Sights

Kecskemét — the capital of Bács-Kiskun County — fusing all the beauty and values of the Great Plain is situated in the middle of Hungary, approximately 85 km-s from Budapest. Our city — using its favourable geographical location — developed into the economic, administrative, educational, and cultural centre of the region; it gives home for several institutions of fine arts, unique collections, and dignified festivals. The name of the city originates from the word „kecske” (meaning „goat”) and „mét” means district. The goat can be seen in our coat of arms as well above the platform with the motto of our city beneath it: „Neither height, nor depth frightens us.”

Geography

Kecskemét was formed at the meeting point of a large sandy region and a sandy yellow soil, its height is 120 meters above sea level. The territory west of the city is covered by wind-blown sand that is characterized by the almost parallel northern-southern sand-hills and the plain lands among them. At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19^th centuries the pastures were impoverished, at many places destroying the natural vegetation cover and at many places causing movement of the sand that seriously endangered the town, too. The sand that was blown by the wind was later tied up by afforestation and planting fruit and vines.

Climate

The characteristic feature of weather in the Kecskemét region of Kiskunság is extremism, that's why the region is often in the center of attention. The characteristic weather of the Kecskemét region is continental warm, dry, sometimes extreme. The favourable conditions of sunlight make it possible for the region to produce world famous products of some plants like wheat, apricot, red pepper, tomato, etc. The warmest month in Kecskemét is July with an average temperature of 20.9 degrees Celsius, the coldest is January with -1.9 degrees Celsius.

The early spring and late autumn frosts are frequent in the Great Hungarian Plain. The tendency of frost usually disappears only from the middle of April, and from the third decade of October we have to count on having air temperature below 0 °C.

Kecskemét is in the center of Kiskunság one of Hungary's famous regions. The Kiskunság National Park was established in 1975 to preserve the different species of plants and animals that can be found in this region. It is a so called "mosaic" type arranged national park, consisting of units that are not close to each other which is considered a rarity in the international sense as well.

Demographics

Kecskemét has 107,267 residents (2001). The population is homogeneous with a Hungarian majority.

History

According to archaeological findings the area has been inhabited at least for 5000 years. In the 14^th century Kecskemét was already a town. During the Ottoman occupation of Hungary the town prospered thanks to its role in trade and the fact that people were moving to the towns from the more vulnerable villages. The Ottoman Sultan took a liking to the town and spared it destruction.

In the 19^th century it was already part of an important wine district, and it is still known for its barackpálinka, an apricot brandy.

The composer Zoltán Kodály was born here in 1882 in the current train station.

List of famous residents

András Gáspár (1804-1884) Hungarian General

János Hornyik (1812-1885) historian

József Katona (1791-1830) author

László Kelemen (1760-1814) president of the first Hungarian Theater

Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist and philosopher

Kálmán Latabár (1902-1970) actor, comedian

 

Main Square of Kecskemét

Kecskemét has an individual image and its downtown recalls the secessionist mood of the past century.

The City Hall registered as the pearl of secession can be found at the Main Square. It was built between 1893-1897 according to the design of the architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos. The City Hall is one of the best-known buildings of Kecskemét, and a monument visited by the most tourists.

You can hear the carillon on the facade of the building since 1983 playing the works of Kodály, Erkel, and Beethoven every hour.

Its outside walls are decorated by the majolica of Zsolnay, which can be seen on other buildings in the town as well.

The Ceremonial Hall of the City Hall is the masterpiece of the architecture of the age in its original form. It is the venue of the General Assembly meetings of the city, national and international conferences, wedding ceremonies and ceremonial receptions. The period furniture of the Ceremonial Hall is handicraft work.

The 1200 kg gilded bronze chandelier that is 5 m tall and 3 m wide has 63 bulbs symbolizing the number of the administrative counties of the former Hungary.

The paintings were made by the famous Hungarian painter Bertalan Székely. These paintings show some periods of the Hungarian history embracing one thousand years.

The oldest architectural relic of Kecskemét is the Franciscan Church, it was built in the 14th century; the locals call it the Church of Friars. Originally it was built in Romanesque style and after several reconstructions it has gained its current Baroque character. A Calvary was set up at the outer wall of fit. From the point of view of religious history it is important to note that it was used both by Catholics and Protestants until 1564.

The Neo-Baroque building of the Theatre built for the Millenium of the country was named after the famous dramatist, native of the town, József Katona, who was the writer of the first Hungarian national drama. Its reminiscene of the Vígszínház (Comedy Theatre) in Budapest is not coincidental: they were both built by the plans of the famous Vienna-architects, Hellmer and Fellner. It is called by the locals as jewellery box. In front of the Theatre the Column of the Holy Trinity reminds us of the epidemic of Black Death that took a heavy toll on the population. The statue made of sandstone in 1742 is decorated with the figures of Saint Sebastian, Saint Roch, Saint Elisabeth of the House of Árpád and Saint Steven.

The Zoltán Kodály Institute of Music Pedagogy is in the building of a one-time Franciscan monastery, where you can see an exhibition showing the lifestory of the famous composer and music educator, Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967).The institute was established in 1975 and it aims at the practice of Kodály's conception of music education.

The Calvinist Church was built in early Baroque style in the 1680s, the only stone church in the region during the Turkish occupation. The curiosity of the Main Square is that almost all denomination's church can be found there, which is unique in the country.

The New College was erected in 1912. The palace was built in the style of Art Nouveau, decorated with Transylvanian motives. It is used as the Primary and Secondary Grammar School of the Calvinist College.

Cifrapalota (Ornamented Palace) is a unique piece of architecture, known as the masterpiece of Art Nouveau with its wonderful „waving” walls, shining roof tiles and ceramic ornaments of plants and animals. It hosts the Kecskemét Art Gallery today.

The House of Science and Technology is in the one-time synagogue which was built in Moorish-Romantic style between 1861-1864. It was converted into a conference centre during the 1970s. There is an exhibition of the plaster replicas of 15 Michelangelo statues.

The determinative building of the Main Square is the Big Catholic Church, which was built between 1774-1806. Its tower was ravaged by fire and earthquake. It is the biggest late Baroque styled cathedral on the Grait Plain. Its bell is 2400 kg; you can reach its 74 m tall tower on 94 steps.