The Kurca winds through Szentes and its outskirts; Art Nouveau buildings, exhibitions and a thermal bath add further highlights. You can get to know Szentes from different perspectives: along the river, through its architecture, or with a focus on the city’s history and culture.
The Kurca and Széchenyi Grove
The Kurca branches off from the Tisza downstream of its confluence with the Körös and runs for more than 15 kilometres through Szentes and its outskirts. The river is popular with dog owners, nature photographers, people seeking relaxation and those who enjoy active leisure pursuits. It offers a different focus from the city’s Art Nouveau architecture, placing the riverside landscape centre stage.
Széchenyi Grove was designated a local nature reserve by the National Nature Conservation Council in 1953. If current reserve boundaries are important to your plans, check them before setting out. The grove has leisure pools, slides, playgrounds and tennis courts. As the availability of visitor facilities may change, check what is currently available before your visit.
Art Nouveau in Szentes
The Petőfi Hotel and Vigadó is a Hungarian Art Nouveau building on Szentes’s main square. It was built between 1897 and 1899. The Reformed Church in the Felsőpárt district is also an example of turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau architecture. In the Roman Catholic Church of St Anne, an Art Nouveau mural by Béla Endre adorns the sanctuary; it depicts the Annunciation.
If you would like to explore several well-known Art Nouveau buildings in the city centre, you can take an Art Nouveau tour on foot or by bicycle. A guide can be arranged if needed. Check with the local tourist office for current tour arrangements. This lets you combine a focus on the city centre’s architecture with independent exploration, without making a guided tour a prerequisite for visiting individual buildings.
Firefighting history and the town museum
The permanent exhibition on firefighting history traces the development of fire protection in Szentes and the surrounding area. It includes three Köhler steam fire engines and a water wagon pump from the early 20th century. Visits to the exhibition and fire tower can be arranged in advance. The 24-metre-high tower offers panoramic views over Szentes; confirm access beforehand.
The historical overview at the Koszta József Museum spans the Middle Ages, Ottoman rule and the Rákóczi War of Independence, through to the development of Szentes into a town. Works by its namesake are displayed in a dedicated room. The interpretation of the collection may change over time. The museum therefore combines a broad historical perspective with a dedicated space for the art of József Koszta.
Folk art and the thermal bath
Handmade Miracles invites anyone interested in Hungarian folk art to visit a private ethnographic collection. It includes a traditional kitchen corner, a traditional farmhouse room and painted furniture. Visits are available by prior arrangement. If you would like to include this insight into folk art in your trip, make arrangements in advance.
Beneath the thermal bath’s dome are five therapeutic pools at different temperatures. If the bath is an important reason for your trip, check its current operating status before visiting, as details may change. Together with the outdoor and cultural attractions, it offers another way to tailor your visit to Szentes to your travel interests.
Discover more destinations: Nagymágocs.
Go to the parent travel overview: Szentesi.
