Szeged – Arkad

Szeged Arkad

Not exactly a cultural programme but a topic I just have to write about. On 4th October Arkad was opened which is the biggest shopping centre in the region!

It might not be interesting for those who live int he capital or in very large cities but Szeged did not have a proper shopping centre before.

With so many people living in Szeged not to mention the tourists during the year we deserved it!

I went there on Saturday and I am absolutely satisfied with it. It was extremely crowded but I think it will get better it’s just the novelty at the moment.

The place is full of very good shops and everybody can find something for their taste.

You can choose from 130 stores and if you are tired there are places where you can relax. I really enjoyed the cafe in Alexandra bookshop buti f you are hungry you can choose from many different eateries. The interior is modern and if you don’t want to spend money on food there are places where you can simply sit down and relax before you go int he next shop.

Parking is free and although the place was very crowded I could still manage to find a parking space.

Most shops are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday but Spar, Media Markt and Deichmann have longer opening hours, check it on their websites. It is very convenient and at last a place in Szeged where you can really buy everything under one roof. Visiting Arkad in Szeged is really a must!

Map Arkad 6724 Szeged, Londoni krt. 3.

Arkad Szeged nagyobb térképen való megjelenítése

Csontvary Kosztka Tivadar exhibition in Szeged and Szentes

Forty of Csontvary Kosztka Tivadar’s paintings can be seen in Szeged Mora Ferenc Museum and Szentes, from 14th October until the middle of December.

It is a unique event as apart from two other exhibitions, one in 1994 and the other last year in Istanbul, these paintings could not have been seen in any other places than Pecs since the opening of Csontvary Museum in 1974 there. You can ask why Szeged and Szentes are the places where his works are exhibited.

During the Great Flood of Szeged in 1879 Csontvary took an active part in helping and as originally he wanted to be a pharmacist, he worked in a pharmacy in Szentes. Seeing the destruction in Szeged might have pushed him in the direction of becoming an artist.

Ticket prices are 1500 HUF for adults and 900 HUF for students and pensioners. There is special family ticket for 2 adults and maximum3 children for 2900 HUF. The museum in Szegen is open every day from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays. In Szentes the opening hours are from Tuesday to Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Prices are lower than in Szeged, 700 HUF for adults, 400 HUF for students and pensioners and the family ticket is only 1200 HUF.

Csontváry Kosztka Tivadar - Magányos cédrus

Szeged, Fish Festival

  

It will be the fifteenth time Szeged Fish Soup Festival is organised this year.
Traditionally the first Saturday of September is the date of the festival and during the years it became one of the most prestigious culinary and cultural festival. The purpose of it is to promote eating fish and also to pass on cooking traditions. You can try different kind of fish but the most popular is szegedi fish soup which is made with Szeged paprika and onion from Mako, a nearby town.
The festival takes place on the  quay at the Old Bridge where lots and lots of professional and  amateur chefs, family and corporate teams and others will cook fish soup and rival for the Frank Alexander cooking medal.
Of course it is not only about food but also having fun. There will be a fair as well and different folklore and other programmes so it is sure everybody will have a great time.
While eating your soup on the river bank you can also enjoy watching the Szeged Dragonboat Competition. It is at the same time as the fish festival and it is the fifth time it has been organised. The boats are spectacular with the dragon heads and tails and the atmosphere is always fantastic.
Do not miss this opportunity to visit Szeged and enjoy fine food and local hospitality.

Szeged, Aquapolis

Szeged Aquapolis

When you visit Szeged one of th ebest activities you can do to relax is to visit Aquapolis right in the centre ont he right bank of the river Tisza. It is a swimming pool with lots of slides both inside and outside. It is so much fun for the young and old as well. There are six slides inside which can be used all year round and outside there are more.

There is a tower from where  you can try the two longest slides but they can only be used if you are taller than 140 cm. They are 223 and 272 metres long and from the tower you can enjoy the view of Szeged. There is an elevator in the tower and be prepard that if you go down on the yellow slide you will have a surprise kamikaze section at the end. It is great fun!

