RECREATIONAL SPACES IN THE TOWNS OF HUNGARY
Antal Aubert
Prof. dr.
University of Pecs, Faculty of Natural Sciences
Institute of Geography
Department of Tourism
Ifjusag utja 6, HU - 7624 Pecs, Hungary
e-mail: aubert@gamma.ttk.pte.hu
Monika Jonas-Berki
dipl. geogr.
University of Pecs, Faculty of Natural Sciences
Institute of Geography
Department of Tourism
Ifjusag utja 6, HU - 7624 Pecs, Hungary
e-mail: berkim@gamma.ttk.pte.hu
Andrea Palfi
dipl. geogr.
University of Pecs, Faculty of Natural Sciences
Institute of Geography
Department of Tourism
Ifjusag utja 6, HU - 7624 Pecs, Hungary
e-mail: palfia@gamma.ttk.pte.hu
UDK: 911.37:711.559 COBISS: 1.01
Abstract
Recreational spaces in the towns of Hungary
The study is an introduction to recreational spaces in Hungary and an attempt for their typifying in relation with the Hungarian urbanisation processes and trends. In the first half of the essay the division of the urban spaces of Hungary is done, together with the introduction of the birth of the recreational spaces. The essay is continued with the typifying of the recreational spaces, differentiating intra- and extra-urban recreational spaces, giving examples from Hungary. The essay is finished by the introduction of a recreational space within Pecs and one around the city, with a view to their role in the recreation of the inhabitants and the leisure time possibilities. Key Words
Urbanisation, recreation, recreational spaces, Orfu, Pecs
Uredništvo je članek prejelo 19.11.2012
1.	Introduction
Recreation is a basic need of our modern society. The word 'recreation', in addition to the regeneration of the classic production capacity, has now become a factor of the quality of life. Parallel to the socio-economic changes, the need for recreation is also in constant change, transformation, which has an impact on the respective spaces. Recreation is mostly linked to the population of the urban spaces, and a special type of space serving this purpose is now differentiated in settlement geography. In Hungary, the acceleration of urbanisation processes was connected to the era of socialist industrialisation, an organic part of which was the appearance of recreational spaces. Suburbanisation strengthened after the systemic change, also integrating extra-urban leisure spaces during the use of space. A new phenomenon is the birth of primarily service type "fun-driven" centres induced by the regeneration of inner city areas, with attractions that also target individual demands. In addition to the organic urban spaces, suburban leisure time zones have also joined now the satisfaction of recreational needs, which also improves the quality of life of the urban inhabitants, giving a further momentum to the suburbanisation process.
In our study, besides summarising the theoretical background related to recreation, we demonstrate two case studies to feature the characteristics of extra-urban and intra-urban recreational spaces.
2.	Urban spaces in Hungary
In Hungary the period of urban boom was the 1960s and 1970s, also reinforced by urban policy and regional development interventions. Due to the central state support, settlement groups and urban spaces of different geographical extent and economic activity were born (Koszegfalvy 2004). Urban spaces are not uniform in themselves, either, they are at different levels of the urban hierarchy, the nationally accepted system of which is made by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. At the peak of the hierarchy of the urban spaces we find conurbations, which is an unknown phenomenon in Hungary as yet. The next levels are agglomerations (4 of them can be found in Hungary), agglomerating regions (4) and big city settlement groups (13) (Fig. 1).
In addition to the breakdown of the HCSO we have to mention the system by Koszegfalvy (1980), who classified settlement groups into seven categories on the basis of their development level, structural and formal features: agglomerations (3), agglomerating regions (5), urbanising regions (3), minor settlement groups (8) and major settlement groups (8), double or triple city areas (5) (Gyenizse et al. 2011).
