Original subtitles

NARRATOR: This is Hungary,

as you’ve never seen it before.

From above, we’ll reveal an ancient land,

shaped by the continent’s turbulent past.

Where traditional skills and innovative engineering

are defining the nation's future.

♪♪

In this series,

we’ll take an aerial tour across Europe.

Filmed over the course of a single year,

and through the changing seasons,

we will uncover the culture,

history, and engineering

that built the great European nations we see today.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Hungary is an ancient,

land-locked nation in Central Europe.

It’s bordered by seven European states,

including Austria to the west,

and Ukraine to the east.

Hungary is a country of wide plains, and rolling hills.

Two mighty rivers define the landscape:

the Tisa in the east,

and the Danube,

Europe’s second longest river, in the west.

In winter,

the banks of this great river glisten white,

but as the weather warms, they transform to a carpet of lush green.

In the cities, the covering of snow and ice melts away.

Spring arrives in Hungary.

The jewel in Hungary’s crown is its historic capital, Budapest.

The city's ancient heart

attracts around four million tourists each year.

Every spring, they flock here

to marvel at the country’s vast parliament building.

Europe’s largest synagogue.

And the spectacular views

from the top of the Fisherman’s Bastille.

People have inhabited the banks of the River Danube here

for over 6,000 years.

But the modern city has a surprisingly recent past.

Today, Budapest is a bustling metropolis,

home to around three million people,

but it was formed just 140 years ago,

when the royal city of Buda, the old Roman city of Obuda,

and the trading center of Pest, merged to form a single super-city.

And around that same time,

something extraordinary started to happen

to the rooftops of the city’s heart.

From high above, the colorful ceramic tiles

that cover the roofs of Budapest’s historic buildings

put on a dazzling aerial display.

The gothic St. Laszlo Church in the east of the city,

the Hungarian Treasury building,

the Szilagyi Dezso Reformed Church,

and the stunning home of the Hungarian Geological Institute.

Historian Gyorgy Merenyi

specializes in studying these unique, colorful tiles.

(Gyorgy Merényi speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR GYORGY MERÉNYI: Budapest is a beautiful place.

People often forget to look up during everyday life,

and I recommend that everyone looks up.

NARRATOR: Budapest’s vibrant rooftops

are all thanks to a Hungarian tile manufacturer called Zsolnay,

who have developed a very special trade secret.

They use a unique firing and glazing technique

to create a vivid finish

that can withstand Hungary’s harshest winters

as well as brighten the skyline.

TRANSLATION FOR GYORGY MERÉNYI: The truth is, with the glaze technique,

you can make the ceramic tile more durable.

The other aspect is aesthetic.

You can create very beautiful, very rich buildings, rich in color.

NARRATOR: Perhaps the most spectacular

use of the tiles

is on the Matthias Church in Central Budapest.

Hungary’s first king and founder, St. Stephen,

is said to have established a church on this spot in 1015,

when he converted the people from paganism to Christianity.

The current church was originally built in the 15th century.

Then, extensively restored with 130,000

Zsolnay tiles in 1896.

The story of Budapest and Zsolnay tiles are intertwined.

As the city expanded and the buildings became grander,

the tile factory grew bigger, and wealthier, too.

By 1914, Zsolnay was the largest company in the whole country,

and today, after 170 years,

it still produces these bright, colorful tiles.

TRANSLATION FOR GYORGY MERÉNYI: The Zsolnay factory is a bright star

of Hungarian industry.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Hungary’s capital

dwarfs the nation’s other urban centers.

It’s ten times the size of any other city in the country,

including Debrecen in the east,

the nation’s second largest city.

Miscolc in the north, a historic, industrial hub

that produces steel and chemicals.

And Szeged, in the south, known as the city of sunshine

for its warm and favorable weather.

Hungary once contained many more great cities,

but in 1920, after defeat in World War I,

the nation lost around two-thirds of its ancient territory.

The mighty Danube now marks part of its northern border

with neighbor Slovakia.

A closer look reveals a bridge

that’s older than the frontier it spans.

This is Erzsebet Bridge.

Today, this 120-year-old structure can’t handle the heavy loads

that now travel between Hungary and Slovakia.

