Gyula

The only mediaeval brick castle that has survived intact on the Great Plain is found in Gyula. Theatre performances are held in the court of the enormous Gothic building in the summer and spectacular shows can be seen on the floating stage on the picturesque boating lake in front of the castle. The Castle Theatre Festival is held with outdoor performances in the shelter of the massive brick walls, in the court famous for its excellent acoustics, and on the stage on the picturesque boating lake beside the castle. 

The Castle Baths in the 8.5-hectare park of the Almásy Castle opposite the brick fortress is one of Hungary's most beautiful thermal baths. The bathing establishment offers open-air and indoor thermal pools as well as theme pools including a whirlpool, a wave pool, children's pools and an openair and an indoor swimming pool.

Dating back to 1840, the Százéves (One Hundred-Year-Old) Confectionery is the countries second oldest pastry shop, with the original furnishings and fittings still in use. The town's famous son is Ferenc Erkel (1810-1893), founder of the Hungarian national opera as well as composer of Bánk bán and Hunyadi László, operas in which major historical figures appear. He also composed the music for the Hungarian national anthem. The Erkel Ferenc Memorial House, his birthplace and former home, displays his harmonium, hand-written music books and family photos. Ladics House, with furniture of artistic merit and Meissen chinaware, offering a glimpse of genteel lifestyle and interior design, is a dwelling house-turned museum, unique in Hungary in terms of both cultural heritage and ambience. The Dürer Hall, named after the great German painter Albrecht Dürer, whose family on his father's side came from Gyula, houses an exhibition entitled Centuries in Gyula, detailing the history of the fortress. The Collection of Devotional Articles and Remembrances of the Virgin Mary also includes garments of Hungarian monastic orders. The Farm Museum, 8 km away from Gyula, acquaints visitors with 19th- and 20th-century peasant life and farming instruments. A collection devoted to the history of the meat industry, traces the history of the Gyula salami, the hallmark product of the town.

Kalocsa

Red paprika (which gives Hungarian dishes their unique flavour) hanging in garlands to dry under the eaves of houses, the floral patterns applied to the walls of porches, the beautiful folk embroidery and local costumes in fine lace punctuated with colourful floral motifs all contribute to the great fame that the one thousand-year-old Kalocsa enjoys all over the world. The Folklore House and the Museum of the Hungarian Paprika Spice give the historical background.

On several occasions the Hungarian composer Ferenc Liszt played the organ (one of the largest in Hungary) of the grand twin-towered Archiepiscopal, built in Italian Baroque style. Of the 110 masterpieces in the treasury of the Archbishopric, the most important is a bust of St. Stephen, the repository of a relic of our first king, who founded the Kalocsa Archbishopric in 1009. The library of the Archbishopric contains 150,000 volumes, including many priceless codices and early prints.

A faithful replica of the Hungarian Holy Crown can also be seen in the town.