One of the favourite slide is called the onion where you drop in a giant open bowl and spin in circles before you drop into a pool. Only for those who can swim as the pool is two metres deep.  



TheTwo Anacondas

Onion slide on the left



  

There are also slides for small babies  and those who do not wish to splash all day but prefer relaxing there is a silent wellness centre offering perfect relaxation and recreation for guests. Admission only for people over 16 years of age!

There are various welness treatments such as Finnish and infrared sauna, steam chamber, salt and aroma cabins and an outdoor log sauna. You can also try wellness massages and bath treatment in the complex.

Ticket prices in high season are 4000 Huf for adults for the whole day but there are discount prices if you go only int he morning or only int he afternoon.

There is also discount for children, senior and student visitors. In pre and off season prices are lower, 2700 for adults but the slides open only at 4 p.m. On Tuesday and Friday there is a special night programme so from 8 p.m. until 12 p.m. you can enjoy swimming and playin gin Aquapolis Szeged.

  

Outside slides

Szeged Canoe World Championship - Practical Information

As I have written before Szeged will be the centre of attention of sport lovers in August as there will be the Canoe Sprint World Championship between 17-21 August.
I provide you with some practical information about how to get there, where to park, ticket prices and things like that.

If you come by car from the direction of Budapest on M5 you have to take exit 166 for 55 towards Szeged nyugat/ Baja. Turn left onto Route 55 and then at the roundabout take the first exit to Route 502.



                                  Nagyobb térképre váltás     Budapest - Szeged, Maty-ér

By then you will see the signs showing where you can park your car. From the car park you can get to the tribunes by shuttles and at the end of the days they will be trasferred back to their cars. Because of the heavy traffic organisers ask everyone to use the shuttles instead of wondering on the road as it can be dangerous.
If you want to go to Maty Er from Szeged the easiest way is going by bus.
There is 40C bus which goes right to the entry gates. Buses are free to use but you have to have a valid entrance ticket to be allowed on the bus. Stops where you can get on the bus are not available yet but I will let you know as soon as I find out. Probably the end of next week.
You can buy your tickets at any IBUSZ offices in Hungary. You can see ticket prices here in HUF and also the approximate prices in EUR. Prices in Euro can change according to exchange rates and depend on where you change your money.

SECTOR	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY	FOR ALL DAYS
SECTOR A	4500 HUF (16 EUR)	8900 HUF (32 EUR)	8900 HUF (32 EUR)	8900 HUF (32 EUR)	24900 HUF (89 EUR)
SECTOR B	2800 HUF (10 EUR)	5500 HUF (20 EUR)	5500 HUF (20 EUR)	5500 HUF (20 EUR)	14900 HUF (53 EUR)
SECTOR C	1700 HUF (6 EUR)	3300 HUF (12 EUR)	3300 HUF (12 EUR)	3300 HUF (12 EUR)	8900 HUF (32 EUR)
SECTOR D	800 HUF (2.8 EUR)	1500 HUF (5.3 EUR)	1500 HUF (5.3 EUR)	1000 HUF (3.6 EUR)	3500 HUF (12.5 EUR)



World Championship tribune and prices



If you have not booked your accommodation in Szeged here you can find some hotels and guest hoses to choose from:

http://www.szeged-hotels.aranyangol.hu



Szeged University helps Japanese students

Sixteeen students arrived in Hodmezovasarhely on 25th July from Fukusima, Japan. They are given the opporunity to have a holiday after tsunami destroyed their homes.

They are staying until 6th August and are going to be taken to different parts of Hungary. They will spend some time in Szeged and Opusztaszer too. To make their holiday more convenient some students were asked to help the Japanese group. Students learning Japanese language at Szeged University were willing to offer their help as beside helping them, it is a great opportunity for them to practise the language. They hope to provide them with a unique experience and that the Japanese students will be able to forget their tragedy during their holiday here.

ICF Kayak Canoe Flatwater World Championships Szeged 2011

If you like sports you have to be in Szeged between 17th and 21st August.

