Szeged, located in southern Hungary on the River Tisza, attracts numerous European and American tourists with its sights. Szeged was first mentioned in documents in 1183 because of its great importance for salt transportation and salt production.
Today, the city of 170,000 inhabitants is characterized above all by its university flair. Its current eclectic image was created in the course of reconstruction after the great flood of 1879. The palaces in the city center, spacious squares and parks in particular give Szeged its character.
In the center, Széchenyi tér with its Art Nouveau town hall is one of the most beautiful squares. Every year in May, the large wine festival takes place there with 150 winegrowers. During these ten days, a good 100,000 people flock to Szeged to taste the wines and listen to bands on various stages. The wine festival ends on the second weekend with the bridge festival, during which the city bridge is closed to cars and transformed into a colorful market mile. Adjacent to the square is Kárász utca, Szeged's pedestrian zone, which is home to various cafés and small stores.
It is also worth taking a walk to Klauzál tér square. It is especially recommended for coffee lovers, as it is home to the Virág-kávéház, one of the most famous and largest coffee houses in Szeged. Students, on the other hand, can't miss Dugonics tér and its Art Nouveau-style university administration building.
Not far away is another and probably the most famous square in Szeged, Dóm tér (Cathedral Square). Once a year, it also becomes the venue for the Szeged Open Air Theater Festival. In July and August, a large grandstand is erected in the middle of the square, from which many spectators can watch the various plays. The adjacent Szeged Cathedral, the striking building that gives the square its name, was built as a votive church after the aforementioned flood in 1913. During the construction work, the foundations of the medieval Demetrius Tower were uncovered, which has since been restored and can be visited. A national memorial hall frames the square. This pantheon commemorates outstanding Hungarian personalities from politics and science with busts, statues and plaques.
Art lovers should not miss a visit to the Móra Ferenc Múzeum. Located on Roosevelt tér, the gallery bears the name of the Hungarian writer and founder of the museum, Ferenc Móra. Among other things, it houses exhibitions on the early history of the region, Móra's life and work as well as changing exhibitions on the visual arts.
Another thing you can't miss is a walk along the Tisza. Towards the end of the summer, the Szin Festival takes place there over four days. The SZIN (Szeged youth days) is a special music event: bands such as The Cure have already played there. The festival venue is the Újszegedi Partfürdő lido, located directly on the River Tisza.
