Stroll on stunning squares. Drink beer with students, on the colorful campus or in the bevy of downtown bars. Soak in hot springs or go whizzing down a waterslide. See a jazz concert, an art exhibition, a sports event. Bike in the huge park or zip over to the zoo.
Debrecen offers all this and more. Start at colossal Kossuth Square, and stare up in awe at the neoclassical twin-towered Protestant Great Church. Architecture buffs can admire the Art Nouveau Aranybika Hotel and the melodious can muse over the musical fountain.
Debrecen is the “the Calvinist Rome,” so in addition to the big ole church, its big ole university is none other than the Calvinist College of Debrecen, founded in 1538. And there’s lots of historic stuff to see, just like, well, the other Rome.
Historic stuff to see? Well, check out the Art Nouveau county seat building on Piac utca. A true romantic? Try the Csokonai Theater on Kossuth utca, dating from 1865. Neo-baroque more your style? See the Déri Museum, home to two pieces of the well-known Christ Trilogy and more by Hungarian painter prodigy Mihály Munkácsy.
Then get outside! The Nagyerdő Park has a rowing pond, playgrounds, an ice-rink, an amusement park, a 1,500-animal zoo… you get the picture. It’s also home to Aquaticum, an indoor water wonderland with 12 slides, kiddie pools, a climbing wall, slow-river corridors, a restaurant, massage, sauna and steam rooms.
When to go? Why, for the Debrecen Spring Festival, my dear, March 15th through April 15th! Debrecen bursts into bloom early, so celebrate with a whirlwind weekend soaking up the sun, the scent of fresh flowers and a generous dose of culture. Here’s just a taste of the star-studded lineup:
– Leroy Jones and the Jazz Steps, straight from New Orleans, trumpet tunes “sweeter than a summer breeze,” which happens to be the name of his latest album, on March 18th
– Rhoda Scott serenades with sweet soulful jazz on the organ – her repertoire includes classics like Summertime, In The Mood, and Hit the Road, Jack, on March 19th
– Dhafer Youssef, the Tunisian jazz composer and singer who also plays the oud, teams up with improvisational, innovative Magyar musician Ferenc Snétberger, on March 23rd
– Guitar virtuoso Paco de Lucia plays modern flamenco and crosses over into classical, jazz and world music styles, on March 27th
That’s not all, of course. Don’t miss the Tavaszi Tárlat, an exhibition featuring the best of the region’s young artists, some of which are showing their work for the first time.
Debrecen. Do it!
How to get there:
Trains leave often from Nyugati (Western) station in Budapest, arriving in Debrecen in as little as 2 ½ hours.
By car, take the M3 highway toward Debrecen until you get there! The last bit is called Route 33 but we’re sure you’ll manage. It’s 233km from Budapest.
For more info:
www.debrecen.hu
www.fonixinfo.hu