Reformed Big Church

Debrecen

Copyright: Debrecen&Hortobágy

DESTINATIONS hungary debrecen Do & See Reformed Big Church

Reformed Big Church

Debrecen’s symbol is one of the nation’s largest Reformed churches, a building of major historic significance. It was here that Lajos Kossuth read out the Declaration of Independence on April 14, 1849. The wing chair used by the Regent-President on that glorious occasion is one of the church’s most precious relics. The main structure has been rebuilt several times. Today’s familiar Classicist form was developed after the great fire of 1802. You can enjoy magnificent views of the city from the top of the towers, or the steel bridge behind the tympanum. If you are courageous enough to attempt the steep climb up, your added bonus will be a spectacular close-up of the 5.6-ton Rákóczi Bell. In addition to regular services, exhibits of religious history, organ concerts and other musical events are also on the schedule. The church has held the status of national monument since 2013.

Do & See

You will never completely take in Debrecen unless you climb the tower of Reformed Big Church, or try to lift a “gerundium” at the Reformed College. You must see the “lícium tree,” probably the humblest symbol of the Reformed faith, as well as St. Anne’s Cathedral, seat of the Catholic Bishop, based, ironically enough, in “Calvinist Rome.” True, you can get insights into Debrecen’s past and form predictions about its future strolling in the city’s streets and squares at your leisure. However, you won’t see the whole picture until you check out the excellent exhibits at Tímárház, the Déri Museum, Medgyessy Ferenc Memorial Museum or Modem Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art. Don’t let these adventures into the realms of history and art prevent you from tasting a nice plate of Debrecen double sausage. Have you explored the historic city center, discovered the Big Market, and mapped the small downtown piazzas, whiled away some time on the terraces and at Roncs Bar? Why don’t you kick back and enjoy the pleasures of Big Forest? Pamper yourself at Aquaticum Pleasure Bath, relax at the Spa, or go for a swim at Debrecen Swimming Complex, the main venue of 2012 European Swimming Championships. Take a stroll in Nagyerdei Park, which was completely redesigned in 2014. Check out the walkways dotted with spectacular water attractions. Try some of the rides at Nagyerdei Theme Park, or sign up for fun classes at Agora Scientific Adventure Center, located on UD’s campus. Round off you sightseeing tour with a mouthwatering dinner at a fine-dining restaurant, a show at Csokonai National Theater, or a classical music concert by Kodály Philharmonic Orchestra. Sports junkies can also get their adrenaline rush by rooting for local soccer heroes at Nagyerdei Arena, while young folks can have a great time in the country’s biggest club, the Hall.

Reformed Big Church

Reformed Big Church

Debrecen’s symbol is one of the nation’s largest Reformed churches, a building of major historic significance. It was here that Lajos Kossuth read out the Declaration of Independence on April 14, 1849. The wing chair used by the Regent-President on that glorious occasion is one of the church’s most precious relics. The main structure …

Museum of Debrecen Reformed College

Museum of Debrecen Reformed College

Having functioned continuously as an educational institution since its establishment in 1538, the college is the cradle of Hungarian civilization. It features a museum that has permanent exhibits displaying the school’s history, student life. Your visit here will help you understand why Debrecen became the most important bastion of the Reformed faith in Hungary. …

Déri Museum

The Déri Museum is one of Hungary’s foremost establishments of its kind. It has become renowned for the huge collection of items, brought together by Frigyes Déri, which represents various aspects of universal human civilization. One of the museum’s main attractions is the awe-inspiring “Ecce Homo” painted by Mihály Munkácsy. The group of four …

Aquaticum Spa

Located in an area of scenic beauty in Big Forest, the spa complex offers an entire unit of medical facilities and a wide range of specialist consultations to guests who seek regeneration, healing, or relaxation. Your comfort and enjoyment will be guaranteed by the attractions of the Thermal Bath, the Indoor Mediterranean Pleasure Bath, …

St. Anne’s Cathedral

St. Anne’s Cathedral

Built in Baroque and Louis Seize style, the church was elevated to cathedral rank by Pope John Paul II in 1993. A certified replica of the Turin Shroud has been on display in the building since 2011. 2015 has been designated as Catholic Memorial Year, to mark the tercentenary of the movement started to …

Synagogues

Debrecen Jewish Congregation is Hungary’s largest Israelite community outside the capital. The older of Debrecen’s two surviving synagogues, the Orthodox synagogue was built in Pásti Street in the early 1880s. In 2015, a tourist and cultural center will open there to display the history of Debrecen’s Jewish community, its life, faith and traditions. Erected …

Piac Street and Kossuth Square

Piac Street and Kossuth Square

Debrecen’s Main Street - Piac Street - was the proud venue of the famous town fairs for 300 years starting in the 16th century. Today’s cityscape, however, is defined by the former merchant houses erected at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The pink office building of Debrecen’s First Savings Bank (on …

Old City Hall

Built in Classicist style, one of Debrecen’s most prominent architectural relics is the City Hall building. The city as well as the Hall played an important role in the events of the 1948/49 Revolution and War of Independence. It provided temporary headquarters for the nation’s Defense Committee. Its “chamber of the secret archives” was …

Reformed Lesser Church

Reformed Lesser Church

The original house of worship, built in 1661, was redesigned several times after it had burned down. The final structure was finished in 1876. Its onion-dome spire was destroyed by a windstorm in 1907. The builders later decided to replace it with castellated parapet. It has been dubbed by locals as Csonka (truncated) Church …

Csokonai National Theater

Csokonai National Theater

One of the finest repertory theaters of the country opened its gates in 1865, so 2015 will witness the celebrations of its 150th anniversary. The façade of the Romantic-style building is decorated with statues of the muses of tragedy and dance as well as those of Hungarian literary …

