Page 256 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

254  HUNGAR Y REGION B Y REGION THE GREA T PLAIN  255

t Debrecen without a Cath olic church. E Déri Museum and Square VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
In 1993, Pope John Paul II Déri Múzeum
This charming town of 203,000 people barely counts as a elevated the rank of the Déri tér 1. Tel (52) 32 22 07. Practical Information
metropolis, yet it is Hungary’s second-largest town. Famous church to cathedral. The key Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun. & Road Map F3. * 203,000.
7 ∑ derimuzeum.hu
n Tourinform, Piac utca 20, (52)
for its Calvinist Reformed College (1583) and Calvinist sight inside the church is 41 22 50. ( daily. _ Spring
Church (1822), there has been a settlement here since its altarpiece, depict ing St Anna An outstanding example of its Festival (Mar & Apr); Campus
kind, the Déri Museum show­
teaching Mary. There is also
Roman times, and Debrecen has always been an important a certified replica of the Turin cases exhibits of local cultural Festival (Jul); Flower Carnival
market town. During the revolutions of 1848–49 and 1944 Shroud on display in the interest and the huge collection (Aug); Wine & Jazz Days (Aug);
it served as Hungary’s capital and its parlia ment met here. building since 2011. of art and antiquities amassed Autumn Festival (Oct & Nov);
International Nativity Play Festival
Today celebrated for its grand bath complex and excellent by Viennese silk manu facturer (Dec). ∑ debrecen.hu
university, Debrecen is one of the most pleasant towns Interior of the Small Reformed Church, P Calvinist Reformed Frigyes Déri. The Egyptian and the Transport
Japanese collections are especially
bastion of Protestantism
College
in Hungary. Almost all its sights are situated around a Református kollégium fine; other star attractions include £ Petőfi tér, from Budapest,
pedestrian-only public square, while its thermal baths and multimedia art from Kálvin tér 16. Tel (52) 61 43 70. the extraordinary paintings of Miskolc. @ Nyugati utca, from
are in a lovely wooded spot just north of the centre. Hungary and elsewhere in Open 10am–4pm Mon–Fri, 10am– Christ by Mihály Munkácsy. The Budapest, Miskolc. ~ Debrecen.
Europe. Performance spaces 1pm Sat. & for museum. 7 group of four statues by Ferenc
are also used for theatre, film, ∑ muzeum.drk.hu Medgyessy in the restful square
P Piac Street and Town Hall featuring organists form part dance, workshops, lectures The college was founded by in front of the main building  Aquaticum Health and
Piac utca; Városháza of the church’s concert and other teaching events. Dominican monks, anxious to was awarded the Grand Prize Spa Centre
Piac utca. 7 schedule. Hungary’s parliament create a seat of learning in the at the 1937 Paris Exposition. Aquaticum Gyógy- és Fürdőközpont
Piac utca translates as “Market met at this quietly dignified R Small Reformed Church area, in 1538. Teachers were Nagyerdei park 1. Tel (52) 51 41 00.
Street”, and derives from the church from 1848–9, and Református Kistemplom trained here (in Latin) before Thermal Baths: Open 7am–9pm daily.
important cattle markets held inside the chair from which Révész tér 2. Tel (52) 34 28 72. being sent to one of 140 free Pleasure Baths: Open 11am–8pm
here between the 16th and 18th Lajos Kossuth declared Open 10am–4pm Mon–Fri, or schools the college operated Mon–Thu, 10am–9pm Fri–Sun. &
centuries. Debrecen’s main street, Hungary’s indepen dence is by appointment. 7 in the region. Rebuilt in 1675 and 7 ∑ aquaticum.hu
it leads from the rather bleak preserved for posterity. From The tower of this charming in 1816, the present build ing Debrecen’s famous, extensive
area around the railway station the top of the towers there church was originally topped was designed by Mihály Péchy, bath complex comprises a
to its central square, Kossuth tér. are great views of the city. by an Orthodox-style onion who was also commissioned to thermal bath, a Mediterranean
Apart from its magnificent church dome, but high winds blew design the Great Reformed aqua park, a sauna world, a
(see below), one of the most eye- the dome off in 1907, and Church. Designated as a national wellness island, and a vast
catching buildings of the square a replace ment suffered a similar monument in 2013, the college water­therapy treatment centre.
is Hotel Aranybika, a Secessionist fate a few years later. The has a museum dedicated to The modern, indoor pleasure
masterpiece desi gned by Alfréd tower was then finished with the school’s history, student baths cater to families and
Hajós, Hungary’s first Olympic crenellations and took on the life, and the religious art of the The grand main entrance to the young people, with water slides,
champion, and opened in 1915. rather truncated look it has Reformed Church in the region. Neo-Baroque Déri Museum children’s pools and Thai massage.
