Kecskemet's town hall
November 2-4, 2011: By the time I reached Kecskemet, my third stop in southern Hungary, my expectations were high. Maybe that was the problem, because the town just didn’t excite me the way Pecs and Szeged had. If I’d seen it first I’d probably have liked it more. Not that I would suggest skipping it, especially if you favor the National Romantic style of Art Nouveau, but it didn’t rate the two nights I gave it.
Art Nouveau...
Since the Szeged-Budapest rail line runs through Kecskemet, with hourly trains, it would be an easy stop off on the way, or perhaps a day trip from Budapest. After the bus trip across country from Pecs to Szeged (no train available) I was glad enough to be back on the rails, but it was a bit of a slog from the Kecskemet train station to Fabian Panzio, my cute B&B – the town was bigger and busier than the other two.
... and Art Deco
My digs were small but comfortable, the T.I. helpful, the museums open… But winter was definitely setting in, the architecture disappointed after Szeged, and I had a particularly bad meal in a well-reviewed restaurant. (Avoid Kecskemeti Csarda, and eat at Kisbugaci Csarda instead.) After investigating the Folk Craft Museum, the Ornamental Palace and the council chamber (not quite up to Subotica) I took refuge in the modern three story mall near my B&B, where I could thaw out and indulge in drinkable coffee next to a big bookstore.
Although the coffee, and the food court, and the cheap SIM stand (where I had to fill out a quite remarkable amount of paperwork) were all welcome, I could have done without the Christmas decorations. Really, it was only the beginning of November!
The mall
