The city of Gyula is often referred to as ‘the pearl of the Great Plain’, and this expression is absolutely correct. Gyula, a charming little city in the Körös Valley, offers a wide range of experiences for visitors at any time of the year.
You could say there are no great distances here. The city centre attractions and museums are within easy walking distance. The city has a special atmosphere: calming and eye-catching. The spacious streets and flowery squares, the many beautiful old buildings, the shady parks and the ancient Körös branch running through the city centre make for an exciting exploratory walk for anyone who wants to get to know the place better.
Walking through the ancient halls of the medieval castle and the beautiful baroque manor house, visitors are touched by the atmosphere of a bygone era. Amongst the centuries-old trees of the castle park is the famous Castle Baths, which offer an experience for all age groups: relaxation and entertainment, as well as the possibility of healing various ailments thanks to the thermal water that erupt from great depths.
The city awaits visitors with a wide range of museums and exhibitions. The house where the great composer Ferenc Erkel was born houses a memorial museum. The unique exhibition of Ladics House presents to the visitor the entire heritage of a rural middle-class family. The Kohán Picture Gallery and the TájVízHáz also offer visitors plenty of fun, and Gyula also has a Sausage Museum, a Radio History Exhibition, a Shop Museum and a small castle in the outlying Gyulavári district, which also offers open doors, interesting exhibitions and locally made craft beers. While exploring the city, the famous Százéves (Hundred-Year-Old) Confectionery, which in fact dates back almost two hundred years, offers a special experience with its atmosphere of the Reform era.
When visiting Gyula, it is worth trying the local gastronomy: the famous Gyula sausage, pálinka, craft beers, bonbons and chocolates, Gyula honey and other local handicraft products.
The city’s beautiful natural surroundings offer excellent opportunities for hiking, cycling and water tours. The Mályvád Forest, Szanazug, Városerdő and Póstelek are great places for active recreation just a few kilometres from Gyula.
The city hosts a number of major events lasting several days throughout the year. Every year the Gyula Pálinka Festival, the Körösvölgyi Sokadalom (Körösvölgy Carnival), the Végvári Days (Border Fortress Days), the Honey and Gingerbread Festival and the summer season of the Gyula Castle Theatre are of great interest.
Our city has recently become the Eldorado of escape rooms. Game-loving tourists can spend days playing these adventurous games in the castle, the palace, the Sausage Museum and even the adventure cellar in the building of the Tourinform Office. For parents with children, the Playhouse, located next to the castle, offers a multitude of outdoor and indoor leisure activities. However, those who like to play outdoors will not be disappointed either, as the Parapoly, the Gyula(cul)tour and the Vándor Gyula card are designed for them, with imaginative puzzles to tempt those who want to explore the city.
Lovers of active recreation can hop on their bikes and explore the beauty of the outskirts of Gyula on excellent cycle paths or even visit old noble mansions and admire the natural beauty of the breath-taking lowland landscape along the Wenckheim cycle path.
In addition, the days spent here can be used to dive into the past, thanks to the rich collections and document archives of the local library and archives. There is an opportunity for individual family tree research or to satisfy the historical curiosity aroused by museum exhibitions.
In the light of all this, Gyula and its region can be summed up as a magnificent part of our country, with many attractions and recreational opportunities – as well as the hospitality of the locals.