The square is also used to host today, earning it its nickname
concerts and festivals, including of “stumpy church”. A bastion Aquaticum
Health
the Flower Carnival in August of Protes tan tism, it was here Debrecen City Centre and Spa
Centre
and seasonal food festivals. The in 1860 that Péter Balogh, 1 Piac Street and Town Hall PÉTERFIA UTCA
Neo-Classical building on the Bishop of Debrecen, declared 2 Great Reformed Church BETHLEN UTCA SZAPPANOS UTCA
corner of Piac utca and Kossuth the Hungarian Protes tant 3 MODEM Center of Modern R Á K OCZI UT CA
utca is Debrecen Town Hall, built churches to be indepen dent and Contemporary Art MESTER UTCA HUNYADI JÁNOS UTCA
Calvinist
in 1842–3 to a design by local of the Habsburg emperors. 4 Small Reformed Church MODEM Center of Modern Reformed C SA P Ó UT C A
College
architect Ferenc Povolny. The Great Reformed Church and fountain and Contemporary Art Cultural Market
Centre
Déri Museum and Square
at Kossuth Square R St Anna’s Cathedral 5 St Anna’s Cathedral MÚZEUM UTCA Great Reformed KIGYÓ UTCA
R Great Reformed Church Szent Anna Székesegyház 6 Calvinist Reformed JÓKA I UT CA Church BURGUNDIA U.
Református Nagytemplom E MODEM Center of Modern Szent Anna utca 15. Tel (52) 53 66 52. College CSOKON AI UT C A KOSSUTH CEGLÉD UTCA
TÉR
Piac utca 4–6. Tel (52) 61 41 60. and Contemporary Art Open 6:30am–7pm daily. 7 ^ 7 Déri Museum and Square LISZT F. UTCA
Open Mar–May, Sep & Oct: 9am–4pm MODEM Modern és Kortárs Debrecen’s largest Catholic 8 Aquaticum Health and H AT VA N U T C A Piac Street KOSSUTH UTCA FARAKT ÁR UTCA
(to 1pm Sat), noon–4pm Sun; Jun–Aug: Művészeti Központ church was built in 1726–46 Spa Centre and Town Hall Greek
S I M ONF FY UT C A
9am–6pm Mon–Fri (to 1pm Sat), noon– Baltazár Dezső tér 1–3. Tel (52) 52 50 to appease the Habsburg B A J CS Y- ZSIL I N SZ K Y UT C A Small KLAIPEDA U. Orthodox
Reformed
Church
4pm Sun; Nov–Feb: 10am–3pm Mon– 10.Open 10am–6pm Tue, Wed, Fri–Sun, emperor, who would not Church BATTHYANY U. ATTILA
Fri, 9am–1pm Sat, noon–4pm Sun. noon–8pm Thu. Closed Mon. & free have one of his Royal Free Towns SZÉCHENYI UTCA P I A SZEN T ANN A UTCA TÉR
Closed during services. & 7 for children under 7, students, disabled St Anna’s
Cathedral
Debrecen’s defining landmark plus one attendant. 8 7 0 =
∑ modemart.hu
towers above much of the city. N Y UG ATI UT C A Bus Station ARANY JÁNOS UTC A C U T C A
Originally called St Andrew’s A magnificent arts centre MIK LÓ S U TC A S U M EN U T C A
Church and dating from 1291, built in 2006, MODEM stages 0 metres 100 VA R GA UTC A
it was destroyed by fire in 1802. some 10–15 exhibitions a 0 yards 100 SZ Í V U T CA BA R NA UT CA
The present church was built in year of, often, world-class PETŐFI WE SS EL ÉNY I U T C A
TÉR
1819– 23, to designs by Mihály 20th-century and contem - SALÉTROM UTC A E R Z S É B E T UTC A
VÖRÖSMARTY UTCA
Péchy. Its enormous organ was porary art: paintings, sculpture,
added in 1838, and recitals photography, video installations Detail from the exterior of St Anna’s ChurchDetail from the exterior of St Anna’s Church Train Station
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285 For keys to map symbols see back flap
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