Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 373

EXPLORING THE HISTORIC CENTER
Móra Ferenc Museum Located near the river's edge, this imposing structure
houses a varied collection of exhibits that relate to local history. Of particular note is
the display of local folk costumes and the exhibit that reconstructs the nomadic
lifestyle of the early Hungarian settlers.
Roosevelt tér 1-3. & 62/549-040. www.mfm.u-szeged.hu. Admission 400 Ft ($2/£1). Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
Synagogue A relic of Szeged's once-thriving Jewish community, the synagogue
was completed in 1903. Considered the masterpiece of architect Lipot Baumhorn,
who was a disciple of Ödön Lechner and the most prolific and renowned synagogue
architect in modern Europe, the great synagogue in Szeged exemplifies a confident
eclecticism. The building mixes cupolas, turrets, tracery, and other ornamental effects.
It occupies a full block in an otherwise sleepy, tree-lined residential neighborhood just
west of the city center. The synagogue is fully functioning and holds services at 6pm
every Friday.
Inside the vestibule is a series of marble plaques, listing by name the local victims
of the Holocaust. Behind the synagogue, at Hajnóczy u. 12, stands the Old Syna-
gogue, built in 1843 and badly damaged in the flood of 1879. Its reconstruction was
completed in 1998. It serves as a cultural center and a venue for alternative theater
groups and chamber-music concerts.
If you find the synagogue closed when it should be open, go to the address that's
posted near the entrance and the caretaker will open the synagogue for you.
Jósika utca. & 62/423-849. Admission 300 Ft ($1.50/80p). Summer Sun-Fri 9am-noon and 1-5pm; winter Sun-Fri
10am-2pm. Services at 6pm every Fri. From Dugonics tér, walk right on Tisza Lajos körút, and turn left on Gutenberg utca.
Votive Church The symbol of Szeged's post-flood revitalization, this church, with
its two tall, slender clock towers, was built in 1912. Its elaborately painted neo-Renais-
sance interior suggests a much older structure. Inside the church is one of Europe's
largest organs, with over 9,000 pipes. Ask at Tourinform or Szeged Tourist (p. 372)
about organ recitals.
In front of the church is the Broken Tower, a remnant of the 13th-century
Romanesque church that stood on this spot. Across from the church, there is a wall
clock from which wooden figures emerge on the hour to play a Kodály tune. Masses
are held here at 6:30am, 7:30am, and 6pm every day.
On Dóm tér. Free admission. Mon-Sat 9am-6pm; Sun 9:30-10am, 11-11:30am, and 12:30-6pm. Masses take place
at 6:30am, 7:30am, and 6pm daily.
OPEN-AIR MARKETS
Situated within 32km (20 miles) of two international borders (Romanian and Serbian),
Szeged has long attracted shoppers and vendors from a variety of countries. If open-air
markets interest you, check out the Polish Market (Lengyel Piac) at the southwest-
ern edge of town. Once filled with Polish smugglers (the name has stuck), this dusty
flea market is now home to Vietnamese, Chinese, Romanian, Serbian, Uzbeki, and
other vendors. You never know what kind of junk you might find here—it all depends
on what's “in season.” Unfortunately, the Cold War souvenirs that once attracted West-
erners to markets like this are seldom displayed any longer. The market is open Mon-
day through Saturday from dawn to midafternoon. To get to the Polish Market, located
in a dusty field at the corner of Pet ó fi Sándor sugárút and Rákóczi utca, walk straight
out Pet ó fi Sándor sugárút from the center of town or take tram no. 4.