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Wandering

in the city

centre

Monuments
that tell stories

Following the flood in 1879, thanks to conscious planning,
the city was reborn and rebuilt with engineering precision
and according to modern urban planning principles. At
the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, many architec-
tural styles – eclecticism, Art Nouveau, and historicism
– appeared in the city, still, merging the diff erent trends
resulted in a harmonious unity. Th e heritage-preserving
renovation of Kárász Street and Klauzál Square was rec-
ognized with the Europa Nostra Award by the European
architectural community in 2004.
Szeged is also rich in Art Nouveau architectural gems.
Among others, the Deutsch Palace, the Reök Palace, and
the Gróf Palace are all perfect examples of how aesthet-
ics can be combined with function. The Water Tower on

Szent István Square, more popularly known as the “Old
Lady”, deserves special mention; as a pioneering feat of
engineering, it was built entirely from reinforced concrete
in 1904, and it still serves its original function today.

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