Honestly, you can easily skip Debrecen and go to another place. Scroll down and you will see some great recommendations in Hungary or other countries around.
Sometimes it is better to find a negative travel article about a place than visit a place, that is just not worth it.
By now, I probably pissed off plenty of Debrecen residents, but hear me out. Debrecen has nice architecture and a very quiet vibe. It is a typical European city, with a mix of different styles ranging from Baroque, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco to Modernist and contemporary architecture. It used to be the capital of Hungary in the 19th century, but not for long. It is just not enough to interest international tourists.
Who are we to judge?
We are a couple that loves to travel. Together we have been to around 20 countries and separately we have traveled to many more. If you want to see who is behind packandgo.info, read our “About Us” section.
In our previous long trips, we passed through Hungary and saw many interesting places. There are multiple towns worth visiting in this country, and others that you better just skip like Debrecen.
When was Debrecen the capital?
Debrecen was the largest city in Hungary in the 18th century. It was the capital of Hungary for a very brief period during the revolution of 1848-1849. The city was once more the capital of Hungary during the end of World War II in 1945-1946. After that, the whole attention went toward Budapest.
What to visit in Debrecen?
Even though we were not impressed, there are still some interesting places in Debrecen worth visiting.
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Visit the Great Church (Nagytemplom)
You will find it right in the old town. This massive cathedral is one of the largest in the whole of Hungary and a symbol of the city. It is a protestant church, so you won’t find a lot of decorations inside, but from the outside, you can enjoy its neoclassical mixed with Baroque style from the 19th century. As a visitor, you can climb its tower called Rakoczi Bell and see the view from there.
You will find it on many postcards. Buy one and send it to your grandmother.
Explore the Debrecen Botanical Garden
The botanical gardens are always nice places to visit and the Debrecen Botanical Garden is no exception. It has plenty of plants, beautiful flowers, cacti, and trees from around the world. Just make sure you visit it during one of the warm months because there is almost nothing in winter.
All prices were updated in late June 2023.
Ticket price per adult: 2500 HUF
Ticket price per child: 1700 HUF
Ticket price for 1 adult and 2 children: 5200 HUF
Ticket price for 2 adults and 1 child: 6000 HUF
Ticket price for 2 adults and 2 children: 7400 HUF
Children under 3 years old enter for free
10% for students.
20% discount for HungaryCard owners.
Discover the Old Town of Debrecen
Debrecen has a rich history, you can go around and explore its charming Old Town. There are narrow streets, coffee places, restaurants, and historic buildings. You will feel like in any typical European city. It is not really unique in any way, but yet it is quite pleasant for a day or two.
This is what made me not recommend Debrecen. It is just a little too quiet. There are not so many nightclubs, bars, or anything really exciting. Everything looks just too quiet and ordinary. Not a bad place, just maybe it is more suited for seniors, rather than younger travelers. And The Old Town of Debrecen is not so big. You can finish it in just a few hours.
Visit the Déri Museum
This museum is dedicated to the art and culture of Hungary and includes a collection of fine art, sculptures, and textiles. What was more interesting for me was the collection of old weapons. There were many European artifacts from the 15th to 18th centuries. Since there were a lot of battles between Europeans and Ottomans in the past, there are many items from the East too.
Ticket price per adult: 1800 HUF
Ticket price per student, and senior citizens (62-70): 900 HUF
Free entrance for children under 6 years old.
Free entrance for 70 years old and over.
Ticket per family (1 or 2 adults and up to 3 children): 3500 HUF
The temporary exhibitions may cost extra. Currently, the price is 600 HUF.
Take a dip in the Aquaticum Debrecen Thermal Bath
Many places in Hungary have thermal baths. We have explored such places in Budapest and near Miscolc, but it is never a bad idea to take a bath.
Debrecen is well-known for its thermal baths, and visitors can experience the healing powers of the hot springs at the Aquaticum Debrecen. It is a very tourist-orientated place and if you go there during the summer it will most probably be really full of people. There are also parties there, including night parties which cost around 4000-5000 HUF which can get really fun for young people.
Explore the MODEM Modern and Contemporary Arts Center
When you are not sure what you want to visit, checking out a modern art gallery always comes as a great choice. It will surprise you and bring freshness to the day.
MODEM Debeces is a cutting-edge museum that showcases contemporary art and design, including exhibitions of different international and local artists. Yes, most of the time you can’t really understand what the artist created, but it is still a fun activity.
Ticket price per adult for all exhibitions of MODEM: 2500 HUF.
Ticket price per person for all exhibitions of MODEM (students and pensioners): 1250 HUF.
