DEBRECEN

Today Debrecen is a steadily developing center of Eastern Hungary. Its international airport connects the city with several European destinations, and it is only a two-hour drive from the capital, Budapest.

Hungary’s second largest city offers a rich variety of sights and programs to its visitors who can feel the bustling life of the early 1900s and the atmosphere of a 21st-century dynamic city at the same time.

Debrecen is a city worth a visit.

It may take only a couple of hours to walk through the historic downtown, Debrecen’s beating heart, but the attentive sightseer will find a breathtaking amount of historical-cultural nuggets in every single square meter. The city’s well-known symbol, the Reformed Big Church, the Reformed College which has been continuously operating since 1538, the Déri Museum and the MODEM that display outstanding collections of cultural importance, the more than 150-year-old Csokonai Theater or the baroque Saint Ann Cathedral are must-visit places.

Your leisurely stroll in downtown Debrecen – dubbed “promenade” by locals – will be punctuated by shady green piazzas and refreshing fountains. The slightly eclectic arrangement of architectural styles as well as the streets and alleys, each hiding its very own story, will set up an enchanting atmosphere.

The open-air theatre, the stadium and the Frog Pond in the Big Forest (Nagyerdő) area are very popular places. In the old water tower turned into an entertainment center the more daring visitors can try indoor climbing while in addition to the dazzling night-time shows you can also enjoy the spectacle of the nearby mist theatre. The nearby zoo houses exotic beasts from each continent along with species which are indigenous to the Carpathian Basin.

What do you need to enjoy life in a 21st-century city? Attractive sights to see, modern shopping malls, exciting cultural and sporting events, for sure. But you also need activities that offer holiday experiences without compromise. Debrecen is by no means lacking in activities of this kind. Trendy cafés and bistros are proliferating, the popularity of street food is on the rise, countless cozy terraces and other special venues are getting ready to take visitors.