3.	The concept and birth of recreational spaces in Hungary
Recreation, i.e. activities serving the regeneration of human intellectual and physical production capacity (Aubert, A. 2008) now has a separate spatial type in settlement geography. The birth of these spaces is connected to the process of urbanisation, and they are spatially linked to urban spaces too. Their birth was promoted, in addition to the rapid urban growth, by the rearrangement process of society and the improved living standards. Going beyond the classic concept of settlements (Mendol), Beluszky (1969) includes recreational spaces too in the concept, which is
also a reflection of the process and expectation which demonstrates the growing demand for recreation, because these days settlements must offer all those recreational facilities that are in regular demand by an ever wider circle of the society. Recreation itself, however, is very much personal, so related activities are also varied, and consequently the connected institutional system is also quite versatile (Koszegfalvy, Toth 2002). International literature preceded the Hungarian academics to recognise the importance of this process among the economic impacts, as it is shown by researches and modelling approaching the issue from the demand side (Curry, Ravenscroft 2001).
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Fig. 1: Urban spaces in Hungary Source: HCSO; Edited by Edina Jozsa
1. Budapest agglomeration, 2. Countryside agglomeration, 3. Agglomerating region, 4. Big city settlement groups, 5. Regions outside any settlement group, 6. County border, 7. National border
Recreation as a basic social geographical function was introduced by the Munich School, and was later dealt with in details by Maier (1977, 1982). Beyond the original social geographical interpretation of recreation, individual motivations are also to be highlighted besides the social ones: recreation now serves, in addition the regeneration of working capacity, renewal, refreshment and entertainment, i.e. the goal of recreation is the achievement of a quality life (Kovacs 2007). The spatial distribution of recreational facilities and the differentiation of this spatial type are also basically influenced by the widening of the interpretation of the concept. Another factor influencing the appearance of this spatial type is the leisure time consumption habits of the inhabitants, categorised into a fourfold system by Kovacs, (2007): passive, reactive, accumulative and inspirative. On the basis of the therapeutic value of recreational activity, Kiemstedt (1967) differentiates among the following categories, supplemented by the authors with examples from Hungary.
Tab. 1: Typifying of recreational spaces on the basis of the value of the activity in therapy.
Therapeutic value of recreational activity	Activity	Examples from Hungary
Activities requiring dynamic movement	Excursions, hiking, active sports (e.g. mountain climbing), farming in small hobby gardens	Orseg, Mecsek, Bukk
Activities requiring dynamic movement but with smaller energy demand	Cycling, walking, horse riding	Balaton beach
Activities requiring static muscle strength	Skiing, ski tours	Bukk, Matra, Bakony
Activities with no therapeutic value, requiring direct muscular work	Sunbathing, camping, angling	Rivers and lakes
Activities with no therapeutic value, requiring indirect muscular work	Visiting sports events, watch of monuments or theatre performances	Historical and cultural cities
Source: modified by the authors on the basis of Kiemstedt (1967).
A preliminary of the birth of recreational spaces, connected to the demand and motivation side on the level of society, is the expansion of domestic and international tourism typical in the 1960s. Travelling as a leisure time activity became a basic need for an ever wider layer of society (Lengyel 2005). The changes of the world economy in the 1970s, however, did not favour tourism: the oil price boom and its consequences, with leisure time more and more concentrated on the weekends, appreciated destinations closer to the place of residence. The worsening economic environment of the 1980s further reinforced this process, and weekend leisure possibilities and excursions became the main foci of tourists (Kraftné Somogyi 1993). Besides the popular touristic destinations, the interest in extraurban spaces, in the vicinity of the place of demand, increased, in accordance with the changing needs. Holiday areas and blocks of small hobby gardens were born in the suburban environment of the Hungarian cities (Martonné Erdos 1992). Their existence is due to the double structure of the socialist system, the duality of the state-owned homes related to work and the privately owned holiday homes connected to leisure time (Cséfalvay 1994). The birth of such recreational spaces can be seen both within the city and in the settlements in their environment. The rural settlements transformed into recreational spaces are characterised by "post-productivity" (Ilbery 1998), i.e. the production of traditional goods is replaced by residential, recreational and holiday functions (Farago 2006). By now, the separation of recreational settlements among the functional settlement types has been raised (Toth 1996), which suggests that recreational roles have become much more important than the other functions.
