for the next 150 years.

Yet, despite the Iranian heritage, the Magyar roots are strong here as well. Local legend says that Attila the Hun was buried here. How we love our pagan roots--several other Hungarian towns make the same claim. The center of town is the Szentharomsag ter (Trinity Square), bordered by a street that is called Lehel Vezer ter. In Trinity Square, where Lehel Vezer ter intersects with Nagytemplom street, the Church of the Virgin Mary dominates the intersection. Originally a 1300s Gothic structure, it was rebuilt after the Turks destroyed it. The reconstruction gave it the current Baroque facade. Its semi-Turkish Baroque spire, so typical of Hungary, is topped by a copy of the Hungarian crown. Also facing the square, the town hall was built in 1839.

Despite Jaszbereny's Iranian roots, it is unequivocally Magyar, as evidenced by the village Museum, which houses one of the artifact treasures of Hungary, the famed Horn of Lehel. Lehel was one of the great chieftains of the Magyars as they led their raids into Europe. In one particularly desperate battle in Germany, Lehel was captured. The German emperor gave him a choice of any two ways to die. Lehel asked for his horn so that he could blow it in the final dramatic seconds of life. When they brought him his horn, he promptly struck the emperor with it, killing him instantly, and announced, even as the German knights closed around him, "Now you will be my slaves." The early Magyars believed that anyone they killed in battle in this life would be their slave in the after-life. The horn is in the Museum at 5 Tancsics M Street, [telephone] 36-57-312-753, open 9 am to 4 pm, summer until 5 pm.

The time to visit this town is in the month of August, the harvest time, when fairs and events take place almost every day of the month. In the first week of August the notable Folk Art Country Fair (on Margit Island) will offer you plenty of souvenirs. Opening festivities include the "Csango Procession" (in the main square), folk dancing in the streets, lutes, and violins, and bands, as well as villagers from throughout the region. After the parade, visit the Camp of Hussars (Hatvani road at Margit-Sziget Island), where you can see a duplicated encampment from the age of the famous Hussar cavalry, and see enactments of horseback fighting tactics. Within a few days of these events, Jaszbereny usually hosts the International Honey Fair and Meeting of Bee-Keepers. As the exact dates may vary, contact Tourinform in Jaszbereny (see Appendix).

The Zoological and Botanical Garden at 1 Femnyomo street, www.jaszberenyzoo.hu is not just a zoo but also a large park with children's playground areas, a petting zoo, and huge habitat cages, where animals live in semi-natural surroundings, including lakes and streams. In a unique program, bears and wolves are kept in the same cage area. When they feed the animals they try to duplicate natural conditions, so the animals must actually use their natural instincts to find the food. The public is invited to watch. The feeding hours are on the website. Soft drink, ice cream, souvenir, and food vendors range across the huge territory.