About the city

The center of the Nyírség

Nyíregyháza, a bustling town of roughly 120,000 inhabitants, is the seventh largest city in Hungary and one of the main cultural and economic centers in its region. It is located 240 kilometers from Budapest, not far from the Ukrainian and Romanian borders. It is the second most important town in the Northern Great Plain and the center of the Nyirség region. Its most famous attractions include the Nyíregyháza Zoo, which has nearly 500 different species of animal and draws visitors from all over Europe.

Nyíregyháza and its surroundings look back on a long history, as the region was already inhabited at the time of the Hungarian Conquest. Of course, the Ottoman occupation of Hungary left its mark on the city, too. The population of the city and its surroundings dropped dramatically, and the area only began to flourish again in the 1600s, when the Hajduks were settled here. Later, Slovak Lutheran immigrants from Békés County and Upper Hungary began to arrive, and they founded their first grammar school, the present-day Nyíregyháza Lutheran Kossuth Lajos Grammar School. The cultural and political life of the town was shaped by its proximity to the Romanian border, as it had, at times over the course of its history, been part of Transylvania and had also fallen under Romanian occupation.

Later, the town began to flourish. Four fairs were held every year, and a new town hall was built, along with a hospital, schools, and a spa and restaurant in nearby Sóstó. The urbanization of the town in the nineteenth century brought with it the construction of a railway line, a theater, a telegraph office, a post office, and a financial center. Today, Nyíregyháza boasts a rich array of events organized by public cultural and sporting institutions, public collections, a village museum, and the zoo, and Sóstó Lake provides a picturesque backdrop for cultural life of the city.

Writers of the city

Everyday life in Nyíregyháza, the denizens of this bustling town, and the surrounding landscapes inspired famous writers including Imre Madách, Kálmán Mikszáth, and Zsigmond Móricz during their short stays here. But ultimately, it was Gyula Krúdy who put Nyíregyháza on the map of Hungarian literature, as his hometown was the main inspiration for many of his finest writings. Krúdy’s stories and novels can almost be regarded as documents of the city’s history, in which he faithfully brought Nyíregyháza to life at the turn of the century.

Sights to see

The Nyíregyháza Zoo

Aquarius Pool and Spa

Sóstó Lake

The Sóstó Village Museum

Zsigmond Móricz Theater

The Outdoor Theater

The Bencs Villa

Sights around Nyíregyháza:

Nyírbátor

Máriapócs

Hortobágyi National Park

The Andrássy Chateau in Tiszadob

About the residence

The writer’s residence is found in the Móricz Zsigmond County and City Library, which is located in the center of Nyíregyháza. The apartment, which is found inside the modern library building (though with its own separate entrance), provides a comfortable and peaceful space for creative work. It is well equipped and ideally suited to meet everyday needs. It is centrally located, so the major attractions and institutions of Nyíregyháza are within walking distance. The library, of course, is at the disposal of the resident writers for research, and writers are permitted to check out books from its collection.