BÉKÉSCSABA – The City of Munkácsy
Békéscsaba’s 59,000 inhabitants are proud of their city’s attractions and its history. Its build heritage, cultural institutions, natural beauty and the winding cyclist infrastructure along them offers many possibilities to relax.
In the last few years, the city centre of Békéscsaba has been renewed and restored to its former prominence. The revitalised downtown with its lovely pedestrian areas, fountains, cafés and shops attracts visitors. The city boasts the largest Lutheran church of Central Europe. Other architectural gems worth visiting are Jókai Theatre, the first stone theatre in the Great Plains of Hungary; and the city hall in St. Stephen's Square, which dominates the centre. Fiume Hotel, the most exclusive hotel of Békéscsaba is across the square from the city hall. At the end of the pedestrian street, Csaba Center, the largest shopping centre in Békés county awaits customers.
The development of the Munkácsy Quarter, aimed at preserving the spiritual legacy of the painter, began in 2017 as part of the Modern Cities Programme. The project was launched with the clear goal of strengthening the connection between Mihály Munkácsy and Békéscsaba, creating a more attractive environment for the city’s residents, and enhancing Békéscsaba’s appeal as a tourist destination. The collection of Munkácsy relics, sketches, and paintings left in the city provided a solid foundation for establishing the first cultural quarter in the Southern Great Plain in the county seat of Békés.
From the city centre, a short walk is enough to discover the memories of the painter connected to Békéscsaba and to gain insight into his life’s work. One of the cherished places of his childhood is the "jewel box" of the Quarter, the Munkácsy Memorial House, which opened its doors in 1994, on the 150th anniversary of his birth. The memorial house displays 21 original Munkácsy paintings. In its green salon, the Munkácsy Confectionery operates, while in the basement, visitors can find the Csabai Sausage House. From the manor, a walk across the Munkácsy Bridge leads to the Munkácsy Mihály Museum.
Across the Csabagyöngye Cultural Centre the oldest museum of Békéscsaba, Munkácsy Mihály Museum can be found. The permanent exhibition showcases the master’s 19 original paintings, numerous photographs of him, and articles for personal use, that makes the Munkácsy-collection truly valuable.
In addition to institutions, statues, memorial plaques, streets, and squares also reflect the painter’s connection to the city. Currently, there are nine statues related to Munkácsy in Békéscsaba: a Munkácsy bust in the museum building, a Munkácsy bust in the garden of the museum, a Munkácsy statue on the sculpture promenade along the Élővíz Canal, a Munkácsy head statue in the courtyard of the Andrássy Gyula High School, a life-size statue of Munkácsy on the steps of the Munkácsy Museum, a bronze statue of the Woman Carrying Firewood, The Young Lady statue, inspired by a Munkácsy painting (Afternoon in the Park), A Churning Woman statue, and a bronze statue of the Yawning Apprentice.
In the Events Barn of Csaba (Csabai Rendezvénypajta) a roller skating rink in summer and an ice-skating rink in winter expects sports lovers, and besides that, street food lovers can indulge in craft burgers made with fried sausage and bryndza (sheep milk cheese).
In 2023 the CsabaPark was extended by active touristic elements: 14-metre-high lookout tower, and additionally, a snow tubing track with a plastic surface was created, along with a zipline course, a rope climbing course, and a climbing tower.
The Csabai sausage is a world-famous hungarikum (a uniquely Hungarian product of high value). Its domestic and international popularity is boosted by the Csabai Sausage Festival, held every October, which has become one of Central and Eastern Europe’s best-known and most significant gastro-cultural events, offering a rich and high-quality programme centred around pig farming, meat processing, and sausage making.
Another place worth checking out is the Békéscsaba Market Hall, where plenty of local sausage makers sell their products, and where not only tourists but also locals like to shop. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the marketplace is packed with local producers selling homemade cheese, lángos, honey and meat products.
Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the Frankó Farm (Frankó Tanya) and Haluskaház aims to present rural lifestyles in a way that is tangible to visitors. To achieve this, they drew on gastronomy – the focus of the farm show is on the making of haluska (cabbage and noodles) – the Slovak national dish. For those looking for an authentic and first-class pálinka tasting experience, Árpád Pálinkatanya is the place to be, where in addition to a lovely meal accompanied by top notch pálinka, visitors can learn about the secrets of pálinka making.