It is the time when the Kayak Canoe Flatwater World Championship will be held in Szeged for the third time after 1998 and 2006. The best sportsmen and sportswomen are going to be in Szeged at that time from around the world. It is a very important event as this championship is the most important qualification championship for the 2012 London Olympic Games. Over 2000 contestants from more than 90 countries are going to compete in Szeged Maty-er and it is going to be an unforgettable event.

These sports are very popular in Hungary as Hungarians are very successful in these sports so you can be sure the atmosphere will be extraordinary with lots of fans and spectators.

If you go by car you should turn at the 166 exit from the M5 motorway and it is only 3 kms in the direction of Szeged. You will get to a roundabout and from then ont here will be signs showing you the way.

You have to pay for the parking, for a car it is 1000 HUF. From the parking space look for the free buses which take you to the gates. Traffic is usually very heavy so the organisers ask everybody not to walk to the gates.

If you are staying in Szeged you can take the 40C bus which is free to use. In case you arrive by train there are also free buses between the main railway station and Maty-er. Tickets can be bought in advance in any Ibusz office.

Ticket prices are between 800 and 8.900 HUF or you can buy a season ticket which is valid for the whole length of the championship. Prices are between 3.500 and 24.900 HUF.

Szeged Maty-er

Kayak Canoe Flatwater World Championships Szeged 2011

Nagyobb térképre váltás




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Nyeregszemle or Riding programme in Opusztaszer, near Szeged

Next weekend there will be a unique programme in Opusztaszer, only 26 kilometres from Szeged. Opusztaszer is the place where the Hungarian tribes arrived 1100 years ago with their leader, Arpad. They hold their first national assembly there and adopted the first laws. At this place you can see the National History Memorial Park which attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Feszty Cyclorama

The main attraction of the park is the Feszty cyclorama, the Arrival of the Magyars, painted by Arpad Feszty. You can also see many traditional buildings and instruments in the park and find out a lot about Hungarian history, traditions and culture. The park is also a place where programmes are organised in connection with how to preserve Hungarian tradition. Between 15th and 17th July the riding programme will be a very good example of that. It will be the greatest and largest cavalcade with horses in 2011 with more than 300 people arriving on horseback. Among them will be six Hungarians from Trasylvania, Csik county, who left for Opusztaszer on 25th June and after a three-week riding in Romania on 10th July arrived in Hungary.

And there will be many more proving that riding traditions are still alive. Lots of programmes are organised for young and old, there will be concerts, puppet shows, archery, traditional folk dance, arts and crafts and most of all anything related to horses and riding.

On Saturday morning you can see the procession of riders to the monument of Arpad and most of the day is dedicated to horse riding.

A unique part of the day will be a performance by Kata Pataky, the only Monty Roberts instructor in Hungary.

She will work with a foul without any previous training and at the end there will be a saddle and a rider on its back! I am sure it will be amusing.

If you are not free on Saturday you can see her on Sunday morning too, with a different foul, of course.

Hungarian people are extremely proud of their traditions and this weekend anyone can see how they are trying to preserve it for the future and for the younger generation.From Szeged you can go by car on road number 5,  it only takes about half an hour to reach the National Memorial Park in Opusztaszer. You can also go on the motorway but you have to pay for that. Ticket prices are 2500 HUF and the tickets are valid for all three days. Children under five can visit the cavalcade for free.

Listen to Hungarian folk music just to set the mood!

Zoo at Night in Szeged

There are compulsory programmes in Szeged like visiting Dom square or eating fish soup  but there are places an average visitor would not think of going to while on holiday. Such an example of that is visiting a zoo. You can say there are zoos everywhere in the world and if you go on holiday you don’t want to spend your money on that.

But there is a special programme in Szeged zoo. It is not really a zoo, it is more like a wildlife park, where you can see rare species as well, not far from the centre of Szeged. It was opened in 1989 and since then lots of new animals have found a home int he park. The main purpose of the wildlife park is to save endangered species and make their places as natural as possible.

