Debrecen Travel Guide: Travel and tourist information, things to do and see in Debrecen

Debrecen one of the largest towns in Hungary and is about 143 miles east of Budapest, located on the Great Hungarian Plain ( Alföld ) 143 miles (230 km) east of Budapest by rail. Hortobágy, a famous place of the Hungarian "Puszta" is situated nearby.

Debrecen, the second most populated Hungarian town, was twice capital of Hungary in history. First in 1849 during the revolution and war of independence, secondly during the Second World War. Debrecen also called "The Calvinist Rome", because the inhabitants converted to the new faith in the 16th century, and the town became the centre of Calvinism. The symbolic pride of Debrecen, the Reformed Great Church, is not only a religious monument, but also a reminder of several important events of Hungarian history. The dethronement of the Habsburg dynasty was declared within its walls in 1849. Recently, John Paul II visited the Big Church as if to make amends to the Reformed church preachers condemned to the galleys.

The city is unfortunately quite off the centre of the Hungarian traffic system (one railway and one highway - the number 4 - leads there), so it is time consuming to travel there from Western Hungary. The government has plans to build the #3 (Eastern) dual highway longer (or to build the #4 (South-Eastern) dual highway, which does not even exist) and reconnect the city into the fast flow of traffic and economy.

The renovated Fo Square is the place for cultural programmes.

The Calvinist College (Kalvin Square, 16) has an illustrious history; its fame is due to its famous students. Owing to its wide network of schools, it became the "school of the nation". Educational and ecclesiological exhibitions in the 180-year-old building, feature the furnishings of an original Calvinist school, antique goldsmith's works, covers with wonderful embroidery, painted pieces of furniture and the curios of the Great Library. This library, with its 500,000 volumes, is the biggest ecclesiastical collection in the country.

The patinated Aranybika Hotel (Piac Street, 11-15) is the oldest functioning hotel in the country.

The classicist Town Hall (Piac Street 20) is one of the city's nicest buildings, and all of the following are noteworthy: the Calvinist Church with incomplete steeple, (Revesz Square), "Veres Church" (Kossuth Street), the Synagogue (Pasti Street), the Greek Orthodox Church (Attila Square), Kossuth Lajos University (Egyetem Square 1) and Saint Ann Cathedral (Szent Anna Street 15.). The mill (Boszormenyi Street) is the biggest windmill in Central Europe and a monument of industrial history.

The Nagyerdo (Great Forest) is a popular green area in the town, with a zoo, the Fun Park and an arboretum. It has been a nature reserve since 1939. The thermal water of the Thermal Bath in Nagyerdo (Nagyerdei Park 1.) is recommended for arthritis, rheumatic diseases, gynaecological diseases, diseases of the vertebral disks, orthopaedic deformations and neuralgia.

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