Recreational processes gained a new impulse by community networks and systems that support locally organising communities and spontaneity. Besides recreational spaces in the classic sense, spaces of new type have also appeared as community spaces, such as private homes that may even serve as locations of theatre performances (home theatres), restaurants and events satisfying different needs (social games or book clubs).
The designation of recreational spaces can be done by different landscape assessment methods whose raison d'être is created by the reinforcement of the urbanisation processes. Today humans pass a major part of their leisure time by some recreational activity, often accompanied by a space especially designed for
recreational purposes. In the creation of spaces for this purpose, the role of arable lands with decreased farming value is gradually appreciated. Most suitable spaces are the interfaces of natural elements of different types. Today, recreational zones are becoming more and more important in the spatial planning and development processes of settlement too (Gobster 1995).
The assessment of recreational space and related activities is provided by useful information by the features of the one-day trips of the Hungarian citizens. A most recent study made on the assignment of the Hungarian Tourism Inc. showed that in 2010, two-thirds of the Hungarian population participated in a trip like this. Such trips are made more frequently than the average by families of four or more members, families with small children, youth aged 18-24, internet users, owners of holiday homes, and also the residents of the Middle Transdanubian and South Transdanubian regions.
Excursionists usually choose a destination within Hungary (90.5%) and make almost eight one-day trips per annum. The most popular destination of one-day trippers were the touristic regions of Middle Transdanubia (22%) and North Hungary (17.1%). Seasonality typical of tourism can also be seen here, although to a lesser extent than in the case of longer main travels (Magyar Turizmus Zrt. 2010).
Among the travel motivations, shopping comes first (42.3%), followed by the visiting of friends, relatives and acquaintances (18.3%), and by city visits (6%). These three factors account for 66.6% of all motivations. Further motivations are waterside holidays, recreation, medical treatment, visit to holiday homes or second homes and visiting cultural events. Gardening, mountain excursions, health preservation, sports and other events, pilgrimages and wine tasting were mentioned in negligible numbers (Magyar Turizmus Zrt. 2011).
Among all participants of one-day travels, 66.5% do not collect information of touristic type either before or during the excursion. The households that do look for information for their travels gather most of the information about the selected destination on the internet, from their relatives and acquaintances or from travel brochures or travel guides (Magyar Turizmus Zrt. 2011).
4. Typifying of recreational spaces
The recreational spaces of Hungary can be designated by settlement or regional boundaries, and so we can differentiate intra-urban and extra-urban recreational zones (Kraftne Somogyi 1993), which grouping can also be read in international literature (see e.g. Williams, Shaw 2009). The birth of the individual types is of course influenced by several factors. In addition to natural endowments and social and economic development level, attractions, i.e. the elements of supply have a significant influence too. The latter determines not only the spatial appearance of recreational zones and types but of course also the targeted segments and thereby the products and recreational programmes designed.
4.1 Intra-urban recreational spaces in Hungary
Intra-urban recreational zones can be found within the administrative boundaries of settlements. On the basis of their functions they can be so-called constructed recreational facilities (plazas, shopping centres, theatres, cinemas, swimming pools, sport halls, exhibition spaces, museums, open-air museums etc.) (Aubert 2008).
Many of them can now be found in almost all cities and now serve as an organic part of the recreation of the local inhabitants.
In addition to these, more and more popular are those recreational spaces offering complex experiences that target wide layers and age groups of society in one place with their colourful programme and leisure time offer. In this case we can witness a kind of functional shift, as these spaces can often be found and are given touristic and recreational functions in derelict factory facilities or warehouses (e.g. Pecs-Zsolnay Cultural Quarter).
