Kecskemet

Kecskemét, seat of Bács-Kiskun County , lies at the junction of the east-west and north-south main transport routes. Its wonderful public buildings are evidence of its past, and its museums and galleries contain significant cultural treasures.

The city is a meeting place of historical traditions and modern endeavours. The bustling business scene of recent decades has been beneficial to the town's image and has brought progress in tourism as well: new hotels, guesthouses and catering establishments have been established.

The city became the county seat in 1950, stepping onto the path of rapid economic and social development. A number of villages became independent, situated on the vast expanse of lands surrounding the city: independence came in 1950 for Bugac and Lakitelek, two years later for Hetényegyháza, Helvécia, Lászlófalva (today Szentkirály) and Városföld, and two years later again for Ballószög. Again, the district of Matkó from Helvécia and Hetényegyháza were annexed to Kecskemét in 1989 at the request of its inhabitants.

The famous Ornamental Palace

In the second half of the 1960's, Kecskemét became the academic and cultural centre of the region south of Budapest. The work carried out by the local scientific institutions has enabled Kecskemét to remain one of the centres of horticulture in Hungary.

In the early 20th century, the establishment of a library, a museum and an artists' colony further served the city's development. Cartoon filmmaking here is world famous and music and enamelling workshops also receive international attention. Its theatre stands out for its performances as well as for its role in the local society.

How to get there:
By car, Kecskemét can be reached on the M5 motorway running between Budapest-Szeged, on Route 5, and 52 from Szabadszállás, 54 from Baja, 44 from Békéscsaba, and Route 441 from Szolnok and Cegléd. By railway it can also be reached by train on the Budapest-Cegléd-Szeged or Budapest-Lajosmizse-Kecskemét lines.