#dom square

Earlier this year Keltin and I spent a week in Amsterdam and we absolutely loved it. I have tons of information on this trip coming but here is a sneak peak. Zaanse Schans Windmills Yes, this was SUPER touristy. Yes, I dressed up to get cute photos. Yes, I was cold but it was worth it. Feeding Pigeons in Dom Square Yes, this is a lot of birds. No, they did not poop on me for which I was…

The third most populous city in Hungary and the main city of southern Hungary, Szeged is set in beautiful natural surroundings by the Tisza River. This city of rich history and culture has been inhabited since ancient times and played important roles during Hungary’s long and eventful history. Szeged was home to a great number of famous Hungarian poets and writers, including Attila József, who lived there while studying at the University of Szeged (formerly known as Attila József University) in the 1920s, one of the most prestigious universities in the country and also among the most prominent institutions in Central Europe. Another famous person who lived in the city is Albert Szent-Györgyi, Noble Prize winner for his discoveries in relation to Vitamin C, who was also one of the founders of the University’s Faculty of Science and a lecturer there.

Today’s Szeged, rebuilt by Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after the great flood of 1879, which literally wiped away the whole city, is characterised by its gardenlike main square and wide avenues lined with beautiful buildings and seemingly never-ending pavement cafes. He definitely kept his promise to the Hungarian people when saying “Szeged will be more beautiful than it used to be”. Also the home of paprika as well as famous for its “halaszle” (fish soup made mainly from carp), Szeged also offers some culinary delicacies for visitors coupled with colourful, year-round cultural events and that particular university-town vibe that makes Szeged so lively and appealing.

  Sights

Szeged is centred around the Dóm Square, its main square, with the twin-towered Votive Church (or Szeged Cathedral) dominating the place. The Church was built after the citizens of Szeged made a pledge to commemorate the aforementioned flood in 1879 by building a cathedral. Construction started in 1914 but stopped because of WWI, and only finished in 1930. The Cathedral was erected on the site of a medieval church, of which, only the Romanesque St Demetrius Tower remains today (also the oldest building in Szeged) that still can be seen next to the Cathedral. On the square, you can also find the baroque St Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church dating from 1778, just behind the Cathedral, which is also worth checking out for its magnificent iconostasis. Running along three sides of the square, there is the National Pantheon, with statues of more than 100 famous Hungarians.

The Art Nouveau Reök Palace built in 1907 is another magnificent structure worth visiting. Nowadays, it hosts the Regional Arts Centre with regular photography and visual arts exhibitions set in a fairy-tale atmosphere.

In the city’s former Jewish quarter there are a few places worth visiting, including the Art Nouveau style New Synagogue, still in its original function, which is considered to be the most beautiful Jewish religious structure in Hungary with its magnificent cupola dominating the synagogue’s huge, gold and blue interior. Other points of interest in the district are – the neoclassical Old Synagogue, built in 1843, and today housing theatre workshops and – the former Jewish community centre from 1902.

The city also boasts some excellent museums including the Ferenc Móra Museum named after the famous Hungarian novelist, and located in the beautiful Palace of Public Education on the banks of the River Tisza. It features a colourful ethnographic exhibition, the Ferenc Móra Memorial Room as well as several temporary exhibitions. After the 1879 flood destroyed most of the city’s riverfront castle and its walls (dating from 1240), the rest was demolished as well. Behind the Ferenc Móra Museum, you can see excavations going on. For displays of the archaeological finds, visit the nearby Castle Museum & Lapidarium. For a little sneak-peak into how the famous Szeged-made Pick Salami is made, visit the Pick Salami and Szeged Paprika Museum, trust me, it’s a lot more interesting than it sounds and you can even have some samples as well. There is also a restaurant located in the building. Finally, the Water Tower situated on St Stephen’s Square not only hosts various fantastic exhibitions but from its top floor you can also enjoy spectacular views over the city.

  Things to do

Hop on the sightseeing mini train and get to know the city’s main attractions, multi-lingual audio guides are available as well; or have a look at the main sights from a bird’s eye view on a sightseeing flight tour.

Visiting the Botanic Garden of the University of Szeged is also a great way to end your sightseeing tour or take a pleasure boat cruise on the River Tisza and just chill out, relax and soak in all that special Szeged atmosphere around you.

You can also have a fun spa day at Napfényfurdő Aquapolis offering numerous indoor and outdoor pools filled with thermal water, of course, complete with an adventure pool area with several fun elements etc. For a more relaxing experience, we recommend the Anna Thermal Bath & Wellness Spa, relatively unknown among tourists, situated in a magnificent building in the city centre offering various jacuzzis, pools and saunas etc.

Visit the Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park, situated just a half an hour drive from Szeged, and step back in time while exploring Hungarian history and culture in this fascinating open-air museum. Apart from the numerous exhibitions and events held here, the Park is most famous for the Feszty Panorama, a monumental circular panoramic oil painting by Árpád Feszty, depicting the historical event of the arrival of the Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin in 895. This magnificent work of art was completed in 1894 for the 1000th anniversary of the event. The painting is almost 15m (50ft) tall and 120m (400ft) long.

It’s also worth paying a visit to the nearby lovely town of Hódmezővásárhely, located some 25km from Szeged, where you can easily spend a day. This pretty market town was born in the 15th century through the fusion of several smaller villages and today, it’s well-known for its traditional pottery and embroidery. Of course, as we’re speaking about Hungary, you can find a thermal bath here as well with relaxing indoor and outdoor pools, and various facilities and treatments on offer. There are also various festivals, shows and programmes running all summer including horse-riding shows, various music festivals, traditional folk dance and wine festivals just to name a few. Hódmezővásárhely is undoubtedly a significant educational, cultural and arts centre of the Southern Great Plain region with deep cultural roots and rich tradition. It’s also recommended to take a walking tour of this easily accessible town through which you can discover all the main sights and attractions on offer here; tours start from the Tourinform Office, situated near Kossuth Square, the town’s main square.