So engineers are constructing a new,

state-of-the-art bridge two kilometers upstream.

The cutting-edge Monostor Bridge

is the tallest bridge ever to span the Danube.

A single tower rises up 118 meters,

and with just 32 connecting steel cables,

holds the entire weight of the road deck below.

It cost 117 million Euros to build,

and reaches 600 meters across the river.

Balazs Varga oversees the construction

of this brand new international connection.

(Balázs Varga speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR BALÁZS VARGA: New Bridges on the Danube

are rarely built. What’s even less common,

it’s a bridge connecting two countries together.

NARRATOR: It has taken three years

to construct this bridge.

Today, with most of the major building work complete,

Balazs must undertake an extraordinary experiment

before the bridge can be opened to the public.

Balazs has organized a fleet of 31-ton trucks

to test the capacity of the bridge deck to its limits.

This experiment relies on 24 high-tech sensors

embedded in the bridge’s giant superstructure.

They measure everything, from the strain on the cables,

to movement of the road deck.

He begins by sending over just two trucks

to check that the sensors work.

The first trial is a success.

Now it’s time for the ultimate test.

All 32 trucks will drive onto the new Monostor Bridge

at the same time.

The first HGVs

drive to the Slovakian end of the bridge.

Together, the lorries weigh around 1,000 tons

as they line up into position.

With the final drivers in place,

the bridge effortlessly holds the massive load.

Balazs’s test is a success,

and the bridge is ready for the 30,000 vehicles

that could cross it each day.

TRANSLATION FOR BALÁZS VARGA: I won’t forget this bridge,

and I’ll come back often.

I hope one day I will come back with my grandchildren, as well.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Today, Hungary boasts

one of Europe’s fastest growing economies,

with computer electronics and motor production

among its largest exports.

But these traditional water wells in Hortobagy National Park

are evidence modern life hasn’t touched

every part of the country.

In the east, the nation is sheltered by

the imposing Carpathian Mountains,

which run through neighboring Slovakia,

Ukraine, and Romania.

They surround a vast patch of flat, verdant land

that covers over 90,000 square kilometers,

an area the size of Portugal.

This is the Great Hungarian Plain.

The prehistoric land, unchanged for millennia.

Humans have been farming this land for over 7,000 years.

It’s Europe’s equivalent to the American Wild West,

a landscape conquered by horseback riding herders.

And today, it’s home to one of the world’s most

striking-looking cows.

NARRATOR: This is the Hungarian Grey,

an ancient breed of cattle.

Each animal can weigh up to a ton

and stand over a meter and a half tall.

These cows have become a national symbol of Hungary.

But this iconic beast is in trouble, and at risk of extinction.

♪♪

Conservationist cattle herder Máté Csaba

is one of the guardians of the Hungarian Grey.

Máté over winters his cattle in huge barns,

making sure the newborn calves get the care they need.

But, when spring arrives,

he must lead the herd out onto the open plain to feed.

Today, our aerial cameras

capture the extraordinary sight of this big move.

(Máté Csaba speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR MÁTÉ CSABA: It is the herdsman’s most difficult day,

because when the calf is born in winter,

there are four walls and four paddocks.

Then everything goes a bit crazy for them

when one morning they have to leave the place

they were used to for the past three to four months.

NARRATOR: The Hungarian Grey

was an important work animal,

pulling ploughs to cultivate the land.

But with the arrival of machines,

these incredible cattle were almost lost forever.

In 1962, only 200 remained.

Fast forward to the present,

and conservationists are making huge efforts

to revive these icons of Hungarian heritage.

And there is also hope their ancient genes

could help modern breeds resist disease.

Máté ventures out onto the Great Plain,

leading the way to the summer pastures.

But he’s not doing this alone.

Máté's canine helpers flank the herd

to make sure no cows get left behind.

These robust barking dogs, called Mudi,

have been herding Hungarian Grey for centuries.

They are fearless in the face of the cattle that tower over them,

despite being 70 times lighter.

TRANSLATION FOR MÁTÉ CSABA: I always say that 50% of the job

is the herdsman and 50 the dog.