The Hungarian citizens find thermal and leisure spas very attractive. Although the range of the attraction of these facilities varies, they are always important in the satisfaction of the recreational needs of the local inhabitants. Spas target various segments and offer varied leisure and entertainment facilities, together with wellness services and other programmes (e.g. Szeged, Kaposvar, Eger, Debrecen, or Zalaegerszeg).
A special element in this group is made by the so-called ecotourism centres and visitor centres that usually demonstrate specific nature protection areas, usually in a funny and entertaining way, especially to families with small children and to groups of school and kindergarten pupils. Such facilities include, among other things, the Bechtold Istvan Visitor Centre of Nature Protection in Koszeg, or the Koros Rivers Valley Visitor Centre. In addition, they often organise tours and nature watch activities with professional guidance.
Another group of the intra-urban recreational zones are those green areas (parks, alleys, lakes etc.) (Aubert 2008) which allow both active and passive leisure in a quasi-natural environment. In these areas inhabitants can enjoy tranquillity, an escape from the noise and the everyday problems of the big cities, still they can have rest, walk, or make tours or picnics not far away from their homes (e.g. Debrecen - Nagyerdo, Nyiregyhaza - Sosto, Miskolc - Miskolctapolca, Lillafured, Kaposvar - Deseda).
4.2 Extra-urban recreational spaces in Hungary
Another large group of categorisation is the so-called extra-urban or suburban recreational zones that are located on the outskirts of settlements or in their hinterlands. Among them there are rather extended areas (e.g. nature protection areas, park forests, arboretums, lakes etc.) as well. Coming from the features of the settlement network of Hungary, they are dominant in the Transdanubian part of the country, where the spatial organising functions of the central settlements are of outstanding significance in the settlement network dominated by small villages and small towns (Aubert 2008).
In this case too we can mention built facilities, such as fortresses, churches, lookout towers or open-air museums (e.g. Kaposvar-Szenna), many of which are significant in themselves as touristic attractions. Nowadays their functions are enriched by a growing number of events and organised programmes, such as fauna and flora watches, traditionalist festivals, family events or castle tournaments. This category also contains bicycle routes that are used by a growing number of cyclers, like the bicycle route connecting Pecs to the popular resorts of Orfu and Abaliget, or the bicycle routes around the large lakes of Hungary (Lake Balaton, Ferto Lake, Tisza Lake), whose significance is outstanding in both recreation and domestic tourism.
Like in the case of intra-urban recreational space, in this case too we can mention demonstration centres and visitor centres whose goal is the demonstration of a specific (cultural, natural, historical or gastronomic) topic (e.g. Szeged-Opusztaszer, Szekszard-Porboly). These centres, besides their constant exhibitions, often enrich their programme supply by temporary exhibitions and other organised thematic programmes.
Scenes of extra-urban recreation are the so-called agricultural production units (small hobby gardens, e.g. in Pecs-Cserkut). In the 1990s, parallel to the acceleration of urbanisation, more and more people moved from villages and small towns to the city housing blocks, where these people, having lived in different conditions and pursued agricultural activities in the first place, were awaited by a totally different lifestyle. As a consequence of the natural desire to get away from the city, a growing demand appeared for those areas where some agricultural activity could be pursued, where people could grow some crops in their leisure time, maybe with the purpose of getting some extra income. This is accompanied by the growing popularity of hobby gardens and health conscious way of living these days, and the appearance of some kind of "bio-garden movement" that appreciates these areas in recreation (Kraftne Somogyi 1993).
Due to the significant changes taking place in the 1960s, there was a growing demand for privately used holiday homes too, as a consequence of which more and more suburban resort areas were born. In addition to the satisfaction of holidaymaking and leisure needs, the birth of these areas was promoted by the introduction of non-working Saturdays. They became suitable spaces for the implementation of regular family programmes. The increase of demand was reinforced from the 1980s by the increasing transportation costs, the decrease of leisure time available for recreation and the increased number of second and third jobs taken by the employees (Martonne Erdos 1992). The birth and development of these extra-urban recreational zones was also promoted by their increased role in the capital investments of the population and in the decrease of the stress on the former selected holiday regions (Kraftne Somogyi 1993). Such holiday and recreational areas ("second homes" or leisure time homes) can be found in many places in Hungary (e.g. Pecs-Orfu, Abaliget, Szeged-Szelid Lake, Miskolc-Malyi, Bukkszentkereszt, Mezokovesd, Bogacs, Szekszard-Fadd-Dombori).
