Restoration of Archbishop’s Palace in Hajós Completed27 September 2010
The oldest palace in Bács-Kiskun County was restored using EU funds. The project handover took place on Friday. The project, worth 563 million HUF in total, was implemented using a grant of nearly 478 million HUF under the South Plain Operational Programme.
The Archbishop’s Palace in Hajós is one of the most important buildings on the Hungarian Plain (Alföld) for the history of architecture, arts and culture. Used for a variety of purposes over the decades, the palace stood empty and unused after the children’s home it had housed was closed in the 1990s.
The project included the restoration of the main building for purposes of cultural events. A tourist information point with a touch-screen terminal, showing local and regional landmarks and attractions was set up in the foyer. The palace is becoming a unique national attraction presenting a variety of themes, such as permanent and temporary exhibitions, and offering other sights. The Baroque outbuilding awaits visitors with a restored exterior. Parking spaces were built and the park was also rehabilitated. Facilities with obstacle-free access, such as a café, a gift shop and a cloakroom are also available to visitors.
The palace garden – through which visitors will stroll from the car park to the main building – is very impressive with grassy avenues and a fountain.
The development has resulted in a modern interactive cultural centre for the 21st century, a visitor-friendly exhibition venue operated by the County Museum Organisation, that can play a major role in the region’s cultural life.