Those who prefer a natural ambience will not be disappointed, since Békéscsaba is one of the greenest cities of Hungary. It's worth taking a stroll around Széchenyi Liget, the green heart of the city. The Visitor Centre of the Körös Valley Nature Park is located in this lovely park and you can find useful information about water, cycling and hiking tours, as well as information about the park’s trails. The Élővíz Canal runs alongside Széchenyi Liget and the entire city.
Békéscsaba is a bicycle-friendly city, and nothing demonstrates this better than the fact that a large portion of its residents ride their bikes daily, and even public artworks around the city reflect this culture. It’s no surprise: the capital of the Viharsarok offers excellent opportunities for cycling enthusiasts.
As the seat of Békés County, the city has been continuously developing its cycling infrastructure for years, and today bike paths are available through and through the entire city. These paths also connect Békéscsaba to neighbouring settlements, making it easy for adventurous visitors to reach nearby former county seats like Békés and Gyula, or Szabadkígyós and Doboz, all by bike.
Békéscsaba and its surroundings offer countless opportunities for recreation and sightseeing. The flat terrain and pleasant sunshine make for ideal conditions to explore the natural and built beauty of the Élővíz Canal and the Körös Valley by bike.
Their cycling guide wasn’t designed for professionals, but rather for anyone who feels inspired to hop on a bike and discover the unique and wonderful treasures of the Békés region. For active leisure, seven cycling routes are recommended for all age groups. Families, young children, teenagers, and even seniors will find routes suited to their needs.
Hop in the saddle and discover Békéscsaba and its surroundings on two wheels!
SZABADKÍGYÓS - Wenckheim-Palace
The historicist, German Neo-Renaissance palace — consisting of four wings, each representing one of the four seasons — was considered the most luxurious and technologically advanced building of its time in Hungary, thanks to its vast English-style park and dazzling interior. According to legend, the builders, Count Frigyes Wenckheim and his wife Krisztina Wenckheim, wished for the palace to have 52 rooms, symbolising the weeks in a year, and 365 windows, representing the days in a year. Constructed between 1875 and 1879 based on the plans of Miklós Ybl, the palace incorporated the most modern technical innovations of the era, including a hot air heating system and running water. Inside, the palace features, among others, a chapel, dining room, library, ladies’ music salon, gentlemen’s salon, day study, and separate bedrooms for the count and countess. The several-hectare impressive park surrounding the building has been protected since 1949 as part of the Szabadkígyós Landscape Protection Area.
“A Visit to the Wenckheims”
The Wenckheim couple raised seven children and were renowned for their extensive social life. They hosted thousands of guests at the palace, as evidenced by the thousands of entries in the surviving guestbook of Kígyós.
Among their guests were prominent members of the aristocracy, such as Counts Erdődy, Károlyi, Draskovich, Bolza, Teleki, Dessewffy, Csekonics, Zichy, Esterházy, Szapáry, and Cziráky, as well as Barons Trauttenberg and Vécsey.
The exhibition, featuring heroes who speak in a personal tone, places authentic local stories and anecdotes at the centre. Visitors are immersed in a magical world where interactivity is one of the defining elements.
Visitors enter the building through the elegant original main entrance — arriving just as the original residents and their guests once did — as if they were coming to visit the Wenckheim Count family. In the entrance hall, they can purchase their exhibition tickets at the ticket counter, and, if desired, collect interactive tools to assist their visit. Next, at designated terminals, visitors can enter their names into the guestbook, a tradition faithfully maintained by the palace’s residents for many years. After entering the information, a personalised visitor card can be printed, which includes a period-style photograph appropriate to the visitor’s age group.
After touring the exhibition, visitors have the opportunity to climb up the palace tower, from where they can enjoy a stunning view of the vast palace park, which boasts magnificent and valuable trees.
GESZT - Tisza-Castle
The L-shaped building’s western and eastern wings were likely separate structures originally, which were later connected. The most extensive construction work was carried out by László Tisza II and his wife, Countess Katalin Teleki of Szék.