NARRATOR: The Mudi nimbly dance around the herd,

keeping clear of their impressive head gear.

The Hungarian Grey’s horns

grow to one and half times the size of their skulls,

and measure a meter from tip to tip.

(mooing)

Máté successfully leads his cattle to the summer pastures.

His efforts are helping to save this majestic breed

from the brink of extinction.

There is now a population of more than 3,000 Hungarian Grey cattle

roaming the landscape.

As the days get longer and temperatures rise,

the melt waters that pour from the mountains

that feed the Danube stop flowing.

And the river’s level drops.

Summer has come to Hungary.

In the 17th century, the Austrian Habsburg monarchy

took control of Hungary from the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

These ornate and luxurious baroque palaces

stand as a reminder of their 200-year rule of the country.

The Royal Palace at Godollo,

a summer retreat for the Habsburg Emperor,

and Esterhazy Castle, the home of landed gentry

and nicknamed "The Hungarian Versailles."

Sitting in the center of Europe,

Hungary has always been of strategic importance

to rising empires and invading armies.

Medieval castles dot its landscapes,

defending key positions.

One stands out for its unusual, elongated form.

This is Szigliget Castle.

It was once surrounded by the waters of the nearby lake.

The hilltop fortress, built in the 13th century,

stood strong through 500 tumultuous years of attacks.

Until, in 1697, it was finally burnt down.

Not by an invading army, but by lightening striking the tower

that stored the gunpowder, triggering a huge fire.

These partial ruins are all that remain

of this medieval stronghold.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Balazs Szakonyi uses 21st century technology

to uncover the secrets of Szigliget Castle.

He hopes to rebuild the castle exactly as it once would have looked.

On a computer, at least.

BALÁZS SZAKONYI: It is very hard to understand

how a certain building,

part of how a certain room looked like.

We don’t have any kind of old pictures,

maps, or any kind of plans,

or depictions of the castle available.

NARRATOR: Balazs and his team

create an exact 3D virtual model of the ruins

to investigate its original layout.

To do this, they use a tripod-mounted laser scanner

that makes millimeter-precise measurements.

But they also need high-resolution images

of the entire castle for their digital rebuild.

And the very best view...

...is from the air.

♪♪

Once Balazs completes the aerial survey, he is able to produce an accurate,

digital model of the castle as it stands today.

But he has more to do if he is to recreate

how the castle would have looked in its prime.

♪♪

After three months of extensive, historical investigations,

Balazs and his team

are finally ready to reveal what Szigliget Castle

would have looked like in its prime.

The results are spectacular.

Their computer reconstruction

reveals the incredibly imposing obstacle

the castle was to any would-be attacker.

The solid stone walls stood more than 18 meters tall,

and one and a half meters thick.

And the keep, the heart of the castle,

had the strongest defenses at the crest of the hill.

Its only entrance, through a well-defended

and tightly enclosed courtyard,

this ingenious design allowed Sziglitet Castle

to endure centuries of Hungary’s turbulent past.

SZAKONYI: It is our monument to our history.

I think it is very important to restore our historical heritage,

because not knowing our past

and not having any kind of connection to our past

is denying our future.

NARRATOR: Reminders of Hungary’s

long and turbulent past dot the landscape.

This is Esztergom Basilica.

It is on this very spot that Hungary’s founding father,

King Stephen, was crowned 1,000 years ago.

And Buda Castle, first built in the 13th century

to repel the ruthless Mongol hordes.

These ancient monuments are cared for and revered.

Yet the remains from a more recent past

have been left to crumble away.

In 1945, the end of World War II,

Hungary fell into 40 years of Soviet rule.

The newly named Hungarian People’s Republic

came under Moscow’s tight control.

Ninety-five kilometers southwest of Budapest

stands an extraordinary relic from this time.

From high above,

grey buildings appear surrounded by a forest.

But a closer look reveals something extraordinary:

the vegetation is starting to reclaim the structures.

This is Szentkiralyszabadja Air Base,

near Veszprem.

It’s one of many Soviet military bases

that were abandoned when Hungary’s Iron Curtain fell

in the early 1990s.

Professional photographer Laszlo Meszaros

is working to document these crumbling ruins.

