Day 18: Nyiradony and Debrecen Hungary

We have been extremely fortunate with finding exceptional accommodations on this trip.  The Villa Hotel in Debrecen was a good find.  Set in a park in northern Debrecen it is surrounded by walkways, a small lake and sculptures. 

Villa Hotel in Debrecen

After a late breakfast, we set off to visit Nyiradony, the birthplace of Marilyn and Carl's mother.  The road leaving Debrecen to the northeast was under construction so the 25 km trip took almost an hour.   Many of the villages in the area feature Nyir in their name.  Nyir is the Hungarian word for birch since the forests feature many Birch trees.

We parked and toured the village on foot.  We found a village map that included a brief history in Hungarian, German and English.  We tried, unsuccessfully,  to find local cemetery and after purchasing some Paprika and some pastries we returned to Debrecen.

Marilyn at the Nyiradony sign

Marilyn looks for clues at the church

Town map of Nyiradony

Marilyn and Carl read the history of Nyiradony

The village crest

After coffee and pastries in the Villa Hotel lobby, and a rest, we took the tram to downtown Debrecen for a self-guided walking tour.  The largest church is the Great Reformed Church found by Protestants in the 17th century.  The downtown buildings are a mixture of Baroque styling and Soviet plain architecture.  The pink town hall is an odd combination of styles.

Great Reformed Church

Beautiful mosaic of town crest

Lobby of hotel on the town square

Debrecen City Hall

Carl helps a tree that had drooped in the park

Austrian influences in buildings

Outside the Deri Museum

Returning to the Hotel we used the last remaining daylight to walk in the park before having a Hungarian dinner at the Leveles Csarda restaurant beside the hotel.  We were the only people in the restaurant!

Marilyn and Carl skip like school kids

The beautiful park reflected in the pond

Carl and Marilyn strike a pose above the waterfall

Dwight poses next to the giant leaf sculpture