Of course there are also freely available natural areas in the vicinity of the settlements (waterside holiday regions, lakes, forests, study paths etc.) whose role must be mentioned in the life of the local inhabitants. These areas, in addition to offering space for passive pastime, can also serve as scenes of many types of leisure activities including hiking, horse riding, hunting, or water sports (pl. Sopron-Loverek, Ferto Lake, Pecs-Mecsek, Pecs-Orfu, Pecs-Malomvolgy Lake, Zalaegerszeg-Azalea Valley etc.).
Besides all these, in the recreation of the people we must mention recent trends as well: we must not neglect the ever more popular events and festivals organised around different topics (music, gastronomy, culture, preservation of traditions etc.). Many of these have a national significance, but their role in the lives of the local population is even more important (e.g. the Fish Soup Festival of Baja, National Theatre Festival of Pecs, Szekszard Vintage Days etc.).
Antal Aubert, Monika Jonas-Berki, Andrea Palfi: Recreational spaces in the towns of Hungary 5. Intra- and extra-urban recreational spaces - practical examples
5.1 Case study: Intra-urban recreational space - Zsolnay Cultural Quarter Pecs, by the acquisition of the title European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2010, was given a special chance for the renewal of its inner areas that can also raise the quality of life of the urban citizens to a higher level. One of the basic pillars of the ECOC related investments was the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, created by the regeneration of a brownfield area. In several countries of Western Europe we can see similar functional shifts; in fact, many cities renewed their derelict or run-down areas and gave them recreational functions in connection with the award of the European Capital of Culture status (e.g. Liverpool or Essen).
The basis of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter in Pecs is the formerly world famous Zsolnay Factory, which has lost much of its significance over the last 20 years, induced by the changes in the internal and external environment. The worldwide crisis of porcelain industry affected the Zsolnay Porcelain Factory too, a factory that had a key role in the employment of the local population. The volume of manufacturing declined, space necessary for production gradually shrank and complete groups of buildings were deprived of their original functions (the activity of the manufacture uses only one-fifth of the total factory area). The factory, however, offers much more possibilities and also requires more than simple real estate management. The buildings of the factory served as references for the products manufactured among their walls. These buildings are excellent industrial history values and also potential touristic attractions.
During regeneration, several issues were raised that impacted the success of the process: real estate vs. production; culture vs. industry; institution vs. business; profit vs. non-for-profit activity. The main goal of the project is "creation of a cultural and arts knowledge centre, a cultural zone that serves and at the same time expands the public culture possibilities of the inhabitants of the city and the region, and offers a basis for the enlargement of the product range of cultural tourism" (Feasibility Study of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter 2009). The regeneration of the factory and its utilisation for cultural purposes also means the renewal of the respective city part. The renewal of factory facility, the northeast gateway of the city of Pecs, allows the enlargement of the city centre, its eastward extension. The heritage basis of the Quarter, in addition to the buildings formerly used in production, includes the intellectual heritage of Zsolnay by which Pecs gained worldwide recognition many years ago and which has still remained an important asset in the image of the city.
The regeneration of the Quarter leads to a versatile cultural use, in addition to the former production function. Elements of the cultural use include touristic, recreational and arts knowledge centre functions. The greatest expectation against the activity of the manager of the Quarter, the Zsolnay Oroksegkezelo Kft. (Zsolnay Heritage Management Ltd.) is sustainable operation. This requires a continuous flow of visitors, on the one hand, and reliable and solvent tenants, on the other hand. Among the institutions that have moved to the Quarter we find the Pannon Philharmonic, the Pecs Gallery, the Bobita Puppet Theatre, the Arts Faculty of the University of Pecs, and also catering facilities.