(László Mészáros speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR LÁSZLÓ MÉSZÁROS: You have to see these places.

I feel like it’s very important to know history.

The better one knows history,

the better one can understand the present.

NARRATOR: Today, the tree punctured hangars

and ghostly barrack buildings

are hard to navigate.

So Laszlo works with Sándor Simon-Jójárt,

who knows the military base better than anyone.

Now 71 years old,

Sándor served as the Hungarian Air Base Commander

and is one of the few people to see inside

its most restricted parts.

(Sándor Simon-Jójárt speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR SÁNDOR SIMON-JÓJÁRT: I arrived

at the Szentkiralyszabadja Air Base in January, 1972.

I flew every aircraft that belonged to the air base.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Szentkiralyszabadja is now known by locals

as the Hungarian Chernobyl,

because of the sudden abandonment.

But with Sándor's help, Laszlo can peer into the lives

of the Soviet soldiers stationed here.

The troops coming from Russia with their families

were able to live a life just like back home.

The ruins of a grand, ornate theater remain,

but are covered in graffiti.

The army also built shops, restaurants, bars,

and even a library, in an attempt to keep the troops happy.

TRANSLATION FOR SÁNDOR SIMON-JÓJÁRT: They had everything here for life.

Everything you would expect in regular civilian life.

NARRATOR: Sándor completes his tour.

And Laszlo sets up his camera

and can now begin capturing the crumbling ruins.

This isolated town was populated for more than 45 years,

until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

The last Russian troops withdrew from Hungary

in June of that year,

and Szentkiralyszabadja has stood empty ever since.

♪♪

As summer comes to an end, the shores of little Balaton Lake

turn from green to gold.

The soaring Koroshegy Viaduct becomes shrouded in mist

as the weather gets colder.

Autumn arrives in Hungary.

Despite the cooling temperatures, Hungary’s popular thermal baths

stay open to keep people warm.

The nation’s spa culture

began to flourish in the 16th and 17th centuries

from the influence of the ruling Turkish Ottoman Empire.

And the Hungarian’s love for water

doesn’t only extend to its bath houses.

Although Hungary has no direct access to the sea,

it’s home to one of the world’s most unusual

fishing destinations.

Seventy-five kilometers from Budapest is Lake Bokod.

Seen from above, its angular shape looks unnatural.

Stranger still, the water’s edge

is covered with hundreds of tendrils

reaching out from the land.

A closer look from our aerial cameras

reveal that the tendrils are walkways and houses,

like the floating villages of Cambodia or Vietnam.

Here, rows of vintage cabins stand on stilts above the water,

accessible from the shore along rickety,

wooden boardwalks that reach out into the lake.

It’s a paradise for anglers.

But what attracts them to this unusually shaped lake?

♪♪

Tibor Kovacs is a volunteer fishing officer

at Lake Bokod.

Once a month, Tibor must inspect the more than 400 stands

to ensure the owners are sticking to the rules.

And the quickest way to go from hut to hut

is by boat.

(Tibor Kovács speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR TIBOR KOVÁCS: It’s been 47 years

I’ve been fishing, and have had a permit.

I really like being on the water.

It’s a very important part of my life.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Taking to the air,

our aerial cameras can reveal the surprising origin

of this incredible floating village.

The 160-hectare lake was originally created in 1961,

as a cooling system for the nearby coal-fired power plant.

Cold water from the lake was sucked into the power plant

to cool the steam driving the generators.

The warm water was then pumped back out.

This raised the temperature of the lake by up to 10 degrees,

boosting the growth of the local fish.

TRANSLATION FOR TIBOR KOVÁCS: There are plenty of large fish

in the lake, which makes it famous nationally.

The biggest catch was of a catfish weighing 70 kilograms.

NARRATOR: Anglers built these amazing floating huts

so their lines could reach the deepest waters

where the biggest of the monster fish would hang out.

♪♪

NARRATOR: Today, the power plant has shut down,

and the water temperature is back to normal.

But Lake Bokod has maintained its reputation

as Hungary’s hottest fishing destination.

And is now a protected nature reserve.

