Szeged with a long past, is the economic and cultural centre of the Southern Great Plain. With 2,100 hours of sunshine each year it obvious why Szeged, situated at the confluence of the rivers Tisza and Maros, is also called the city of sunshine.

It owes its present appearance to a natural catastrophe. In the spring of 1879 a dreadful flood washed the flourishing town away in a single night. Only 200 of its 6000 buildings survived. Reconstruction began soon afterwards and within a few decades a city based on modern town planning principles had been built, laid out with boulevards and avenues like Paris and Budapest. The citizens of the rebuilt city vowed not only to build an extensive system of dikes to prevent the recurrence of such a natural catastrophe, but they also erected a splendid church. The neo-Romanesque Votive Church became the citys main landmark. Beside it stands the 12th-13th century Romanesque Demetrius Tower, Szeged's oldest monument. For decades the square in front of the church has been used for summer open-air performances with the beautiful facade providing an imposing background. The statues of 100 great Hungarians have been placed in the National Memorial Hall around the Cathedral Square.

Széchenyi Square is one of Hungary's biggest and loveliest parks with many statues and fountains. The beauty of the square is enhanced by the Town Hall in Zopf-Art Nouveau style, and the neo-Classical Zsóter House.

The Szeged Open-air Cultural Festival, held annually since 1931, is centred around Cathedral Square infront of the famous Votive Church, where the new auditorium is able to seat 4000 persons. Besides classical Hungarian dramas, the programmi includes Italian operas, modern ballets, Hungarian and international rock operas. For almost thirty years now the Szeged International Folk Dance Festival has been a spectacular part of the open-air festival. Its cultural message is peaceful coexistence and the mutual depehdence of different peoples. 

The imposing Art Nouveau-Moorish style building of the new synagogue at the corner of Hajnóczy utca and Gutenberg utca is one of the finest synagogues in Europe. The 15th-16thcentury Church of the Havas Boldogasszony (the Snowy Blessed Virgin) and the adjoining Franciscan monastery (Mátyás király tér, Alsóváros, Lower Town) are the oldest late Gothic monuments of the Puszta. Of the two devotion pictures here, one is a copy of the picture of the socalled Black Virgin Mary in Czestochowa.

Pick salami and the Szeged paprika, a special ingredient of Hungarian dishes, a good measure of which gets into the Szeged fish soup, are world-famous products of the city. The Szeged Museum of Pick Salami and Paprika recalls their history and outlines the entire manufacturing process of the world-famous salami. The Botanical Garden of the University presents a marvellous collection of cacti, palms and other exotic plants. The windmill at Kiskundorozsma is one of the last surviving windmills on the Puszta.