Szeged
Hungary's "City of Sunshine", lined with Art Nouveau buildings and the twin-spired Votive Church along the Tisza River, and famous for its paprika and fish soup.
Szeged is Hungary's third-largest city and the centre of the Southern Great Plain, set where the Tisza and Maros rivers meet, just over 10 km from the Serbian border. It gets more sunshine than anywhere else in the country, earning it the nickname "City of Sunshine". The Great Flood of the Tisza in 1879 almost wiped out the city, which was then rebuilt with help from across Austria-Hungary on a ring-boulevard plan. As a result, the centre is packed with Eclectic and Art Nouveau (Szecesszió) buildings, giving the city an orderly, elegant look, while the University of Szeged lends it a lively student atmosphere.
The main sights are all within walking distance: Dóm Square (the twin-spired Votive Church, Dömötör Tower and the National Pantheon arcades), the Art Nouveau masterpieces Reök Palace and Gróf Palace, the New Synagogue — one of the most beautiful in Hungary — Széchenyi Square with the City Hall, the cafés of Kárász Street and Klauzál Square, and the Tisza riverside promenade with the Móra Ferenc Museum. For food, Szeged paprika and Pick salami are famous nationwide, and you shouldn't miss a bowl of rich Szeged fish soup (halászlé). Spa culture thrives here too — soak at Anna Baths or Napfényfürdő Aquapolis. About 30 km north of the city, Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park houses the giant cyclorama painting The Arrival of the Hungarians, making for a good half-day trip.
When to go: April–October is best. In July–August, the Szeged Open-Air Festival (founded in 1931 and Hungary's most famous summer theatre festival) is staged on Dóm Square; summers are hot and dry. Getting there: about 2.5 hours by train from Budapest; trams and trolleybuses make getting around easy, and the sights are walkable. Allow 1–2 days, and consider combining with Subotica in Serbia (about 45 km south). Hungary uses the forint, and cards are accepted almost everywhere.
Top sights
- Votive Church & Dóm Square – A twin-towered red-brick cathedral built as a votive offering after the great flood of 1879. Arcades line three sides of the square, which…
- New Synagogue of Szeged – An Art Nouveau synagogue completed in 1903, with a blue and gold stained-glass dome that represents the heavens. It is considered one of Eu…
- Reök Palace – A 1907 Art Nouveau mansion whose wave-shaped façade is decorated with water-plant motifs, the most photogenic building in Szeged.
- Széchenyi Square & City Hall – One of Hungary's largest city squares, shaded by trees, with a bright yellow neo-Baroque city hall and a 'Bridge of Sighs' connecting walkw…
- Kárász Street – The main pedestrian street linking Klauzál Square with the cathedral area, lined with Art Nouveau buildings, cafés and dessert shops.
- Gróf Palace – A late Art Nouveau apartment block from 1913, with soaring pointed towers and colourful decoration that look like a fairy-tale castle.
- Pick Salami and Paprika Museum – A factory museum for Pick, Hungary's treasured salami brand, explaining the making of winter salami and Szeged's red paprika.
- Tisza Embankment – A riverside promenade and flood embankment along the Tisza, where the setting sun lights up the old town, river boats and the sandbars acro…
- Móra Ferenc Museum – A regional museum in a Neoclassical palace on the Tisza, displaying Avar-period archaeological treasures, folk costumes and paintings.
- Serbian Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas – An 18th-century Orthodox church beside Cathedral Square, with a dazzling gilded Baroque iconostasis.
- Szeged National Theatre – A New Baroque theatre designed in 1883 by Viennese masters, staging opera, ballet and drama.
- Anna Bath – A New Renaissance bathhouse from 1896 where you can soak in thermal water under a domed hall, making it Szeged's most historic bath.
- Napfényfürdő Aquapolis – A large thermal water park on the far bank of the Tisza River, with indoor and outdoor slides, thermal pools and saunas, ideal for families.
- Szeged Zoo – A naturalistic zoo in the forest on the western edge of town, known for its South American and African animals and its open, nature-style e…
- Szeged Botanic Garden – The botanic garden of the University of Szeged, most popular in summer when the lotus pond is in bloom and the giant Amazon water lilies fl…
- Mars Square Market – Szeged's largest farmers' market, where you can buy fresh paprika powder, salami, honey and seasonal fruit.
- Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park – An open-air history park commemorating the settlement of the Magyars, home to the 120-meter circular panorama The Arrival of the Hungarians.
Where to eat
- Régi Híd Vendéglő – Long-established city-center restaurant where Szeged fish soup and catfish paprikash with cheese noodles are signature…
- Alkimista Kulináris Műhely – Intimate 16-seat restaurant recommended by the Michelin Guide, where the chef changes the seasonal tasting menu every t…
- Kiskörössy Halászcsárda – Traditional fisherman's tavern on the Tisza riverbank, regarded as a leading example of the Szeged fish soup style, wit…
- Classic Grill Serbian Restaurant – Vojvodina-style Serbian grill on Széchenyi Square, serving generous portions of ćevapi and pljeskavica topped with kajm…
Itineraries
- Southern Hungary Historic Cities & Red Wine – A southern loop from the Art Nouveau architecture of Szeged to the Villány wine region and the World Heritage sites of…
- Hungary Grand Loop Self-Drive – A clockwise road trip around the country, connecting the capital, eastern wine regions, the Great Plain, historic south…