Day 3: Debrecen

The next morning, we prepared a wonderful breakfast in our apartment.

Then we set off for Debrecen, which was about 20 km away. Debrecen is the capital of the Northern Great Plain and the second largest city in Hungary.

The center of Debrecen is formed by the wide Piac Utca. Several cafés along this grand street invite you to linger.

We stopped at one of these cafés and treated ourselves to a hot cappuccino.

At the end of the street stands the Great Reformed Church, which was built in 1819.

At the nearby Kossuth Square, there is also a fountain surrounded by benches – the ideal place for a short break.

Statues of famous personalities repeatedly bear witness to the city’s rich history.

In numerous shops, you can find everything your heart desires. There’s also a large shopping center in the vicinity.

Debrecen is a beautiful city that enchants with its architecture. We strolled along Piac Utca for a long time and also wandered into one or two side alleys.

Then we continued on to the Déri Museum, where you can learn about the history of the city.

The museum is beautifully located in a park, where it's easy to lose track of time.

Our next destination was the city park, a popular recreational area that is also home to the zoo and a botanical garden. However, our goal was neither relaxation nor the animals – we were aiming for the "Vidámpark" – the amusement park.

We reached it quickly by tram.

First, we stopped at a cozy restaurant and ordered burgers for lunch.

There used to be a similar park in Budapest that I loved and that was a must on every visit to the city. Unfortunately, it was closed down more than a decade ago.

That’s why the park in Debrecen was, of course, a must for us. Today, it is the only traditional amusement park in Hungary. It was founded back in 1960, and many rides actually date back to that time.

We started with a ride on the narrow-gauge railway that circles the park. The little train rattled slowly through the area, giving us a wonderful first impression of the park.

The park is also home to one of the oldest bumper car arenas in Europe and possibly the smallest Ferris wheel in the world.

There are also a number of rides for children, such as the Caterpillar ride and a carousel from the 19th century.

Children can also drive around in nostalgic vintage cars or take off in small airplanes.

A visit to the haunted castle was a must for us as well. Scenes are recreated over several floors, but they are not really scary. There are chairs that suddenly move when you sit down, as well as swaying floors and stairs.

We weren’t scared, but we definitely had a lot of fun.

In between, we took a short break with cool drinks from a snack stand in the park.

Since the Debrecen stadium was located right next to the Vidámpark, we quickly went to take a look at it too. As a big football fan, that was simply a must for my partner.

Then we took the tram back into the city, where we had parked our car.

At a café, we treated ourselves to another cup of coffee, then we headed back to the apartment.

On the way, we stopped at a cozy, typical csárda, where we had traditional pörkölt, grilled chicken fillet with fries, and a crisp salad.

The food was absolutely delicious.