County Hall

It is the most beautiful Art Nouveau building in the city. Originally, the site was occupied by the city’s first inn, the White …

Tímárház – Artisans’ House

Tímárház – Artisans’ House

This is the only building that guards Debrecen’s glorious history of arts and crafts in its original location. The permanent display presenting the proud tradition of the city’s tanners (“tímár”) is complemented by temporary exhibits, workshops and handicraft …

Ady Park

Your Debrecen strolls will be even more refreshing in the leafy shade of trees and fountains dotting the city’s small squares and piazzas. The newest, scheduled to open in spring 2015, will be a vibrant, youthful and enchanting …

Csapó Street

One of Debrecen’s oldest streets is named after fullers and other practitioners of the wool trade who inhabited these quarters in the 15th century. The section closest to downtown is a popular shopping street and pedestrian zone. The neighborhood includes the Big Market, Flower Market, the Fórum Shopping Mall, the City Music School as …

MODEM Center of Modern & Contemporary Art

MODEM Center of Modern & Contemporary Art

MODEM is one of Central Europe’s greatest museums of modern and contemporary art. Its top-notch exhibitions and fascinating events of fine art and the attendant fields have been open to the public since 2006. Its museum-pedagogy classes provide kids with opportunities to learn about art in a fun …

Debrecen House of Literature & Medgyessy Ferenc Memorial Museum

Debrecen House of Literature & Medgyessy Ferenc Memorial Museum

On display at Debrecen House of Literature, the new permanent exhibit titled “Dreaming Hungarians – Stories from Debrecen’s Literary History” gives a comprehensive picture of the careers of the city’s most influential men of letters. Scheduled to open in June at Medgyessy Ferenc Memorial Museum, another permanent exhibit will present a new selection of …

Nagyerdei Park

All great cities can be identified by famous parks. In the case of Debrecen, this is called Nagyerdei Park Forest, the nation’s first conservation area. Only a ten-minute ride from downtown, the park offers total peace and quiet in the shade of hundred-year-old trees as well as countless entertainment options. You will definitely enjoy negotiating …

Nagyerdei Amphitheater

Nagyerdei Amphitheater

Theatergoers will have a great time watching the action comfortably sitting on the stalls of this open air theatre located on the leafy shores of the Frog Pond. Check out, for example, the hilarious shows of the annual series called Debrecen Summer Theater …

Nagyerdei Water Tower

Nagyerdei Water Tower

The newest attraction of the park is the Water Tower Adventure Center. It promises to be home to a whole cornucopia of entertainment options from spring through fall. Not only will its 31-m-high observation point give fantastic views of the surrounding area. Nourish your mind and body, respectively, at the permanent exhibitions and eateries. …

Nagyerdei Entertainment Complex

Nagyerdei Entertainment Complex

This complex covers an area of 17 hectares under the canopy of Big Forest’s grand old trees. On display are some 700 specimens of 160 species native to various habitats of five continents. Watch how these critters feed, or join the many exciting programs. Open from May to late September, the theme park features …

Mist Theater

In the immediate vicinity of Nagyerdei Arena, a one-of-a-kind attraction beckons from spring through fall. The multimedia fountain, or “Mist Theatre,” boasts a 30×10-m, fan-shaped curtain of water vapor which can be used as a functional movie screen to show clips of Debrecen as well as special laser installations. The more adventurous might want …

Main Building of the University of Debrecen

Main Building of the University of Debrecen

UD is one of the nation’s five research universities. The glass-ceilinged cour d’honneur of the main edifice, built in Eclectic and Neo-Baroque style, is skirted by an arcaded corridor system, whose walls are inscribed with the names of the school’s most renowned professors and former students. The fountain in the spacious French-style park in …

Botanical Garden at UD

Botanical Garden at UD

UD’s Botanical Garden behind the main campus building was established in 1928 when the original garden that had belonged to the Reformed College ceased to exist. Today it keeps nearly 6,000 plant species on display. Its collection of cacti and succulent plants – with a list of 1,300 cactus and 1,000 other succulent …

Agora Scientific Adventure Center

Agora Scientific Adventure Center

Agora presents serious scientific knowledge and the little wonders of everyday life in a fun and easy-to-understand way. It features more than thirty interactive games and gets visitors involved in spectacular experiments. At the top of the futuristic three-storey building, stargazers will be delighted to test the limits of the observatory taking aim at …

Zsuzsi Narrow-Gauge Railway

Zsuzsi Narrow-Gauge Railway

More than 130 years young, Zsuzsi is Hungary’s oldest narrow-gauge railway. Its final stop at Hármahegyalja, fringed with beautiful woodland, is complete with hiking trails, a fish pond, observation decks, playgrounds and picnic areas. More attractions are provided by the House of Nature & Observatory and the Forest School that await visitors with classes …

Bánk Recreation Center and Arboretum

Bánk Recreation Center and Arboretum

The center’s exhibit house and arboretum give fascinating insights into the flora of the surrounding area as well as the entire Central Europe, and the life of the “vákáncsos,” impoverished peasants who lived rough in the woods. You can also take a pleasant stroll along the trail called Trees of the Year, or in …

Nagyerdei Stadium

Nagyerdei Stadium

Boasting a seating capacity of 20,000, the multifunctional compound serves as a sumptuous venue of sporting events, training sessions as well as concerts and other programs of cultural interest. Its unique architectural features include the spectacular “suspension sidewalk.” Complete with a running track, the 1,100-m-long structure skirts the entire stadium building at an average …

Hal Köz

Located at the place of the old fish (“hal”) and dairy market, this is one of Debrecen’s most pleasant downtown piazzas. Its cafés, terraces, spectacular fountain displays, rugged tenement blocks, and private gallery make it a popular tourist rendezvous …