Tibor checks the anglers’ licenses

and ensures they follow the strict catch limits on fish.

Tibor finishes his rounds with the sun beginning to set.

It’s now his turn to cast his line and enjoy this unique location.

TRANSLATION FOR TIBOR KOVÁCS: As soon as I see the water,

I get a feeling.

I can’t even describe it. It completely switches you off.

NARRATOR: Hungary’s curious architecture

isn’t limited to Lake Bokod.

The Balna Building in Budapest is a repurposed warehouse

with an eye-catching whale-like extension.

Further up the river,

the imposing Hotel Gellert is an art nouveau masterpiece

from the turn of the 20th century.

But, perhaps Hungary’s most eccentric design

can be found in the nation’s far west.

Hungary’s western region is a picturesque landscape

dotted with historic towns and cities.

But, closer inspection reveals an unusual structure

that looks like it could be ready to take off.

Nicknamed "The Rocket,"

this amazing tower resembles a soviet Soyuz Space Rocket.

And rises 152 meters

atop Dalos Hill, overlooking the town of Sopron.

Although built in the 1970s at the height of the space race,

it is in fact a vital communications tower

for the nation.

It broadcasts TV,

phone and internet to northwest Hungary,

across an area bigger than London.

♪♪

Today, engineer Laszlo Piros and his team

need to install a brand new dish antennae to The Rocket,

a dedicated link

for transmitting important financial data.

(László Piros speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR LÁSZLÓ PIROS: This TV tower is a symbol of Sopron.

It is also an important piece of national infrastructure.

Since the '70s, it’s been providing telecommunication

and broadcasting services.

NARRATOR: Laszlo takes the internal lift

up to the installation platform to fix the new antennae.

But the 30-kilogram new part won't fit.

So the engineers must use ropes to carefully winch it up by hand.

Any high gust of wind

could cause the new dish to hit the tower.

♪♪

The tower’s rocket-like form

is only possible because of a clever piece of engineering.

Most transmission towers have thick steel cables

to stop them from falling down,

like guy-ropes on a tent.

But the Sopron TV tower doesn’t.

It has six giant feet that extend into the hillside.

These concrete foundations,

sunk eight meters deep into the bedrock,

keep the tower securely upright.

NARRATOR: That’s good news for Laszlo,

because at over 150 meters tall,

the tower can create a fear inducing challenge.

TRANSLATION FOR LÁSZLÓ PIROS: The first day of this job wasn't simple.

It is part of this job to get used to these heights.

Vertigo is not a good thing to have.

NARRATOR: The team successfully attach the antennae,

and get it up and working.

It can now play its part in keeping modern Hungary

at the forefront of the digital world.

As the weather gets colder,

ice begins to form on the River Danube.

The glittering fishing waters of Lake Bokod

freeze over.

Winter is here.

♪♪

(bell chiming)

The land lying to the west of the Danube

is known as the Transdanubian Region.

It’s dotted with quaint villages and traditional farmhouses.

The roofs of these historic buildings

are thatched with an enduring construction material

that keeps them warm and dry.

It’s a material that can only be harvested

in the depths of winter

from central Europe’s largest lake.

From high above the clouds,

Hungary appears painted with a bright blue scar.

This is Lake Balaton,

a giant body of water the size of a mega-city.

Zooming in reveals a surprise.

The landscape next to the lake

appears to have the texture of bubble wrap.

A closer look reveals a bizarre alien landscape.

Hundreds of geometric cones

spread out as far as the eye can see.

♪♪

NARRATOR: These are freshly cut reeds

used to thatch Hungary’s

traditional homes and farmhouses.

It can only be harvested in winter.

That’s because, through most of the year,

the reed beds are too marshy to stand on.

But freezing temperatures harden the ground

and open the briefest window for a winter harvest.

This year, it falls on Zsofia Lovasz’s shoulders

to lead the team harvesting this aquatic crop.

(Zsófia Lovász: speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR ZSÓFIA LOVÁSZ: We harvest the reed in the winter,

because in our country, usually it is icy

and it is easier to harvest on top of the ice.

NARRATOR: This is the last day of the harvest,

so the team assembles as soon as the sun rises.

