Herend

Introducing Herend

The porcelain factory at Herend (www.herend.hu), 13km west of Veszprém, has been producing Hungary's finest handpainted chinaware for over 150 years. There's not a lot to see in this dusty one-horse village, and prices at the outlet don't seem any cheaper than elsewhere in Hungary, but the Porcelánium (523 262; www.porcelanium.com; Kossuth Lajos utca 140; adult/child factory & museum 1500/500Ft; 9am-6pm Apr-Oct, 9am-4.30pm Tue-Sat Nov-Mar) is worth the trip. It consists of a museum which displays the most prized pieces of the rich Herend collection, and a mini-factory, where you can witness first-hand how ugly clumps of clay become delicate porcelain. It's a five-minute walk northeast from the bus station. Labels are in four languages, including English, which makes it easy to follow the developments and changes in patterns and tastes, and there's a short film tracing the history of Herend porcelain.

The complex has a shop (9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm Sat, 9.30am-4.30pm Sun) selling antique pieces; otherwise scout around the few shops close to the Porcelánium for new pieces.

Should you feel hungry, Porcelánium has an upmarket restaurant called Apicius (menu 400Ft). Lila Akác (Kossuth Lajos utca 122; mains from 800Ft) is a more down-to-earth place west of the museum and across Vasút utca, with a hearty selection of Hungarian dishes.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009