There are no animals in small cages in Szeged. During the summer it offers night visits when you can observe animals after 7 p.m. Going to a zoo at night is very different from visits during the day and there are special programmes organised by the staff.

One of these programmes is the feeding of  animals which is intriguing. The first animal is either the Siberian tiger or the wolverine around 8 p.m. They are usually very active so visitors can see some action.

Then at about nine you can see the most memorable part, the feeding of lions.

The third part is either the puma, the jaguar or the wolves. All the animals get more meat during the night feedings and usually they have to solve a challenge to get their food. For example the food is put in a sack and they have to find it. There is another event during the night and it is the touching and striking of animals people are usually scared of.  Such animals are reptiles, arthropod or amphibian. The purpose is to see that they do us no harm and in many occasions people get over their fear. Children usually love this kind of programmes and enjoy touching animals they cannot meet in everyday life. So if you have seen all the sights or cannot sleep at night go to Szeged zoo and enjoy a late night visit there.

The next time you can visit Szeged zoo at night is 23rd July and after that on 13th August.

http://www.zooszeged.hu/foreign/english

Some photos from Szeged zoo


There are lots of colorful birds to see in Szeged zoo




Much more active during its night feeding




A less exciting feeding time




There is always someone who pays attention!




His royal highness



Programs in Szeged in July, 2011

One of the most important and well known programmes in Szeged is the Open Air Festival in Dom Square. It starts on 1st July wit the Tragedy of Man by Imre Madach. Between 15th and 23rd July there will be The Merry Widow and on 29th and 30th July, Carmen. The performances are always of very high standard and those who visit any of the performances will sure to be delighted.
Another festival in Szeged is the Castle Theatre and Festival which is organised the ninth time this year. There are programmes for both children and adults. Apart from plays and theatrical performances there are other events and activities for the whole family such as sport programmes, arts and crafts, concerts, archery, renessaince playground and much much more.
For those who like folk dance and music between the 1st and 3rd July you can see dancers and musicians at the Martin Gyorgy National Folk Dance Festival. There will be performances on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon and also folk concerts.
If you like art we are happy to recommend you a Hundertwasser exhibition in Reok Palace. Between 13th July and 29th September you will be see about eighty of his works of art.
Another traditional event in Szeged is the International Truck Country Festival and this year it will be the 21st, between 15th and 17th July. The programmes will include lots of concerts, competitions and programmes for the whole family.
In the courtyard of the Town Hall between 25th July and 7th August you will be able to listen to unforgettable concerts by famous talented musicians. Besides classical music and opera you can also listen to jazz. If the weather is bad the concerts will be held in the smaller theatre.
At the very end of July, on 30th and 31st you can see the flowers of Indian Lotus in Szeged Botanical Garden. It is the only place in Central Europe where you can see this flower blossom. There will be programmes for the whole family and you can also find out more about Indian culture.

Szeged - Botanical Garden

Szeged Dom Ter - National Pantheon

Szeged Dom Ter

When you visit Szeged one of the first places you visit must be Dom square where you can see the Votive Church of Our Lady. It is the fourth largest church in Hungary but the square around it is equally important. We have to mention the three people who played vital roles in creating the square and the church.

Klebelsberg Kuno cultural minister, Glattfelder Gyula bishop of Csanad and Rerrich Bela architect.  It is one of the finest architectural work from the time between the two world wars. Dom square is surrounded by buildings where you can find different institutions. In the western part you can find the Theological College, in the south-western part there is the Bishop’s Palace and int he southern and eastern part there are university halls and classrooms and reserach centres.

The buildings surrounding the square are built from clinker. What I really like in the square is the National Pantheon under  the arcades. When you go round you can see sculptures of famous Hungarian people. It was founded in 1930 and the base for the Pantheon was the legacy of Kisfaludi Strobl Zsigmond, one of the most important sculptor at the turn of the 19th century. Since then many other busts and reliefs were added to the collection and now you can see more than 120 works of art. Among the busts and reliefs you can find painters, musicians, kings, writers, poets, scientists and architects.

