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Museums in Szeged

There are several museums in Szeged, I only chose the most known places. There are smaller galleries as well and temporary exhibitions too.  Cultural life is very vivid in Szeged so there must be some interesting exhibitions going on while you are visiting Szeged. The local tourist office in Szeged will keep you informed.

Pick Museum

When you visit Szeged it is a must to visit the Pick museum. You will be shown how the world famous Pick salami or Szeged wintersalami is made. You can find out what ingredients are used and what technology is needed in order to produce this fine product. You can also learn about the history of the factory,  how it became one of the largest food processing company and how Pick salami became world famous. Apart from Pick salami Szeged paprika plays an important part of the exhibition since it is a vital part of the salami making. You can find out everything about paprika  here.
Int he gift shop you can buy both salami and paprika products at discount prices! The museum is open every day between 3 pm- and 6 pm. but groups can visit the place at other times between 10 am. and 6 pm. with previous registration.

 Address: Szeged, Felso-Tisza part 10

 
Mora Ferenc Museum

Mora Ferenc museum is the largest museum in Szeged. It used to work together with the city library but since 1950 it has been an independent institution. You can find out a lot about Szeged in the etnography exhibition where you can see more than 20,000 pieces of work related to the life of people of the region. You can also visit the archeological exhibition to find out more about the history of the area in the previous ages. There are other exhibitions where you can see paintings from famous Hungarian painters, coins or objects related to nature. It is worth going to Mora Ferenc museum as it has an enormous collection of pieces in connection with the past and present of Szeged.

 Address: Szeged, Roosevelt ter 1-3

 
Black House / Fekete Haz

This house is part of Mora Ferenc museum. The origin of the collection dates back to the end of the First World War. Those who came back from the war brought a lot of things which reminded them of their city, Szeged or became the symbol of defending their country during the war. These relics were given to Szeged in the autumn of 1918 and these object were the base of the collection. During the years many more were added to the collection and today there is a large exhibition in the house in Somogyi street, which has been the place for the exhibition since 1980.

Address: Szeged, Somogyi utca 13

 
Kass Gallery

A gallery that is mostly dedicated to the work of Janos Kass, a Hungarian artist and freeman of Szeged. You can see many of his famous graphics, illustrations and stamp designs including illustrations inspired by the Bartok  opera, Bluebeard`s Castle. Apart from the collection of his work there are other exhibitions of young artists.

Curches in Szeged

There are over thirty churches in Szeged which belong to different religions. They are in very good conditions owing to the community and more and more people go to religious services to these places. I introduce some of the most important churches, first of all Dom, or the Votive church  which is the symbol of Szeged. Unfortunately I cannot show you all but when you visit Szeged you can find many more.  

The Votive Church of Szeged

The emblem of Szeged and one of its most distinctive building is the Votive Church of Our Lady of Hungary. The construction was started in 1913 but it was consecrated only in 1930 due to the outbrake of the First World War. The Votive Curch is situated in  Dom square which is exactly the same size as Saint Mark square in Venice. It is the fourth largest building in Hungary, the dome is 54 metres high outside and 33 metres above the inside floor. It has the third largest organ in Europe with 9,040 pipes. The two towers are 91 metres high.
Above the main doorway there is a 3 metres high statue of the Madonna. She is the patron of this votive church and also the protector of Hungary since Stephen I.  You can see a lot of magnificent artwork throughout the church. One of the most unusual is the Madonna in a fur coat made in mosaic just over the baldachin of the big altar.

Mass is held at 6:30 am., 7:30 am. and 6 pm. every day.

Synagogue

Another fine example of church building int he 20th century in Szeged is the Synagogue. This building is the second largest Jewish house of worship. It was built in 1907 by Lipot Baumhorn, a famous Jewish architect. It is 48 metres long, 35 metres wide and 48,5 metres high at its highest part, at the dome and you can find many different architectural styles on this moorish-art nouveau building. For example there are Gothic elements above the organ but the columns holding the galleries are Roman. Still, the mixing of styles remains concordant as the ivory-blue-gold colour scheme creates a unity. The interior of the Synagogue and all the stained glass windows are the work of the world famous Hungarian artist, Miksa Roth.
The most beautiful part of the building is the dome. It is monumental and the decoration is breathtaking. It symbolizes the world and every element has a meaning. Int he middle you can see the star of David. You can also be delighted at the door of the Ark of Covenant which is made of sittimwood from the banks of Nile or the marble table under the High Altar made of marble from Jerusalem.  It is worth taking a stroll in the park surrounding the synagogue as you can find a number of carefully selected plants and flowers.
Apart from its obvious religious purpose the synagogue functions as a concert hall as well as the acoustics is perfect and it has 1300 seats. There are organ and other classical concerts during the year and there is a Jewish Festival in autumn every year.