They must make the most of this final opportunity,

because with the ice gone, the ground will soon be too soft,

even for their specially adapted vehicle.

This unique machine uses six tires, each measuring 1.4 meters wide.

They spread the weight of this 10-ton machine,

allowing it to crawl across the swampy reed beds.

Our unique aerial view

reveals the scale of the task the team face.

The marshlands spread out in all directions,

over 22 square kilometers,

and they must find a patch of reeds

that are the right quality for thatching roofs.

♪♪

With the reeds located, the team can get to work.

Their job is important.

They’re not only producing a vital construction material.

They are also helping to maintain a critical ecosystem for wildlife.

TRANSLATION FOR ZSÓFIA LOVÁSZ: The most important purpose of the work

is to preserve this area,

and that we can always ensure

the water quality of Lake Balaton.

NARRATOR: It takes only an hour

to fill the truck with reeds.

But the team’s job isn’t over.

Bunch by bunch, they stack the freshly cut reeds

into a cone shape, called a stook.

Piling them up this way allows the wind to pass through,

making sure every reed stalk becomes bone dry.

It is only then that they can be used.

It’s cold work, but by the end of the day,

Zsofia and the team have transformed the landscape.

These reeds will soon provide

new roofs for hundreds of houses in the region,

and for homes all across Europe.

TRANSLATION FOR ZSÓFIA LOVÁSZ: I really like my job.

Since I was a child, I wanted to work for Lake Balaton.

And I am helping this area to stay as beautiful

as it is right now.

NARRATOR: The vast expanse of Lake Balaton

is a defining feature of Hungary,

and hidden in the country’s capital is another national icon.

Look closely at Budapest,

and something extraordinary comes into view.

An impressive castle that’s surrounded

by what appears to be an enormous moat.

This ancient-looking castle is just 120 years old.

It’s a grand ornament built to celebrate

the founding of the nation.

Our aerial camera

reveals the castle moat is in fact a giant boating lake.

And in winter, it undergoes a miraculous transformation

as shimmering water becomes solid ice,

and oars and paddles are replaced by skates.

This is Europe’s largest ice rink.

Skating here is one of the city's oldest traditions,

dating back more than 150 years.

♪♪

It’s a huge source of pride for the people of Budapest.

♪♪

But recently, warmer and shorter winters are making it harder

to keep the ice frozen throughout the season.

It’s Jeno Gyorgy’s job to battle the elements

and keep Budapest’s giant ice rink

in perfect condition.

(Jeno Gyorgy speaking foreign language)

TRANSLATION FOR JENO GYORGY: Yes, I am the ice master,

and I make sure this surface is as good as expected.

NARRATOR: Jeno’s work begins every morning,

long before the sun rises.

The ice sheet is scratched and damaged

from the thousands of people

who skated on its surface the previous day.

The team has to make sure they repair these imperfections.

They use a special machine,

called a Zamboni, to smooth the ice.

Zambonis are a common sight on ice hockey rinks.

But this ice sheet

is eight times the size of a traditional rink,

so Jeno uses two of these machines.

♪♪

Every single morning, the team perform this ice repair ballet

while the rest of the city sleeps, and the sun rises.

They strive for the ice here to be the best in the world,

as smooth as a mirror.

TRANSLATION FOR JENO GYORGY: Well, good quality ice of course

provides satisfaction to the guests and to us,

and there are less accidents if the ice is good quality.

NARRATOR: The new ice is in perfect condition.

Time to open to the public.

As soon as the doors open,

scores of eager skaters pour onto the ice.

This winter wonderland brings the whole city together.

This is where children have their first lessons,

teenagers have their first dates,

and older citizens can show off their skills.

They are skating in a scene

that’s remained unchanged for 150 years.

TRANSLATION FOR JENO GYORGY: It’s actually a facility that is

bridging generations.

You can see among the guests

that there are people over 90 years old,

and children from two years old.

Friendships, love... Anything can be formed here.

NARRATOR: Hungary is an historic nation

forged by passing empires.

This ancient landscape maintains its link to the past,

whilst its resolute people are embracing modern ambitions,

to produce one of the most dynamic countries

in Europe today.