Oroszlán Street reopens with a one-day festival in downtown Szeged
Szeged celebrated the reopening of Oroszlán Street on Sunday with a downtown festival featuring concerts, parades, and family programs across Oroszlán Street, Móra Park, and Klauzál Square.
The opening ceremony included performances of the Movements Majorette group, giant puppets of the Kövér Béla Puppet Theater, the Kackiás Organ Grinder, a velocipede, and people in period costumes.
At the ceremony, Mayor László Botka and KÉSZ Group founder Mihály Varga officially handed over the renovated public space. “Our historic buildings are not just stones and bricks but living witnesses of Szeged’s rich past. Preserving our built heritage is one of our top priorities,” Botka said.
The reconstruction included nearly 100,000 paving stones, new water and drainage lines, underground cables, restored cellar vents, and almost 400 new shrubs. Energy-efficient lighting and a rainwater reservoir were also added. Archaeologists uncovered parts of the old Palánk defensive wall and remnants of an 18th–19th century workshop.
Several exhibitions opened as part of the Palánkos Downtown Festival. Magnetic Attraction – Steel Sculptures line Oroszlán Street with large-scale industrial pieces from the K-ARTS Collection. In the Bistorant/Soleil Apartment basement, a small collection of archaeological finds from the Árpád era to the 20th century – found at the same spot where they are now displayed – is on view.
The K9 Office Building hosts GENIUS, a selection of sculptures and artworks created this summer at the International Steel Sculpture and Fine Arts Symposium in Kecskemét, on view through Oct. 31 on weekdays.
Botka also announced upcoming city projects, including the full reconstruction of the riverside promenade and the renovation of Szent-Györgyi Albert Square, which will feature a sculpture of the vitamin C formula to honor Szeged’s Nobel Prize-winning scientist.
Despite the weather, visitors were able to enjoy the exhibitions at Oroszlán Street, a puppet show and creative games at Móra Park, and some of the concerts.
