Debrecen, Hungary

Debrecen, Hungary
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Author: Darinko
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Debrecen is a charming Hungarian town on the Northern Great Plain region of Hungary. Covering 461.25 sq km (178.1 sq mi), it has a population of 208,000 (2011 estimate), which makes it the second largest city in the country after Budapest. Yet it has the feel of a big town than a city.

Debrecen is the county seat of Hajdú-Bihar county. The city is a center of cultural and intellectural activity since the 16th century. This was brought about by the Reformation and subsequent founding of the Calvinist Church in 1821 and Calvinist Reformed College in 1583.

Great Protestant Church of Debrecen
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Author: Yoav Dothan

The warmest month in Debrecen is July, when the average high temperature hits 26.5°C (79.7°F). Coldest month is January, when the average low temperature drops to -5.5°C (22.1°F). June receives the most rain, at 80 mm (3.15 in).

Debrecen was created in around the 13th century through the merger of a number of villages in the area including Boldogasszonyfalva, Szentlászlófalva and Debreczun. Through its medieval history, it was ruled by the Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire. During the Protestant Reformation, Debrecen became the center of Hungarian Calvinists.

Csokonai Theater, Debrecen
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Author: Mathae
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Debrecen served as the capital of Hungary for a short while in 1849, after the government fled there during the Hungarian revolution. The city was occupied by Romanian forces at the end of World War I. If suffered severe devastation during World War II, with some 70% of its buildings badly damaged.

Today Debrecen has largely rebuilt itself, and stands as one of the most pleasant cities in Hungary.

Visiting Debrecen

You can take the bus from Nyugati Street or the train from Mùzeum Street in Budapest to Debrecen.

Fountain in front of the main building of the University of Debrecen
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Author: Or Hilltch
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Places of Interest in Debrecen

Aranybika Hotel
Turn of the century hotel, designed in 1915 in the Secessionist style by Alfréd Hajós - Hungary's first Olympic champion, and named after the inn that originally stood there since the 16th century. The name means Golden Bull.
Calvinist Reformed College (Református kollégium)
College founded by Dominican monks in 1538, it includes a museum telling the history of the church and school.
Debrecen Town Hall
A Neo-classical building at the corner of Piac Street and Kossuth Street. It was designed in 1842 by local architect Ferenc Povolny.
Déri Museum (Déri Muzeum)
Museum created to showcase the art collection of industrialist Frigyes Déri, it displays a disparate collection of antiquities ranging from Ancient Egypt to Ancient Greece.
Great Reformed Church (Református Nagytemplom)
This is the main landmark of Debrecen. It looks over the city. The present church building dates from 1819, after a fire destroyed the 13th century St Andrew's Church on the same site.
Piac Street
This is the main street of Debrecen today. Its name means Market Street, because there was a cattle market here in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Small Reformed Church (Református templom)
A charming little church building. Its tower, originally topped with a dome, was modified after the dome was blown away by strong winds twice.
St Anna Church (Római katolikus templom Szent Anna)
This is the biggest Catholic church in Debrecen. It was built between 1726 and 46 to appease the Catholic Habsburg emperor, who insisted on having a Catholic church in each of his Royal Free Towns.
Thermal Baths (Debreceni Gyógyfürdö)
A series of indoor and outdoor pools and baths. It includes a recreational area, the Aquaticum, with water slides, children's pool and massage.

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