Permanent exhibition: The Tisza Family’s Home in Geszt – A Source of Strength and Will
The content of the exhibition is conveyed not only through the charm of the home in Geszt, original objects, old paintings, photographs, and caricatures, but also through interactive technological tools. The interpretation of the exhibition is supported by short costume films, among other things, and visitors are accompanied through almost every room by quotes from well-known figures of Hungarian public life.
The exhibition has also been enriched with outstanding artworks, such as the Biedermeier writing desk of Lajos Kálmán Tisza, a bust of Count Kálmán Tisza by Alajos Strobl, and portraits by Miklós Barabás of Countess Júlia Teleki (wife of Lajos Tisza) and Lajos Tisza I.
LŐKÖSHÁZA - Vásárhelyi-Bréda Castle
The tastefully renovated castle and its stunning Mediterranean-style park welcome visitors with unique and special programmes.
The castle was built around 1806 in classical style. Its builder was János Kézdy-Vásárhelyi, deputy-lieutenant of Arad-Csanád County. The castle is unique in Hungary and even in Central Europe, as it is the only palladianesque mansion with four pediments and Tuscan columns. Over its more than 200 years of existence, the ravages of history have greatly damaged both the building and its surrounding ancient park. However, it has been saved from total ruin, and following its restoration, a nearly 500 m² exhibition and visitor centre now operates within its historic walls.
Inside the building, visitors are dazzled by a number of unique and fascinating features made possible through modern technology.
The castle’s main attraction is a permanent outdoor 3D projection mapping show, displayed on the façade every evening after sunset.
PÓSTELEK
In the 19th century, the area was part of the Wenckheim family’s estate in Gerla. In 1895, it regained importance when Countess Krisztina Wenckheim married Count Antal Széchényi. As part of her dowry, Krisztina received the approximately 3,000-acre Póstelek estate, rich in forests and located near her family’s properties. Although the end of World War II brought devastating destruction to the castle and its surroundings, it still presents an imposing sight, even in ruins.
In front of the castle ruins, a “chronoscope” adds a unique touch to the excursion. Similar to tourist telescopes, the chronoscope shows a computer-generated reconstruction of the original castle overlaid on the current ruins, which is complete with a live-action film. The panoramic 360-degree film displayed inside the chronoscope presents scenes from the life of the Széchényi-Wenckheim family in the 1930s.
Forest Park
Among its special tree species, visitors can find the county’s largest bully tree (Sideroxylon), copper beech (Fagus sylvatica), swamp oaks (Quercus palustris), and impressive specimens of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur). Alongside the restoration of the old promenade and the castle pond, the area around the ruined castle has been cleaned up and equipped with fire pits and benches. A cozy forest buffet at the entrance to the woods further ensures the comfort of hikers and tourists.
Wildlife Park
The small wildlife park and petting zoo are designed primarily for children. The ever-growing animal family—including deer, stags, goats, sheep, and donkeys—welcomes visitors all year round.
Wenckheim Tourist and Bicycle Route
The bicycle route connects the architectural heritage sites of the historically significant Wenckheim family. The castles in Szabadkígyós, Póstelek, and Gerla are all accessible along the path. Adventurous travellers can admire the region’s rich cultural monuments, natural beauty, and unique landscapes along this themed cycling trail.
Mókus Tavern (Mókus Csárda)
The Mókus Tavern, located on the edge of the Póstelek forest, welcomes its dear guests with an elegant design—refined in every detail—set in a beautiful environment of ancient trees.
ALFÖLD SLOW ASSOCIATION
The Alföld Slow Association considers its most important mission to be the promotion, local adoption, and implementation of slow tourism and the slow lifestyle philosophy. Its goal is to raise interest in the topic among Hungarian settlements and to support the realisation and emphasis of specific related initiatives.
The Association was founded in 2018 and currently operates with the cooperation of 27 municipalities in Békés County:
Almáskamarás, Békés, Békéssámson, Biharugra, Csabaszabadi, Csanádapáca, Ecsegfalva, Elek, Csorvás, Doboz, Gádoros, Gyomaendrőd, Gyula, Kamut, Kardoskút, Kevermes, Kétegyháza, Kondoros, Kunágota, Lőkösháza, Magyardombegyház, Méhkerék, Mezőkovácsháza, Nagykamarás, Sarkad, Újkígyós, Vésztő.
