Szolnok

As the county seat, Szolnok is the region's economic, transport, trade, education and tourist centre, as well as a busy crossing on the River Tisza.

People were already living at the meeting of the Tisza and Zagyva rivers as early as Neolithic times. The gilt silver sporran disc found at Szolnok-Strázsahalom dating from the time of the Hungarian Settlement is among the period's most exquisite works of gold and silversmiths.

Szolnok's first recorded mention was as 'Zounuk' in the foundation charter for the monastery in Garamszentbenedek by Géza I in 1075. King Stephen I made the town the centre of the restructured bailiff estates. Szolnok became an important ecclesiastical centre. In the 13th century it was depopulated in the Mongol invasion, but it rose again to achieve township status in 1422.

Promenade on the Tisza Bank

The so-called 'salt route' from Transylvania to Buda crossed the settlement. A significant change was initiated with the construction here of Hungary's second railway line. The Pest-Szolnok line was opened on 1st September 1847.

The town had already become a railway junction by the late 19th century and in 1876 it was made the county seat. Its distinctive town centre evolved during the turn of 19th-20th century.

The world wars entailed great sacrifices for the town. After restoring the damage, strong development only started to lead to oversized industrial investments in the 1950's. Housing estates arose for the rapidly swelling population as the peasantry migrated here from the surrounding areas. In 1990, Szolnok became a town with county rights.

The town has given valuable support to fine arts and theatrical productions. The Artists' Colony opened in 1902 in the park established on the site of the old castle and painters and sculptors work here even today. The archaeological, historical, ethnographic and fine arts exhibitions of the János Damjanich Museum guide the visitor through the fine arts scene and the past of the Central Tisza region.

The Aviation Museum located here is unique in Hungary and even in Central Europe. Szolnok is also renowned for the largest protected colony of house martins in Hungary, living underneath the balconies of the houses in the town centre.

How to get there:
By public transport, Szolnok as a busy railway hub, is served by trains from Budapest, Debrecen, Békéscsaba, Miskolc, Nyíregyháza and Szeged. By bus, local Volán buses run to neighbouring towns and villages. By car take Road 4.