Among the visitors of the Quarter, local and nearby residents are of special importance. Whereas the presence of tourists is restricted in time and space, local residents mean the foundation of the operation of the Quarter. Of course the spaces
of the Quarter cannot be clearly separated into touristic and recreational spaces, and this separation must not be a goal, anyway. The two target groups can be differentiated by the character of their consumption habits, to which the typical spaces can be connected. Recreational spaces are visited both by local residents and tourists, while in spaces of primarily touristic function the proportion of local inhabitants is low; their visit is usually linked to participation in some event.
Tab. 2: functional division of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter.
Spaces with touristic function	Transitory zone	Spaces with recreational function
Arts Quarter (museums: exhibition of the history of the Zsolnay family and factory, Zsolnay Mausoleum, Gyugyi Collection, Pink Exhibition)	Planetarium	Playgrounds
	Laboratory - an interactive magical space	Bobita Puppet Theatre
	Squares, exhibition spaces and concert halls (E78, Pyrogranite Court)	Sport fields
From the 2011 professional report of Zsolnay Heritage Management Non-for-profit Ltd. we can see that almost one half of the visitors to the Quarter come from Baranya County. This is due, on the one hand, to the fact that local residents are also interested in the sights of interest, but any further visit to the Quarter is dependant upon the programmes. Among the local visitors we find those interested in culture, those with a strong sense of identity, public education institutions and organised school groups, who show up also in the "Arts Quarter", part of the facility with basically touristic functions. On the other hand, visiting a cultural event is not the main attraction for domestic tourists, at least this is revealed by the market research done in the framework of the Feasibility Study. The primary attraction, in accordance with the surveys, is the visit to the manufacture, within that especially watching how porcelain is painted.
The long-term basis for the operation of the Quarter can be events, which, in addition to filling up the space with life, guarantee the return of guests several times a year. It is estimated that major festivals and events are visited by approximately 2,000-2,500 people each. If the Quarter becomes an acknowledged location of events, the number of visitors can probably be increased by some 25,000-30,000 people annually. Such major events may be in the future in our opinion the Zsolnay Festival that addresses a broader audience, and also the Szamarful Festival that is an entertainment opportunity for local families with kindergarten and young school age children, primarily. However, contradictions can also be seen in programme and events organisation. It is a question how the citizens of Pecs - who are the main audience of the events - will take the relocation of formerly successful and highly visited programmes from the inner city of Pecs to the new quarter. The Heritage Festival - Pecs Days is a programme of 22 years of past, it is one of the most renowned multi-day events of the city that was hosted in 2012 by the Zsolnay Quarter. The acceptance of the change of location is made problematic by the fact that the concerts could only be visited by paying entrance fee, as opposed to the formerly free participation.
5.2 Case study: extra-urban recreational space - Orfu
Orfu can be found in Baranya County, at the northwest foot of the Mecsek Mountains, 18 kilometres from the county seat, Pecs. The municipality now has 916
inhabitants (HCSO 2010), after the integration of five former settlements - Orfu, Mecsekrákos, Mecsekszakál, Tekeres and Bános - and has become a destination important in tourism.
The birth and the tourism sector of Orfu is a relatively recent phenomenon, the area was consciously made a holiday resort in the 1960s. The main goal was to meet the recreational demands of the people working in the city of Pécs, especially of the miners and their families, for which a system of artificial reservoirs was made. The lakes are still the main basis of recreation in the village.
The developments starting in the 1960s included the construction of roads, the creation of the infrastructure and suprastructure conditions of tourism. Beside the lakes holiday sites, angler's residences, company holiday facilities, private holiday homes and student camps were established (South Transdanubian Tourism Public Limited - STTPL-, on the assignment of the Orfu Tourism Association TDM Organisation, 2010).
