Szeged - Kecskemét

These charming towns are architectural preserves, where you'll discover the diversity of Hungary's Art Nouveau that blends Western, Moorish and vernacular motifs.

Kecskemét, 80 km from the capital, is famous for its apricot palinka, majolica and quaint museums. The historical centre on the Kossuth square has a Secession-style town hall, the church of St. Nicholas — the oldest church in Kecskemét, built in the 14th century, and the largest Baroque monument on the Hungarian plains, the Church of the Ascension. Another example of Art Nouveau is the city theatre building. A landmark of the city is the Cifra Palota Palace, decorated with majolica panels. The Moorish synagogue with Gothic elements, the Calvinist Grammar School and the Lutheran Palace with an unusual church are examples of Secession, the Piarist Church is representative of Classicism, the Palace of Justice is modernist and neo-classic.

Szeged — close to the Serbian and Romanian border — captivates with its traditional cuisine and baked goods.  It is Hungary's third largest city and is built in the Art Nouveau style. The town hall is the brightest building in town, the beautiful German Palace, adorned with patterns of different colours, the Grof Palota, the biggest Art Nouveau monument in town, the Reformed Palace, the splendid four-storey Secession-style Moritz building, the beautiful decoration of the Goldschmidt Palace, the fairytale Rájek Palace, the wonder of Art Nouveau: Ungar-Meyer Palace with its domed corner tower, the surprising interweaving of Hungarian, Moorish and Mediterranean elements in the synagogue's architectural ensemble, the striking decor of Rachel Palace — this is by no means a complete list of the glorious city's architectural attractions.