Baja

Baja sits on a branch of the Danube in the south of the plain, and its main square opens directly onto the water, which is unusual in Hungary and gives the town a look more southern than its latitude suggests. Serbs, Swabians, Hungarians and Bunjevci all settled here and the churches reflect it. The town is best known nationally for its fish soup: bajai halaszle, made from Danube carp with a heavy dose of paprika and served with thin pasta added at the table, distinct from the Szeged version, and celebrated in July with a festival at which thousands of cauldrons are lit around the square at once. The Nagy Istvan gallery holds work by painters of the local school.

History

The area has been inhabited continuously since the end of the Iron Age, and the town itself, first mentioned in 1308, was most likely founded in the 14th century, its first known owners being the Bajai family; in 1474 Matthias Corvinus gave it to the Czobor family. Under the Ottomans it was the official centre of the region, with fortifications, and Bunjevci and Serbs settled here along with Franciscan monks from Bosnia, and it was granted town rights in 1696 (Wikipedia, Baja, Hungary).

What to look for

• The square opening onto the Danube - the riverside centre of the town.
• Bajai halaszle - carp soup with pasta added at the table.
• The July fish soup festival - thousands of cauldrons around the square.
• Serb, Swabian and Bunjevac churches - the mixed settlement of the town.

When to go

May to September for the riverside; the second Saturday of July for the fish soup festival, when the town is full. Half a day otherwise. Book accommodation far ahead for the festival.

Before you go

The festival takes over the town completely and beds are gone months in advance. Outside it the town is quiet with modest sights. The soup is genuinely hot with paprika and not to everyone's taste.

Nearby

Hajos is north-east; the Gemenc forest lies north.