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Planning Two Days in Debrecen – the former ‘Calvanist Rome’

Planning Two Days in Debrecen – the former ‘Calvanist Rome’

Distinctive Debrecen is a welcoming haven of hot springs and Hungarian home cooking in the centre of the country’s dramatic Great Plains. Once Europe’s largest Calvinist city, Debrecen derives its name from the Turkic word debresin, meaning to live, and Hungary’s second-largest city has been synonymous with conservatism and vitality since agricultural settlements first emerged here during The Hungarian Conquest. Modern-day Debrecen is a walkable, weekend-friendly destination, dotted with museums, public baths and immortal reminders of its protestant roots. Here are a few tips on passing a couple of days in the former ‘Calvinist Rome’.
 
Day One
 
Climb atop the Great Calvinist Church and sample local delicacies
Bordered by forested parkland and flanked by the ochre-yellow façades of Debrecen’s Nagytemplom (Grand Church) and Aranybika Hotel, the city’s main square offers a unique blend of green and gold. Once the very centre of Calvinism, the Nagytemplom’s white-walled interior surrounds a 200-year-old organ and its tower is home to the famed Rákóczi bell; the largest of its kind in Hungary.
 
It’s a steep walk to the top, so test your taste buds at Vár utca (Debrecen’s Daily Food Market), before making the climb. Sample cabbage-stuffed peppers and marbled mangalitsa pork, then take in magnificent views of the city and its sprawling surroundings from atop the tower.
 
Marvel at Mihály Munkácsy’s mammoth paintings at the Déri Museum
Just a short tram ride away from the church is the acclaimed Déri Museum, Debrecen’s go-to centre for history and the arts. The museum holds nature displays, folk artefacts and a diverse art collection; the centrepiece of which is Hungarian Mihály Munkácsy's colossal Christ Trilogy: three giant paintings depicting Christ before Pilate, the Crucifixion, and Ecce Homo. In a sort of pre-cursor to method-acting, Munkácsy famously had himself nailed to a crucifix for inspiration before painting. The largest canvas measures a whopping 4.6 by 7.12 metres.
 
Nearby, Nagyerdő, Debrecen’s city park, offers tree-lined trails, a beautiful Botanic Garden and the child-friendly AGÓRA Science Centre. So, if you have children in-tow, be sure to stop by to check out its interactive exhibits.
 
Wine and Dine Debrecen-style
Take an opportunity to rest your feet a while at Debrecen’s innovative Ikon restaurant: a local favourite offering inventive twists on classic Hungarian dishes. The restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients, and its double sausage – a Debrecen specialty – is made with Hungarian, melt-in-the-mouth mangalitsa pork. Nearby wine bar, Di Vino, is home to a hypnotic range of Hungarian wines, so relax with an after-dinner drink and prepare for another day of discovery tomorrow.
 
Day Two
 
Visit the Great Hortobágy Plains
Home to migrating cranes, red-footed falcons and, until 1948, the legendary ‘cowboys’ of central Europe, the great plains of Hortobágy are a must-see side trip for anyone visiting Debrecen. Seldom-known outside of the country, the Hungarian Horseman have been immortalised in local literature for generations, and many of their myths, stories and locations can be brought to life on a tour; including the famed Nine-Hole Bridge; a 167m-long star of many a fairytale.
 
Hortobágy, a national park and recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site, spans over 800 square kilometres and park directorate, Hortobágyi Nemzeti Park (HNP) offers several ways of enjoying the vast and dramatic landscapes. Families with children can take horse-drawn carriage rides and bus safaris. Or, alternatively, more adventurous travellers can grab a falcons-eye view of the plains by boarding a hot air balloon or small jet with Civis Air. Either way, expect to see buffalo, woolly mangalitsa pigs and free-roaming Przewalski’s horses, all up close and personal.
 
Hortobágyi Csárda, a restaurant near the mythical bridge, provides tasty slambuc (pasta, potatoes and pork fat) and gulyás (thick beef soup) for weary travellers seeking a well-deserved snack.
 
Unwind Hungarian-style at Aquaticum Debrecen
It would be a crime to come to Debrecen and not sample the city’s signature hot springs; and what better time to unwind than after spending half a day at the dusty plains?
 
Spa culture has been deeply rooted in Debrecen life since the discovery of the area’s first hot spring back in the late 1820s. Modern-day Debrecen benefits from a constant flow of thermally heated waters, which sit at around 36 degrees celsius by the time they reach Aquaticum Debrecen’s lavish, caramel-tinted pools. The waters here are famed for their unique healing properties, and the complex offers a handful of swimming pools and water slides to keep children entertained whilst parents unwind.
 
Enjoy Hungarian home-cooking before the journey home
In close proximity to the Aquaticum, acclaimed restaurant RégiVigadó provides freshly-pampered tourists and locals alike with catfish stew and sweet roasted duck, cooked from traditional Hungarian recipes. Sample a selection of local pálinka (Hungarian fruit brandy) and round off your trip by wining and dining Debrecen-style. 

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