Travel Destinations — Szeged, Hungary

Region Szeged, Csongrád 6708, Hungary East Europe

Country

Hungary

Location name

Szeged, Hungary

Description of Location

Szeged is third largest city in Hungary also known as the ‘Sunny City’. City has one of the most prestigious universities in Hungary with lots of international students giving the city a metropolitan aura. It is believed to have emerged from the word ‘Szeg’ meaning corner, referring to the curve in river Tisza that passes through the city. Surprisingly Szeged has its own name in as many as 11 European languages. City was devastated by Mongols and people dispersed to the fringes of the city to runaway from the carnage. They returned soon and rebuilt the city. City is also the venue for the largest witch trials ever recorded. If you are a history geek, you have lots in Szeged to keep you busy.

Did you know that Szeged holds the famous Open Air Plays on 21st May first started in 1931?

Things to do

Most coveted attraction of the city is probably its Open Air Festival that starts in July only to end in August. The Dom square turns into a stage for the audience and that is how it got its name, ‘the Open Air’. Tickets can be really hard to get. There are alot of festivals e.g. Wine Festival, Beer Festival and Days of Szeged that can keep you busy whole summer. Kárász street is the main city in downtown and the square is beautiful itself. River Tisza can be used as a break from the crowded center. If you are in for a nice movie, you can visit Belvárosi Mozi a traditional theater upgraded to show 3D movies now. How can you miss the famous thermal baths of the Eastern Europe if you are in Hungary? Anna fürdő is a nice place to have that in as cheap as 4–5 Euros.

Recommended Travel Descriptions

If you are flying to Szeged, you would land on Ferihegy International Airport in Budapest and go down south on M5 Highway. At most it should take 2 hours to get to Szeged. In Hungary one needs a sticker that needs to be on your windshield in order to drive on the Highway. You can easily get one from gas stations. You can also get a train from Budapest. Bus connections are also available from close cities e.g. Pecs or Romanian cities. Taxis, Trams and buses for inner city travel are easily available covering almost all parts of the city. I personally recommend buying a bicycle. People are generally nice and can speak reasonable English however keeping a map handy for asking directions is recommended.

Best time to travel

Most Northernish cities in Europe are too cold for tourism in winters however thermal baths have something to visit. Summer time is usually best to visit Szeged because most festivals are in Summer.