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Name: Szeged.
In the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, Szeged was also known under its German name Szegedin
(famous for a dish called Szegedin Goulash). In Roman times, the settlement was called Partiscum.
Location:
Szeged is located in the Southern Great Plain right at the confluence between the river
Maros and the Tisza (Theiss).
The latter comes from the Forest Carpathian Mountains in the
→Ukraine and flows into the river Danube in
Serbia. The border to →Serbia in the south as well as the
border to →Romania in the south-east are only a few km away.
To →Budapest in the north it's more than 150 km.
Population: around 170,000 - Szeged is one of the biggest towns in Hungary.
Orientation:
Szeged stretches along the right (western) bank of the river Tisza. The central, rectangular square is called
Széchenyi tér (tér = square). This square is rather large and not
far from the rivershore. Some radial roads surround the square semicircularly - the biggest of them is divided
into several segments. The segments are named after
some European cities, and so there's a Rome, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, London, Moscow and Viennese Ring.
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The pedestrian zone Mikszáth Kálmán utca
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The train station is quite far away from the centre in the southern suburbs.
However, tram No 1 runs straight to the station. The bus station is much closer - it's
located at the end of the pedestrian zone Mars tér.
History:
Szeged was already founded in Roman times and known as Partiscum.
Excavations showed, that king Attila might have ruled his short-lived Kingdom of the Huns from Szeged.
For many centuries, the town was an important local centre. After the 13th century, Szeged became a
trade centre. This shouldn't even change during the Ottoman occupation.
One of the reasons for the quick development of the town might be the location at the confluence of
Maros and Tisza. Goods were easy to transport and the city itself was easy to protect. But the location was
also fatal. In the year 1879, a huge wave rolled downstream the river Tisza and virtually washed away the entire city
within one night. This desastrous event is simply referred to as 'the Great Water' by the locals.
Soon after the flood, an impressive wave of international solidarity swept over the city, and so Szeged rose like a phoenix from the ashes.
Everything was completely remodelled, including the layout of the streets. Architects from many different countries helped to
rebuilt the town and left their characteristic traces. After the Second World War, a university was founded.
Today, visitors will soon notice that they are in a university town.
Getting there:
Many buses and trains connect Szeged with the rest of the country. Several trains a day run to →Budapest Nyugati
(1,500 Ft., around 2½ hrs). There are also local trains to Subotica in →Serbia.
When going to →Pécs in Western Hungary, it's better to take the bus (1,820 Ft., around 3 hrs).
The same can be said about trips to Arad and Timişoara in →Romania.
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