About Szeged
Szegedis a beautiful and spectacular city in Hungary, situated on the banks of River Tisza with a population of almost 170,000. It lies along Hungary’s south-eastern border, just to the south of the estuary of River Maros. Szeged is the capital city of Csongrád county and serves as a commercial and cultural centre of the region. The climate is very pleasant and the area is well known for its beautiful spring. Szeged gets an average of 2,000 hours of sunshine each year (that’s 83.5 days of daylight), no wonder it’s often called the City of Sunshine. Local industry is reputed for food processing and production. Szeged is especially famous for its two most prominent agricultural products: Pick salami and one of the most distinctive Hungarian spices: red pepper. Red pepper gets its red colour and divine flavour from an extended exposure to sunlight, which makes Szeged an ideal place to grow this spice. Szeged is also famous for Székelygulyás, a goulash made of pork, pickled cabbage and sour cream, and Halaszlé, fish soup made of carp and catfish. Textile and clothes industry, as well as oil and natural gas processing are also of importance to the region. Theatres, cinemas, clubs, riverside swimming pools and sports grounds provide plenty of opportunities for recreation. There are several large parks and a famous botanical garden to stroll through. Fine restaurants are situated all over Szeged offering various domestic and international cuisines (including Greek, Chinese, Italian, German, Indian, Transylvanian and Arabic). Public transportation provides a wide variety of vehicles with tram, trolleybus and bus services being so extensive that you can virtually reach every corner of the city.
Main Attractions:
Dóm Square / National Pantheon / Votive Church
The Dóm Square (Cathedral Square) is located just a stone's throw from the Heroes' Gate and is where you will discover many of the most significant landmarks, monuments and attractions. This is where a series of celebrations take place, including the yearly summer festival.
With more than 80 different statues and carved reliefs, the National Pantheon dominates the Dom Square. Close by, the Romanesque-style Demetrius Tower, was once part of a 12th-century church, is equally inspiring and can be found along the Dömötör-torony, which is the most historic of all the landmarks within Szeged. The neighbouring Votive Church is also worthy of a look and perhaps a photograph or two. The twin towers of this mighty building add great character to the Szeged skyline. Attractions of the Votive Church include a colossal organ with over 11,000 pipes and a vast nave, filled with rather gaudy and elaborate decorations.
The Széchenyi Square is the perfect place to begin a sightseeing in Szeged and this public square is in fact so big that it is more like a park.
Many of the most notable tourist attractions in Szeged can be found around Széchenyi Square. For example the Neo-Baroque Town Hall, an especially elegant building graced with a tall tower and a beautifully tiled roof.
The Town Hall dominates and the statues of the Kubikosok (navvies), István Széchenyi and Lajos Tisza embellish the Square, all of whom were responsible for regulating and controlling the city's river. You can find the Gróf Palace (Earl’s Palace) on the northern side of the Széchenyi Square and the recently renovated public baths, with the magnificent Reök Palace lying to the south and along the Tisza Lajos Avenue.
Many visitors agree that one of the most imposing of all the landmarks in Szeged is the New Synagogue, which is famed for its Hungarian Art Nouveau appearance and located within the former Jewish quarter. Designed and built more than 100 years ago by Lipót Baumhorn, the New Synagogue is widely regarded as the most beautiful ofall the country's Jewish buildings and synagogues.Standing outside and looking upwards - you cannot fail but be impressed by the scale of the architecture, while inside, the many attractions scattered around the blue and gold decorated interior include an eye-catching dome, which has been decorated with a mixture of flowers and stars. Close by is Szeged's Old Synagogue, which stands proudly along the Hajnóczy Street and dates back to 1843.