Lower City Franciscan Church and Monastery

The building of this church and monastery dates back to the early 15th century making it the largest medieval monument to remain undamaged on the Great Plain. On the outside the walls are whitewashed and inside you can see a fine example of Gothic architecture with ribs and arches covering the ceiling. The church has windows only on one side which is also the characteristic of Gothic architecture. Unlike other churches it still worked during the Turkish occupation and the priests made efforts to remain the centre of Christianity. It is said this church was the most beautiful church during Turkish occupation.
In the main Altar you can see the picture of the Helping Madonna. According to the legend a priests hi­d the picture from the Turkish in a nearby lake, Csoporke. It stayed there for about 100 years when a Turkish soldier found it while his horse was drinking from the lake. You can see this scene on the column left of the entrance. You can also see the copy of the famous Black Madonna of Czestochowa.

Masses are held every day at 6 pm., at weekends at 7 am., 9 am. 3:30 pm. and 6 pm.

Parks and squares in Szeged

Szeged is a big city but there are green areas where you can relax and sit down on a bench or just let your children play int he green. Here you can find some of the most popular parks in Szeged. 

Dom Square in Szeged

Dom square is the most beautiful square in Szeged. It is dominated by the Votive Church of Our Lady in Szeged but there are other equally attractive elements in the square. The square was completed between 1929-32 On the western side you can see the Theological College of Szeged, in the South-Western corner there is the Bishop™s Palace and in the Southern and Eastern part Szeged University facilities and research centres  can be found. You can see an Arcade round the square where there is the National Panthenon. Originally it was founded in 1930 but since then many more sculptures and reliefs were added. You can see pieces of artwork depicting famous Hungarian scientists, artists and historical personalities. In the Southern part of the building surrounding the square there is a musical clock. It was made in 1936 and you can see the 12 zodiac signs on it. There are figures coming out of the clock  and these figures were made after real people, for example among  the students we can see famous Hungarian poets and artists of Szeged. In Dom square you can also see the oldest building in Szeged which is the Domotor Tower in front of the Votive Church, on the left. It dates back to 11th century and it was restored in 1931.

 
Szechenyi Square in Szeged

It is one of the biggest square and park in Szeged city centre. Its whole area is about 50 000 sq.m and it is the continuation of Karasz street, the main pedestrian street in Szeged. It is surrounded by official buildings for example Szeged Town Hall, Main Post Office of Szeged, banks, restaurants and Hotel Tisza. It used to be a market place but today it is mainly used as a park and a place for different festivals and fairs in Szeged. On the western part of the square you can find Grunn-Orban house which was the place where the first printing press worked in Szeged. Next to the Grunn-Orban house you can see a palace called Rent Palace built in 1872-73. It has always been rented by the Town Hall that i€™s the reason for its name. Between the Town Hall and the palace you can find the Bridge of Sighs of Szeged. It was built in 1883 when Franz Joseph emperor visited Szeged. He stayed in the palace and through this bridge he could easily reach the Town Hall without having to step out in the street. The bridge is similar to the one in Venice. There are some nice statues  in the square for example Ferenc Deak, Istvan Szechenyi or Lajos Tisza, famous Hungarian politicians and also a statue of King Stephen and his wife, Gizella

 
Dugonics Square in Szeged

On the southern end of Karasz street you can find Dugonics square. The main attraction of the square is the musical fountain which was built for the 100th anniversary of the flood in Szeged. You can mainly listen to classical music during the day. It is a favourite meeting point among the students of Szeged university. The dominant building of the square is the building of Szeged University built in eclectic style in 1873. Its name was Jozsef Attila University, Szeged, so you can find a Jozsef Attilas statue nearby the university. It is often the place for festivals and fairs.

 
Stefania, Szeged

Stefania is a promenade along the river bank in Szeged. It is a very relaxing place in Szeged where you can take long walks and enjoy the view of the River Tisza. You can find the remains of Szeged castle there. It was an important castle, Szeged Peace treaty was signed here in 1444. You can also see the statue of Sissy, who is still very popular in Hungary. Her statue is made of marble from Carrara. From the promenade you can see the Theatre of Szeged as well.