5 Best Sights in Kalocsa, Hungary

On the Szentháromsâg square, next to the cathedral, the Archiepiscopal Treasury houses an astounding trove of precious relics, manuscripts, vestments, and other objects—many in solid gold or silver or encrusted with precious jewels—belonging to the church.

Since most of medieval Kalocsa was laid to waste during the long Ottoman occupation, the town's notable buildings date from the 18th century or later, including Kalosca Cathedral. Completed in 1754, the cathedral is considered a masterpiece of the Baroque, with an eye-popping gilded interior replete with vivid frescoes and elaborate flourishes. The sepulchre in the crypt is said to be the original resting place of the first archbishop of Kalosca, a vestige from the first church built on this site (the present church is the fourth). The church's pipe organ is one of the finest in Hungary and was inaugurated by being played by Franz Liszt.

To the north of the cathedral, the buttercup-color Kalocsa Episcopal Palace is one of the town's two important Baroque buildings. Built in the 1760s, the palace's richly decorated ceremonial hall contains a collection of maps and medieval astronomical instruments. The 150,000 volumes in the library represent a vast collection of theological books amassed over the years by resident archbishops, including some of Martin Luther's bibles. The palace garden, just behind the library, contains a variety of valuable botanicals and an open-air theater where various performances are held in summer.

To the native farmers and peasants anything and everything was worthy of embellishment in the vividly colored flowers and vines that form the traditional motifs. This charming museum re-creates the colorful abodes of the Serbian, Slovak, and Magyar peasants who lived here, particularly the "painting women" of Kalosca, who decorated everything from walls and furniture to clothing.

Kalocsa and neighboring Szeged are the world's largest producers of paprika, and here in the attic of St. Stephen House, in downtown Kalocsa, you'll learn everything you ever wanted to know about the sweet "red gold," so vital to the region and to Hungarian cooking, from its history to its manufacture, not to mention its beneficial properties. The Hungarian Paprika Spice Museum illuminates a tradition passed down from the 16th century that is still preserved by many artisan producers in the region today. Visitors can pick up a tin of the world's best paprika and choose from a sampling of colorful folk embroideries at the museum store.