Szeged is the third largest town in Hungary. Its excellent road network and public transport help those who stay in our city for a limited time.
When you arrive, first treat yourself to a delicious breakfast. Many cafes in Szeged offer a delicious breakfast.
Rudi és Fickó, Kelesztő and Dock Café are the most popular in the city centre. Emmarozs or Saint Cafe and Wine or the Kávészöm Kávézó on the Food Market are really good choices a 5-minute walk from here.
Here, while eating, you can decide how you will spend your day.
The classics
If you want to see the most famous buildings, the City Hall is a good starting point. The neo-baroque building was inaugurated in 1883 by József Ferenc I, the central window of the staircase is decorated with the famous saying: “Szeged will be more beautiful than it was”, which refers to the reconstruction after the Great Flood of 1879, which destroyed the city. Also worthy of attention is the Bridge of Sighs, which was originally built for the king and his entourage visiting the rebuilt city.
Klauzál tér and Kárász utca, the city’s main pedestrian street, are a short walk away from the City Hall. The palaces of the square and the pedestrian street, built during the 19th century, bear the characteristics of classicism, eclecticism and art nouveau, which were in competition with each other at the time of their construction.
Szeged’s emblematic building, the Votive Church (Dóm), is located a few minutes’ walk from here in Hungary’s most unique atmospheric square, Dóm tér, where performances of the Szeged Open-Air Festival are held due to the excellent acoustics.
One of the defining architectural styles of the downtown palaces built after the flood is Art Nouveau. We can find several gems in the city center that we absolutely recommend to those who love style. The Reök Palace is the main work of Ede Magyar, a unique creation of the Hungarian Art Nouveau. The eclectic New Synagogue, which mainly bears Art Nouveau features, is the second largest synagogue in Hungary and the fourth largest in Europe. In addition to these, don’t miss the Gróf Palace, the Iron House or the Deutsch Palace during your walk.
The newcomers
Maybe you’ve been to Szeged a couple of times and ticked off all the classic sights. Maybe you’re just wondering what’s new since your last visit. Here are some suggestions!
For two years, the Belvárosi Mozi has been hosting a special film history exhibition. The exhibition follows the history of cinema and the development of motion pictures from silent films to 3D virtual reality. Contemporary posters, photos of legendary stars and museum projectors lead to the most modern digital technology, while the visitor can also get to know the work of the three filmmakers with ties to Szeged, Vilmos Zsigmond, Béla Balzs and József Cske.
The Ferenc Móra Museum has also been renovated. It welcomes visitors with interactive exhibitions and an impressive panorama from the observation deck built on the roof. The renewed natural science exhibition is definitely worth noting, where you can get to know the living world of the Great Plain and the Tisza – for example, through the pictures of Máté Bence, a nature photographer recognized both in the world and in our country, or you can even virtually wade through a watercourse or the Móra-lots exhibition, which is the writer for nature presents the life and work of the museum’s former famous director and archaeologist. The exhibition offers visitors many digital, interactive games: for example, you can decorate Ferenc Móra with his favorite flowers, or find out what kind of animal or plant he wanted to be. Together with the museum, the Castle has been renovated, and its new permanent exhibition presents the witch trials, the outlaw world, the destruction of Nagyárvíz, and the exciting history of the former castle.
Szeged Vadaspark is the youngest zoo in the country, but with the largest area and the most dynamically developing. Its most recent major development, the 280-square-meter rhinoceros house and the 3,000-square-meter outdoor enclosure, was built next to the show of Asian elephants. Heated pools were built in the building, and pens for the animals were created in the spacious, natural environment-like enclosure.
The restaurant scene in Szeged is constantly changing, new restaurants are popping up all the time. It fills us with pride that two restaurants in Szeged received a Michelin plate recommendation last year, which can be said to represent the pinnacle of gastronomy. The Alabárdos Restaurant and the Alkimista Culinary Workshop in Szeged can be proud of this recognition. You can find more tips in our “What to taste” guide to restaurants.
Experience Szeged like a local!
If you want to experience the city like the people of Szeged every day, the first thing you should do is drink a cup of coffee. It is a part of most people’s lives in Szeged, if they have already had coffee at home in the morning, they probably plan their day so as to stop by a coffee shop during the day.
Secondly, many residents of Szeged prefer to travel to work or around the city by bicycle or public transport. Thus, they have many interesting sights and experiences on the way.
The Food Market in Mars tér is also called the “pantry” of Szeged, where the people of Szeged buy fresh vegetables, fruit and other delicacies. It is worth a visit, because we are talking about one of the largest markets in the country.
The city’s parks and squares are green oases that provide the residents and visitors with the opportunity to relax and recharge. Stefánia, located in the heart of the city center, and Erzsébet Park, located on the other side of the Tisza, have also been recently renovated. Modern playgrounds, outdoor gyms, sports fields, and a modern running track await those who want to relax.
