{"id":862131,"date":"2025-01-09T10:27:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T08:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/?p=862131"},"modified":"2025-02-03T17:58:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T15:58:39","slug":"szolnok-hungary-s-hidden-gem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/szolnok-hungary-s-hidden-gem\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddfa Szolnok: Hungary’s hidden gem"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is hardly a reader who, upon hearing the name of the city of Szolnok, will say: “Oh yes, this is a place where I would really like to go!” And it\u2019s even unlikely that anyone knows where to find it on the map of Hungary.<\/p>\n

But have you ever had that feeling when you go to the city without much desire, just because the route<\/a> requires it? And this city truly makes you fall in love with it. This unexpected, but very hot romance happened<\/a> between me and Szolnok. In my opinion, even the Hungarians do not fully understand what pearl they have lost in their necklace of<\/a> attractions. This is what the story is about today: why go to Szolnok and where to while away the day in this city.<\/p>\n

How to get there<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Szolnok is a major railway station in central Hungary. And most trains traveling to the east and southeast of the country make a stop here. It is this transport<\/a> that I urge you to use by purchasing tickets on the website of the Hungarian Railway MAV<\/a> or at the station itself.<\/p>\n

Several trains leave Budapest<\/a> every hour and transit through Szolnok. The travel time is only 1.5 hours, and the ticket price is 1800-2200 forints (5-6 euros).<\/p>\n

You can get to Szolnok with the same ease from the second largest city in Hungary – Debrecen. Travel time is 10 minutes longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I got here from Nyiregyhaza, the easternmost “district center” of the country. There are plenty of trains, they will take you 2 hours and will empty your wallet by only 10 euros.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

General information<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Szolnok is unofficially considered the capital of the Tisza region. The Tisza (and not, oddly enough, the Danube) is the longest river in Hungary. The city stretches on both sides of the waterway and has successfully used it for its own growth throughout its thousand-year history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The history of<\/a> Szolnok is the history of Hungary in miniature: wars and the creation of Denmark<\/a>, religious peace and strife. I don\u2019t know whether the locals learned lessons from history or from sincere love, but the city appeared cozy and successfully combined antiquity and modernity. Moreover, neither one nor the other can tip the scales to one side.<\/p>\n

By the way, to some of my fellow citizens Szolnok will be not just a familiar city, but practically a hometown. After all, it was here during the Cold War that the base of Soviet paratroopers serving in the Western contingent of troops was located.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

What to see<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

The city is quite easy to explore on foot, although the attractions<\/a> are far from each other. But moving “point by point” is not about Szolnok at all. Its unforgettable charm consists of a lot of surprises and sometimes absurdities. After a few hundred steps from the station, for example<\/a>, this reinforced concrete golem is waiting for you. Slowly dying because the city doesn't have enough funds for it.<\/p>\n

\"Hungarian<\/a><\/p>\n

What other tourists<\/a> devoted only a few lines in the guides to, I, who had seen enough of Buda Pest<\/a> by that time, still aroused delight. Szolnok monuments do not have loud signs. But this is the fault of people who underestimated them. Looking at them, I caught one flashback after another. Here is a reminder of the mosques of Istanbul, and here is Neuschwanstein<\/a> Castle in miniature. And no clicks of photos<\/a> of devices all around – all this is just for you! And so, go ahead on an individual excursion.<\/p>\n

\"Hungarian<\/a><\/p>\n

Lajos Kossuth Square (Kossuth Lajos ter) and City Hall<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Like every self-respecting European city, the center of life in Szolnok has historically been the town hall. Like every self-respecting Hungarian city, it is located on Lajos Kossuth Square, the hero of the Hungarian national revolution of 1848-1849.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Hungarian<\/a><\/p>\n

Built in a classic style among its peers, the town hall is part of a cozy central park. The fountains are designed to create peace here, and the mood is created by a series of bronze sculptures for every taste. Here you will find a cat following on the heels of a successful fisherman, a cheerful tomboy scattering notebooks from his school bag, and a child of the new century – a boy with a skateboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Hungarian<\/a><\/p>\n

Lutheran Church (Evangelikus templom)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Now let\u2019s walk through the religious buildings of Szolnok. And the first of them is the Lutheran Church, a 5-minute walk from Lajos Kossuth Square. It was she who reminded me of the landscapes of Istanbul. Take a look at the photo and you will understand why.<\/p>\n

\"Hungarian<\/a><\/p>\n

Its only tower looks too much like a minaret from which muezzins call believers to prayer. But, of course, no, it\u2019s just similar. Despite the fact that Szolnok experienced Turkish domination for several centuries, its current churches for the most part did not survive these hard times.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the architects, the only tower of the church should resemble not a mosque, but the Wittenberg Church in Germany. In which the “father” of Protestantism, Martin Luther, worked for a long time. In honor of this church, architects built a smaller copy in 1932, which became the main temple of the Szolnok Lutherans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Verseghy park and rose garden<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I suppose you are not tired yet, having just set off from the central park. But what can you do, you have to rest again. After all, such an opportunity cannot be missed. On our way we have the Versegi park and a beautiful rose garden, a favorite attraction<\/a> for the people of Solnok.<\/p>\n

\"Hungarian<\/a><\/p>\n

The Baroque park opened to the public in 1930. It was named after the Hungarian writer Ferenc Verszegi. At the same time, they created a rose garden with unique varieties of Hungarian roses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the park you will find a lot of wonderful solutions in the field of landscape design. There are flower arches, a small pool with sculptures of frogs, and secluded corners for avid introverts. An ideal place to spend time after a busy walk. You will know where to return.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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