It happened in the 18th century, shortly after the Turkish occupation if Hungary has ended, during the good old Habsburg times, that the town clerk of Szeged damaged and then stashed a freshly made seal of Szeged in a fisherman’s net. With the rusty piece of seal-ring he wanted to prove that the city had already been a “free royal town” in the 1200s.
Of course this is only a legend but it is true that already documents dating back to the 12th century do mention Cigeddin, a.k.a. Szeged. On the 21st of May, 1719 Charles III granted the settlement the rights of a “free royal town”, with all its benefits, again. That’s why the 21st of May is celebrated as the Day of Szeged.
Fiesta all over
It's all boring history, who cares?! Well, don't forget about the fun, fun, fun! You must have noticed that a huge wine festival has vapoured the air of Szeged. Have you already tried the winner Mátyás Reserve from 2007 by Tamás Günzer? You can also find concerts on 5 stages (3 at the Borfesztivál and 2 around Dugonics tér) with little surprises, but the best is still to come: at the end of the 10-day intoxication you find major concerts and a traditional Hídi vásár.
May 20-22, 2011.
This year the biggest scene will be, instead of the stairs of the Museum, with the Cathedral (Dóm) in the background. Starting on Friday evening (20th) you can find several bands of Hungarian renown. You can listen to Honey Beast, Vad Fruttik, Kiscsillag (they’re goooood, simply gooood), Ferenc Demjén (Hungarian ethos), Fabula Rasa (folk-rock), Zséda (jazz-pop) – just to give you an idea. Click the official website to see the detailed program. On D day there will be fireworks and a laser show starting sharp at 21.30!
In medieval times the merchants were generally charged for crossing a bridge. As a consequence, they often unloaded their goods at the gate of the bridge, resulting in a market. The bridge fair of Szeged across the downtown Belvárosi híd follows this tradition. It has become one of Hungary’s major meeting point for arts and crafts. It's worth to save some money for this yearly event, you can purchase some unique treasures that will make you happy throughout they year. ;) The organizers pay attention to have only original handicrafts of high quality, made in Hungary. Of course gastronomic delicacies and ethno-cultural programs for the young and the old cannot miss.
Watch out, you will probably get tanned/burnt. According to my experience, the first days of strong summer-sun are to be expected.