The block of holiday homes, as in other holiday resorts of Hungary, is characterised by the variety of holiday homes, as a result of different needs and different amounts of money available for their construction (Kraftné Somogyi 1993).
Tourism was flourishing until the 1980s, since then it has gradually been losing its attraction, mainly due to a loss of markets after the disappearance of social tourism (youth tourism and company holiday facilities). Later the introduction of the system of travel cheque gave a boom to tourism, as in other parts of Hungary too. In 2004 it was the unpleasant weather, in 2008 the lake muck removal works that resulted in the decline of the number of guests (Orfu TDM organisation - STTPL 2010).
Although the crisis breaking out in 2008 had a negative impact on tourism as well, it promoted extra-urban recreation. A result of the crisis and the recent trends is the growing popularity of trips of shorter distance and time, and the growing role of individualism, environment consciousness, a growing demand for the alternative forms of tourism, the appreciation of authenticity and going back to the roots, culture and education, the nostalgia need of traditionalism, health consciousness, the growing role of active touristic products and experience-orientation (Aubert 2011) all make Orfu a more and more popular and acknowledged destination these days. The management of the touristic products of Orfu and the attraction of guests to the area was the responsibility of the Orfu Tourism Association after 2008. In 2010 this work was taken over by the Orfu Tourism Association Tourism Destination Management Organisation.
The touristic and recreational supply of Orfu is very much varied, especially if we also include in the destination the nearby villages: Abaliget, Kovácsszénája and Husztót, as these villages posses further touristic products and offer further possibilities to the guests.
According a 2012 survey of the Orfu Tourism Destination Management Organisation, approximately 53% of all guests arriving at Orfu are from Pécs or Baranya County. The proportion of nearby citizens, however, varies attraction by attraction. The composition of the range of one-day trippers is more difficult to examine, as the participants in this kind of recreation are not registered at any accommodation, and
the survey based on questioning the postal code of the place of residence is not widespread yet.
In order to get to know the composition of the circle of guests, the Orfu Tourism Association assigned in 2010 the South Transdanubian Tourism Public Limited to make a study. In addition to the findings of this, we use information received from the representatives of the respective attractions.
The recreational functions of the lakes of Orfu have been separated from the beginning: the Orfu Lake is mainly for bathers, the Pecs Lake for the lovers of water sports, while the Herman Otto Lake and the nature reserve offer recreation for anglers. The role of the Orfu Lake and the beach of the lake is important in passive leisure. The lake is evidently most popular with the local inhabitants, the population of Baranya County and Pecs - especially higher education students in Pecs, youth of 26-35 years of age without children and families with parents aged 36-45 -, their proportion within all guests is estimated by the employees of beach facilities to be around 80%.
In order to meet the demand of travellers for experiences, Orfu tries to attract guests by thematic events, organised programmes, the Pecs-Orfu-Abaliget bicycle route, and by the combination of water based and artificial elements of experience. Orfu is part of the Baranya Fun Tour, anyway.
The Aquapark attracts guests from all over Hungary. Although the high proportion of the Pecs citizens can also be observed here, the share of guests from Budapest and West Hungary is also significant. The Active Water Sports Centre, using the opportunities offered by the area, offers a wide range of programmes to the guests, like kayaking and canoeing, or dragon shipping. In addition, there is a sailing association and a surfing club to broaden the range of touristic services in Orfu. Among the users of these services the high proportion of the Pecs citizens -especially the young and the families - can be seen, besides the sports events and camps organised in Orfu, which have a national significance.
The staff of the House of Mecsek is active in programme organisation. Their supply of services includes speleological adventure tours, surface tours, educational presentations, camps and forest schools. These programmes are mainly designed for the university students of Pecs, the youth, families and small children, and also for guests arriving from Budapest and Szeged.
