Winter delights in Debrecen
11/26/2024Magical festive lights, refreshing wellness experiences, a delicious culinary journey and one of the most beautiful Christmas fairs in Europe. While you’re cheering on Europe’s elite women’s handball teams in exciting matches, it’s also worth exploring Debrecen, the tournament’s host city, as Hungary’s second city offers plenty of exciting things to do in December.
Festive preparations at one of Europe’s most beautiful Christmas markets
Starting on the first weekend of Advent on 29 November and running until Christmas, Debrecen Advent awaits you with one of Europe’s most beautiful Christmas fairs, with fabulous festive lights, delicious treats and magical events. In front of the imposing Reformed Great Church and in the streets and squares of the city center, you can step into a magical Christmas atmosphere, set against the backdrop of the city’s unique buildings. During the four Advent weekends, there will be an ice rink at the historic downtown area, concerts and craft activities, while on Sundays there will be a traditional parade and a candle-lighting event.
Roaming the city center
Debrecen has an amazing amount of cultural and historical nuggets on every square meter. It’s worth wandering around the historic city center and admiring the impressive buildings lining the streets. Be sure to visit the neo-classical Reformed Church on the main square, the Art Nouveau Bishop’s Palace on the corner of Hatvan Street, the stately Golden Bull Hotel on Kossuth Square, the neo-baroque Déri Museum and the romantic Csokonai Theatre on Kossuth Street. Along the way, admire the late Baroque and neoclassical merchants’ houses and Art Nouveau palaces of the main street, as well as the recently renovated City Hall. During the Advent season, you can also enjoy the sight of the architecturally rich city center from above by climbing the towers of the Reformed Great Church and the Truncated Church on an unusual evening church tour.
Fabulous light exhibition in the Great Forest
The fairy tale of Pinocchio is brought to life in a special light exhibition in an unusual location in the Zoo and Amusement Park in the Great Forest. The 17.5-hectare attraction promises to be an all-night family event for all ages. The visit will bring to life the story of the famous wooden puppet, with the most memorable scenes and twists from the fairy tale. You can follow Pinocchio and meet the main characters Geppetto, Jiminy Cricket, the Blue Fairy and others. 12,000 meters of string lights, more than 120 decorative trees, 100 installation elements, 8 photo and multimedia points, light tunnels, interactive playgrounds and state-of-the-art lighting and sound technology will ensure an ever-changing experience.
Cloudless wellness experiences
There’s no better way to unwind before the holidays than with a wellness program. Whether you’re looking for a water adventure or a refreshing massage, the Aquaticum SPA complex in the middle of the Great Forest has something for everyone. In the Aquaticum Thermal Baths, you can soak in thermal waters of different temperatures in indoor and outdoor pools, in the Sauna World you can relax in themed sauna sessions, on the Wellness Island you can enjoy facial and body treatments and massages, while in the Adventure Baths you can enjoy real tropical flora, various adventure pools and slides, all of which evoke the atmosphere of Mediterranean summers.
Active relaxation in winter too
If you want to get active in winter, head for the Great Forest, voted the most beautiful forest in Hungary, which is a magical sight even in winter. In the park in the middle of the forest, you can walk along intimate forest paths or run around the Nagyerdei Stadium, which is surrounded by a kilometer-long running track. In the city center, there’s an ice rink in front of the Reformed Church, where you can skate on the ice in the evenings under the magical festive lights. If you want to combine exercise with more fun and a bit of charity, don’t miss the Ugly Sweater Run on 7 December.
A journey of flavors in the embrace of festive lights
Gingerbread, mulled wine, scones, roasted chestnuts. Just some of the delicacies that are unmissable during the Advent season. At the Christmas market in Debrecen, you can sample the flavors of the festive season in more than twenty vendors, including traditional fair food from Debrecen gingerbread to oven-baked scones. For adults, there’s mulled wine, and for the younger ones, hot chocolate, which you can enjoy while strolling through the fair or sitting in the hut on the main square. In Debrecen, the must-try gastronomic program is the Debrecziner (double sausage), which is the real thing with homemade bread and mustard. Try it at the Ikon restaurant. A unique experience is to eat a real shepherd’s dish called slambuc at the foot of the Reformed Great Church, every Thursday and Friday at one of the oldest bars in town, Egri Borozó on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Street.
Visual adventures, museum experiences
You can discover Debrecen’s cultural heritage by walking through the streets, but you can only get the full picture at the museum exhibitions. The Déri Museum invites you on an exciting journey to the world of the Cívis and the land of mummies, while the Reformed College has one of the world’s most beautiful libraries and the Oratory Hall, which was the seat of the Hungarian Parliament during the Hungarian War of Independence in 1849. From 7 December, the MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art will host the centenary exhibition of Debrecen painter Imre Égerházi, a new exhibition entitled Learning from Nature? – Botany, and the MODEM’s collection exhibition, organized in line with the current trend in generational research.
European Women’s Handball Championship
The best women’s handball players from 24 nations will compete between November 28 and December 15 at the 2024 EHF Women’s European Handball Championship, which this year will be hosted by four cities in three countries. In addition to Basel (Switzerland), Innsbruck and Vienna (Austria), the Hungarian host is Debrecen, where you can see the best players of the European women’s handball elite play live among thousands of fans in the multifunctional Phoenix Arena. The EHF Women’s European Handball Championship 2024 is not just a tournament, it is a celebration of women’s handball, bringing together handball friends from all over Europe.
For more Debrecen experiences, visit the visitdebrecen website.
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