Over the weekend I went up to participate in the Misztral Festival in Nagymaros, a lovely little town along the Danube Bend, with a great view of Visegrad Castle on the other side. There is some great hiking up around Nagymaros, Kismaros, and Zebegeny, as well as  a long cycle path along the Danube donated by the Dutch queen.  Nagymaros became well-known in 1986 when it became the focal point for the first public demonstrations in still Communist Hungary. The demonstrations, though for the environment, were also used to promote democratic changes in the country – the Velvet Revolution in Hungary was born.

The fight against the dams in Hungary was led by, among others, environmental NGO Duna Kör The NGO won the alternative Nobel Prize the early 1990s the battle became the  first international environmental court case taken before the International Court of Justice. Because the barrage system at Bős-Nagymaros and Gabčíkovo (near Gyor) would have caused irreparable, the Goldman Prize, for its work. Later, in harm to the Hungarian environment, Hungary pulled out of the joint construction in 1992. However, Slovakia continued alone. In the end, the completion of the Gabčíkovo dam turned the Danube away from Hungary and into the turbines at Gabčíkovo, thus destroying protected areas in Hungary, the huge fresh-water aquifer system, and an important bird migration area. Court action successfully forced the Nagymaros dam to be torn down.
This weekend I was up at Nagymaros as part of the Fair Trade movement, helping local NGO Magosfa Környezeti Nevelési és Ökoturisztikai Alapítvány promote local and Fair Trade products in Hungary. This was the first of many festivals they will be working over the next 2 years. If you are looking for a list of stores selling Fair Trade products besides the great coffee, teas, and hot chocolate at Treehugger Dan’s, check out this list: http://www.fairvilag.hu/termekek/boltok. If you attend the Sziget Festival or any other this summer, be on the lookout for the Fair Trade Kavezo (cafe) and have some of Treehugger Dan’s coffee to help keep you dancing all night.