As I told you earlier this week, on Friday we decided to go to Szeged, Hungary. We left Arad a bit late but thanks to the cold weather it didn’t matter much. The customs weren’t busy at all. But the fog was not a friendly welcome so it took quite a bit until we got to Mako for a short stop. Went into Tesco – to get something to eat and to exchange some money into smaller denominations.

We arrived in Szeged and, to our lovely surprise, we found the ONLY free parking area in the city, by the river Tisza, which thankfully is also very close to the sights in the center.

It wasn’t nice to realize it was cold and windy but then again it’s December – what else to expect?

We walked to the Dom Tér (Cathedral Square), which is right near Heroes’ Gate . The National Pantheon, the Romanesque-style Demetrius Tower and the Votive Church are also here. And this December so was the Artisans Fair, one of the reasons of our trip.

Votive Church

Artisans Fair

I didn’t take too much to find some things we wanted to get, such as home made chocolate and Swiss cheese. We also got two fridge magnets and Alex got mulled wine (400 ft / US$2 a cup which was a bit too expensive). Then we walked among the cottages and also got ginger bread.

Then we walked more in the city center, past the pedestrian street and to another fair, which sold pretty much anything and was busier than the Artisans fair. Got two Christmas ornaments from here and , almost frozen, went to see a bridge between the Town Hall and the adjacent building which resembles the Bridge of sighs in Venice.

By the way, in Széchenyi Tér (right in front of the Town Hall and close to it) there’s free wi-fi (and is marked accordingly). My smartphone found it but didn’t use it. The GPS on our cells works ok without internet so it was enough to get the address from Szeged Plaza. Our goal was to warm up and eat.

We found a Chinese place and to my surprise I could even find something remotely healthy: a stew made with chicken breast, mushrooms, carrots and green beans. I pair it with a spicy cabbage salad. The guys also got the cabbage salad but pair it with potatoes and chicken. And even better, when we added up the cost everything, including water for each of us, it was less than US$20.

After the meal we decided to go to Tesco and do some shopping; nothing serious just some stuff to eat for when we get back home and some beer to have for the Holidays. To my surprise, the coffee I usually drink was more expensive in Tesco than in Romania.

On the way back home we used the GPS on our friend’s smartphone and was accurate. Plus it would tell if you went above the speed limit. On the national roads, there aren’t many signs to indicate the speed limit, but at least the cities / villages are indicated correctly.

I’ve noticed that English is spoken more and more in Hungary but it depends on the place. At the Plaza we could ask for direction to the toilet; in a computer store, the guy spoke decent English; in Tesco…not so much.

We did miss some of the sights in the city, including the Thermal Bath – never been to one nor do I plan to go -, the new and the old Synagogs, as well as Szeged Zoo. The Zoo is old and is located in the suburbs, in a forest, but given the weather I wasn’t brave enough to stay more in the cold.

We traveled by car and the cost was about US$45 for petrol (there was some left when we got back home, though). You can easily get away with a good meal for US$6-7 per person. Snacks – such as doughnuts or soft pretzels – are 99 ft / piece (US$0.50 / piece). The Artisans fair was a bit expensive but everything was hand-made so that makes sense. But if you want to do any shopping, places such as Tesco and Auchan are awesome and there’s always some discount for you.