About the city and the twinning
About Kalocsa
Kalocsa is a historic town near the Danube in south-central Hungary and a longstanding centre of the country’s Roman Catholic life. The Cathedral of the Assumption stands in the historic centre, near the Hungarian Paprika Museum. The museum reflects the importance of paprika cultivation and production to the town’s identity.
Kalocsa is also known for its folk art, particularly the colourful floral motifs that appear in embroidery and decorative wall painting. These traditions developed in Kalocsa and surrounding villages during the 18th and 19th centuries. Local artisans, museums and festivals, including the Kalocsa Paprika Days, continue to pass them on.
Twinning with Bethlehem
On 15 December 2010, Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh and Kalocsa Mayor Ferenc Török signed a twinning agreement in Bethlehem. Hungarian reporting identified it as the first sister-city agreement between a Hungarian and a Palestinian city. During the Christmas season that year, Kalocsa marked the new relationship with a living Nativity scene in its main square.