Ticket price per adult (30+-2nd floor): 1500 HUF
Ticket price per student or pensioner (30+-2nd floor): 750 HUF
Ticket price per adult (close to the Soil-ground floor): 1500 HUF
Ticket price per student or pensioner (close to the Soil-ground floor): 750 HUF
Visit the Debrecen Zoo and Amusement Park
This family-friendly park is home to a variety of animals, just like any other zoo. What makes it different is the number of fun rides and attractions. The attractions that you can find at Debrecen Zoo are mostly for children 5-15 of age. Yes, very family-orientated. You can see some penguins, giraffes, monkeys, lions, tigers, and many more animals. There are also different coffee shops and restaurants, but still, if you like you can bring your picnic bag. When compared to other European zoos, this one is relatively small, and not that exciting.
Ticket price per adult: 4200 HUF
Ticket price per child: 2800 HUF
Stundent ticket price: 3000 HUF
Senior ticket price: 3200 HUF
Free entrance for children under 3 years old.
There are different packages for groups and you pay per ride per attraction in the amusement park.
http://www.zoodebrecen.hu/content/en/tickets.html
Take a walk in the Hortobágy National Park
This beautiful park is located just a short drive from Debrecen and offers stunning landscapes, diverse wildlife, and opportunities for outdoor recreation. This place looks like you have traveled to the past. There are horse riders, many herd animals like cows and buffalos, wild horses, and more. You can see traditional Hungarian houses from the past and understand more about the Hungarian people and their culture. We are talking about different ages, starting from 2000 BC and the first nomads that lived in Hungary.
Hortobágy Wild Animal Park (in Hungarian: Hortobágyi Vadaspark)
Tiket price per adult: 1600 HUF
Ticket price with discount: 1200 HUF
Family ticket price (up to 2 adults and up to 2 children): 4000 HUF
Puszta Rare Breeds Park – Puszta Zoo
Tiket price per adult: 1000 HUF
Ticket price with discount: 800 HUF
Hortobágy Bird Park – Bird clinic
Tiket price per adult: 1000 HUF
Ticket price per child: 800 HUF
Experience the Nagyerdei Park (Nagyerdő Nature Reserve)
This large forested area at the end of Debrecen is perfect for hiking, biking, and bird-watching, and offers a glimpse into the natural beauty of Hungary. It was our favorite place in the city. It is ideal for relaxing, and the water area makes it feel really refreshing. There are many places where you can throw yourself on the grass and enjoy the company of your fellow travelers or read a book for a while. If you get hungry, there are plenty of little fast food stands around. They sell beer too.
Which cities in Hungary does packandgo.info recommend instead of Debrecen?
We have a few better suggestions inside Hungary, where we think you can find many more interesting things. Sorry Debrecen, but you are not our favorite!
Budapest, the capital of Hungary
Go to Budapest! This city must be on everybody’s bucket list. It is one of the most beautiful European cities. I personally love this city. I have come to Budapest multiple times to party and enjoy the nightlife when I was a student. On other occasions, I managed to see some of the museums too and try the marvelous Hungarian cuisine. And on our last trip, I and G spent almost a month there.
Read our articles about Budapest:
Avoid the Pest side of Budapest at all costs! Here is why!
5 Reasons to Fall in Love with the Buda Side of Budapest: An Insider's Guide
Top 5 parks in Budapest for picnic lovers
Attractions near Budapest, that will leave you speechless!
Pecs
Pecs was a nice surprise. We came here by chance in 2014. We were on our Northern Light 2014 trip, hitchhiking from Bulgaria to Finland and we chose it as a place to stay. Going around its main square, it quickly showed its beauty and it was a very easy decision, we stayed a few days more.
Pecs has an atmosphere of a small and quiet town, where you can easily escape. Perfect for a romantic trip for couples.
Miskolc
Miskolc is another town worth visiting. It has a very nice main street and what makes it different from the rest of the towns in Hungary is that there are mountains around. It is not as plain as most of the country. You can enjoy small trekking to the TV tower and mix town and hiking on the same day. And if you are traveling by car, there are castles and mineral baths around, which are great. For more details, read "Skip or visit Miskolc in Hungary? Is it worth it?".
Eger
Eger smells like love. It is a little town that has everything to make you happy. The streets are really picturesque. Full of restaurants and cute coffee places. There is a castle on the hill and even a Ferry’s wheel. And on top of all, Eger is known for its great red wine called Bull’s blood vine. If you want to know the story behind it read “Eger (Hungary), a bloody wine place. Why visit it?”.
What cities to visit, outside Hungary?
If you find yourself in Budapest, there are nice places to visit all around if you don’t mind driving for up to 3-4 hours or taking a bus.
You can get to Slovakia and explore Bratislava, Kosice, or Banska Bystrica. I have been in all of them, and strongly recommend all of them.
If you go east to Romania, Timisoara, Oradea, and Orsova are great too.
In the south, there are Novi Sad (Serbia), Zagreb (Croatia), and Maribor (Slovenia) all worth visiting too.
And lastly, on the west, Austria has Vienna and Graz which are fantastic too.
So, is Debrecen worth visiting?
No, if you compare it to other, more interesting cities in Hungary like Budapest, Miskolc, and Eger, or cities in nearby countries. If you are staying for a long time in Hungary, and you have already explored other destinations in this country, you can visit Debrecen for a weekend.
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