Everything is “great” in Debrecen, including the city park and the church. The Reformed Great Church can seat up to 2,000 people, and is home to Kossuth’s chair and the Vizsoly Bible. It has one of the country’s finest organs, and you can even visit the organ loft. Take your time and enjoy the quality environment of the book store café.
This building has been renovated to provide as many services and as much entertainment as an actual water tower can. Obviously, it is a lookout tower, but it is also home to exhibitions and musical events. You will find a wine bar and a climbing wall, while the light show in the evening is an added bonus.
The college is the cradle of Hungarian culture, established in 1538 and open ever since. It was home to Misi Nyilas, and also Csokonai, János Arany, Ferenc Kazinczy and Ferenc Kölcsey. Time seems to have stopped in its 600,000-volume library.
Even if you stay in the town centre, you will still have many things to discover. The Modem is a highly fascinating contemporary exhibition hall and world-class art centre. A truly intellectual space and cultural institution that will inspire you.
After so much culture and history, you will definitely enjoy spending time in the largest spa complex in Europe. From the cinema pool to the ice-cave illusion and tropical, exotic and Roman interiors: if you want to try them all, you will need more than just one afternoon.
It may only be 40 kilometres from Debrecen, but it’s a wholly different world: the ‘puszta’, the home of the ‘csikós’ and the horse-herds as you see them on postcards. This is the Hungarian wild east. However, there are also other things to see in the 810 square kilometres of the National Park, with its especially rich flora and fauna. The park has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999.
One of the most important waterbird habitats in Central Europe is located about 7 kilometres from the village. Go for a walk on the educational trail, and don’t forget to climb up into the lookout towers. Take some binoculars with you – they might come in handy.
You will need all five of your senses in the centre to discover the unique fauna of the River Tisza and Lake Tisza. The building resembling a bird is home to the largest freshwater aquarium system in Europe.
If you want to discover the diverse surroundings of the lake, you should rent a boat. From spring to autumn, there are 12 paddling trails you can choose from. Cormorants sitting on trees, mallard ducks hiding under the bushes, and also herons and egrets to keep you company on your way through the water ‘jungle’.
The ‘puszta’ programme, which starts with a one and a half hour ride on a carriage, gives you a taste of Hungarian traditions and temper. The horse-drawn puszta bus will take you to where indigenous animals, such as Racka sheep, Mangalica pigs, buffalos and Hungarian grey cattle graze, while horses and Hungarian cowboys will put on a show for tourists to prove their skills and courage
In addition to the usual courses that test your skills, you will also find some amusing attractions such as the stone-age pedal boats, but you can also meet some of the well-known characters from the Grimm fables and other modern cartoons. Mother Holle and Captain America together in the same place!
The spa and beach in Berekfürdő are built on thermal water. The village lies on the edge of Hortobágym in the middle of the Hungarian ‘puszta’, and is part of the former rural landscape of scattered farmlands. Today, tourists come here for its spa, but also for its rich wildlife and birdlife.
Discover Debrecen, Hortobágy and Middle Tisza Region!