Eger

Sister cities

• Dolný Kubín
• Kutná Hora

History

Eger has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Today's Eger may have been formed in the 10th century by St. Stephen (997–1038), the first Christian king of Hungary, who founded an episcopal see in Eger. The first cathedral of Eger was built on Castle Hill, within the present site of Eger Castle. Eger grew around this cathedral, and remains an important religious centre in Hungary. This settlement took up an important place among the Hungarian towns even in the early Middle Ages. The natural fundamentals of the surroundings (meeting of plains and hills) made it possible to establish economic and cultural relations between the different parts of the country. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Walloon settlers came from the areas beyond the Rhine. In World War II, the city suffered under the retreating German Army and the arriving Soviet army, but it managed to escape major bombardment. In the decades after 1945, industrialization of the town commenced because of the change of regime. As a consequence, Eger's former character of a cultural centre began to fade, which diminished the patina of the settlement. It was of great fortune that in 1968 the baroque inner city was preserved. It was saved from the deterioration (and from the construction of unsuitable, modern buildings). Eger is famous for its wines, most notably the "Egri Bikavér" (Bull's Blood of Eger). It is also well known for "Egri Víz", a type of brandy which originated in the 18th century, the "bujavászon" (a special Turkish tissue), as well as its thermal baths. Today, Eger is a prosperous town and popular tourist destination with a charming Baroque town centre.

Geography

Eger has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) closely bordering on an oceanic climate (Cfb) or humid subtropical climate (Cfa). The annual average temperature of Eger is , and the warmest July has an average temperature of , while January is the only month below freezing, with an average temperature of . |source 2 = NOAA}}

Most-observed species

• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  341
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  311
• Indian Pokeweed

  Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. · Magnoliopsida
  309
• Eurasian Nuthatch

  Sitta europaea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  261
• Great Spotted Woodpecker

  Dendrocopos major (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  252
• Song Thrush

  Turdus philomelos C.L.Brehm, 1831 · Aves
  251
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  247
• Collared Flycatcher

  Ficedula albicollis (Temminck, 1815) · Aves
  220

Most recent

• M 4 — 2014-01-19
  4 km ESE of Balassagyarmat, Hungary
• M 4.1 — 2013-06-05
  4 km NE of Érsekvadkert, Hungary
• M 4.4 — 2013-04-22
  5 km WNW of Heves, Hungary
• M 2.9 — 2007-11-18
  6 km SSE of Rimóc, Hungary
• M 4.1 — 2006-12-31
  1 km ENE of Ecser, Hungary
• M 3.1 — 2006-09-15
  4 km E of Nagykáta, Hungary