The majority of them are Hungarian but you can also see there Adam Clark. It is very evocative just to walk under the arcades and think of all these people who did so much to create something good and use their talent and knowledge to produce quality.  When you go around you will see that there is only one woman, Maria Theresa. I think it would be a good idea to look for famous Hungarian women and put their busts there.

Rose Festival in Szeged Szoreg

If you visit Szeged you can see several famous sights and interesting places. You can visit festivals and stroll along the river Tisza. If you spend a bit more time in Szeged and have seen the most important things it could be a good idea to visit some places nearby especially if there is a special event.

Szeged Szoreg is now part of Szeged but itused to be a separate settlement about 7 km from Szeged and every June there is a Rose festival there. This year, in 2011, it will be between 24-26 June. It will be the 13th festival this year and the organisers want itt o be even more spactacular than last year. Szoreg is famous for its roses and started this festival to celebrate this beautiful flower. The whole town is decorated with roses, more than a million roses are used for the weekend.

The most interesting part of the Rose festival in Szoreg is on Saturday when there is a procession. Numerous carts, vehicles and people go through the town decorated by roses, of course. Lots of people come from all over the world and enjoy the different programmes. There are folk singers, dance groups, concerts, exhibitions, lectures during the festival and usually there is a rose price and rose princess election. It is so much fun for young and old and you can marvel at the beautiful flowers. The easiest way to visit Szeged-Szoreg is by car but you can also go ba bus from Mars square. You have to take 60Y bus and it will take you there.

Szeged-Szoreg Nagyobb térképre váltás

River Tisza in Blossom

This weekend there will be one of the most interesting event in Szeged.
No, it is not the Open Air festival, not even a festival but in my opinion it is very special. In Hungarian we say Tisza in blossom although it has nothing to do with flowers or even plants.
Tiszavirag or Tisza flower is an animal which belongs to the order Ephemeroptera, it is a type of mayfly. They live for three years as nymphs in fresh water and after that they come to the surface and turn into insects. Males and females start their dances and after only a few hours they die.
Hungary is among the very few countries where you can observe this unique event as such a thing can only be seen on the river Tisza. It is spectacular because these mayflies appear in vast quantities over the river and you can see how they moult. You can even hold some of them during the process.
You can feel the special connection with nature and it is a perfect time to slow down a bit and think about our fast lives. It is always at the beginning of June and this year there are two special tours organised by Kiskunsag National Park from Szeged.
One of them to Martely where there is Tisza backwater and the other to Pusztaszer where you can go boating and watch the event ont he river. Those who go will have a memorable time. The tours are on 12th June, meeting in Szeged at Demasz boathouse or you can ask for information on this e-mail address: zoldpont@knp.hu

Szeged - Hungary

I am going to introduce Szeged to you. Try to be up-to-date and inform you about the most recent events and the best places to see. First of all I give you a brief introduction of the town itself and later go into the details. 
Szeged  is the sunniest city in Hungary with more than 2100 hours of sunshine a year. In summer it is full of flower and you can feel you are in a mediterranean city. Szeged is the third largest city in the south-eastern part  of Hungary, the biggest city int he region,  the county town of Csongrad county and it is the economic and cultural centre as well. 

Szeged was first mentioned in 1183 and soon became the most important settlement in the region. After the great flood in 1879 most part of the city was destroyed and had to be rebuilt. What you can see now in Szeged is the result of that, there are more modern and more beautiful buildings, especially in the centre

The university of Szeged is one of the best in Hungary. More than 30,000 students study in Szeged at the university on different faculties, making the city very youthful and full of life. There are numerous festivals, exciting exhibitions and all kinds of concerts throughout the year so you will never get bored in Szeged.
It is a thriving city with lots of places and sights to see. Lots of restaurants, cafes and confectionaries where you can taste Hungarian cuisine. To put it in a nutshell it is a lovely city to live, not too big and not too small and can offer everything you need.

Szeged Town Hall  in the past

Szeged Town Hall today