Navigating the Lesser-Known Cities of Hungary: Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged and Pécs

Debrecen

Debrecen is the second largest city of Hungary, and has 206,000 inhabitants. It is the regional center of the Northern Great Plain region, in Eastern Hungary. It is located near the Hortobagy national park, which is a great place to go if you like really flat land! This city is also close to Romania. Though it was historically isolated from Budapest, the two cities are becoming more connected through newly constructed freeways, like the M3. The city has pretty decent public transportation, with trams and trolley buses. It is a relatively low key city with not too much hustle and bustle, though there is a university and some cultural institutions.

Miskolc

Miskolc is the third largest Hungarian city, located in the northeastern part of the country, pretty close to Slovakia. About 170,000 people live in this city, which is the regional center of Northern Hungary. This city is close to a few different geographical regions and landmarks. There are the Bukk mountains to the east, as well as the river Sajo, and the streams Hejo and Szinva. The city’s lowest points are at the banks of the river Sajo, which is also the start of the Great Plains. Miskolc is generally thought of as an industrial city. The city is broken up into a few different neighborhoods, such as Avas, which is on a hill in the center of the city, and has many old or Soviet structures. There is also Belváros, the downtown part, which has historical buildings alongside modern shopping malls.

Szeged

Szeged has a popultion of 169,000, and it is the regional center of southeastern Hungary. It is located close to the borders of Serbia and Romania. It is located on the rivers Maros and Tisza. Its climate is much sunnier than other parts of Hungary. It is one of the industrial food centers of Hungary, and it manufactures paprika and salami. It is also a university town.

Pécs

Pécs is located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains, in southwestern Hungary, close to Croatia. It has a population of 156,000. Along with Essen and Istanbul, Pécs is selected to be a European Culture Capital in 2010. Because it’s located in an agricultural area, many local products come to this city. It also holds a famous porcelain factory. It used to be home to many different factories, but these fell apart after the collapse of the USSR. There is also a special beer that comes out of the Pécs Brewery that isn’t strained before bottling, and you can only get it in one restaurant. The University of Pécs is the oldest university of Hungary, and one of the oldest in all of Europe. There are a few trains that leave for Budapest from here every day.

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