The Directorate of the Danube-Drava National Park offers programmes in Orfu too. An expert of the Directorate, Attila Komlos reported about the popularity of the speleological tours in the caves of the Limeburners Springs and in the stalactite cave of Abaliget. The caves can only be visited with guide. These two programmes are not typical elements in the recreation of the Pecs citizens: the cave of the Limeburners Springs is explored by speleologists in the first place, while the Abaliget Stalactite Cave is mostly visited by Pecs citizens with their families or school classes in their early year, and they later return as visitors with their own families and relatives, only. The area around the cave, on the other hand, has a role in recreation with its lake and excursion paths. The guided tours offered by the Directorate of the National Park are popular with hikers from Pecs in the first place. Equestrian programmes are also popular. They are attractions for the whole of the region or Hungary. Designated horseback riding trails and qualified equestrian farms
are at the disposal of guests. The main market segment for the horse riding facilities is primary and secondary school pupils from Pecs, and families from Pecs, Baranya county, Budapest and West Hungary.
The designated orienteering and triathlon tracks and the bicycle routes allow active recreation which is more and more frequently used by the citizens living nearby. The study paths and designated hiking trails are also popular with excursionists. The Herman Otto Lake and Kovacsszenaja Lake are important for anglers. This anglers' paradise, with national recognition, is especially important for the generation aged 45-65.
The environment of Orfu, the villagescape, the protected peasant houses, the local exhibition house and the Court of Ovens, and also the Mill Museum are more of touristic importance, attracting school groups, families and guests with special interest from all over Hungary, but less popular recreational attractions for the local inhabitants. The guests from nearby areas are usually families from Pecs and Baranya County, and the generation aged 45-65, also from Pecs and Baranya. Exceptions from this are the gastronomy programmes, handicrafts workshops and other events organised in Orfu, as they are favoured by local inhabitants, nearby dwellers, families, and elderly people alike.
In general we can say of the events that although Orfu boasts of many events of national importance (Bear's Garlic Days, Pumpkin Festival, Fishing on Orfu), these are popular with Pecs citizens. Depending on the type of the event, students, families and elderly people appear in higher proportions at these events.
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RECREATIONAL SPACES IN THE TOWNS OF HUNGARY Summary
The birth of recreational spaces is closely linked to the process of urbanisation, to the appearance of leisure centres in- and outside the settlements. The most typical examples for this are the agglomerations, while the appreciation of the intra-urban recreational spaces is a rather recent phenomenon. In addition to the satisfaction of the demand of the local inhabitants, the motivations of the one-day trips of the Hungarian population also reinforce this process. Also in line with the international trends, recreational spaces offering complex experience are becoming more and more popular, addressing wide layers of society, but above all the individual persons. We can see more and more examples for the renewal of city quarters and objects renewed in the framework of urban regeneration projects, which also means a functional shift and the renewed places can serve as community spaces for the local inhabitants. The endowments of the landscapes and settlements determine the birth of characteristic leisure spaces in Hungary, so the development of the country towns of the Great Hungarian Plain is usually concomitant with the progress of intraurban recreational spaces, while extra-urban recreational spaces are more typical in the mountainous and hilly areas. A specific feature of the recreational space use in the whole of Hungary is the presence of privately used holiday homes and closed hobby gardens for agricultural utilisation, which basically correlates to the urbanisation process but can also be linked to exact dates from the recent past.
Our case studies demonstrate the two basic types. The Zsolnay Cultural Quarter of Pecs, also related to the award of the European Capital of Culture title in 2010, is an example for brownfield area regeneration, as a result of which a recreational space serving both local inhabitants and tourists was created, with rich industrial monument assets and cultural programme supply.
Orfu is a recreational space in the hinterland of the city of Pecs, using the splendid endowments of a Mecsek Mountains, with a considerable touristic activity and number of guests by Hungarian standards (50 thousand guest nights per annum). This destination has entered the renewal part of its life cycle, with a new image and programmes, a changing circle of guests. In this process, the rapidly changing demands of the local inhabitants living in the agglomeration are more and more emphasised.