Békéscsaba

Békéscsaba is a city in southeastern Hungary. Békéscsaba is the capital of Békés County.
The city currently seems to be under development, there are construction sites literally everywhere.

Like most places in Hungary, Békéscsaba has a sign with its name in old Hungarian runes on the side of the road at the city limit.

The word “Békéscsaba” written in Hungarian Rovás (a Hungarian runic alphabet) on a road sign.
Just another novelty road sign, like the one mentioned on the Szarvas page.

This is just a novelty item, there is an official sign in letters that most people can actually read.

The official Békéscsaba sign in Hungarian and Slovakian.

Getting to Békéscsaba by car is not necessarily as easy as one might think, especially considering that it is a county capital. During the communist era the roads in Hungary were in dismal conditions, and both the government of Hungary and the European Union seem to take their time to do any development in the southeastern part of the country. At the time I write this (01/June/2016) a high speed freeway is yet to be built in this area. The only good road appears to be the one that goes from Békéscsaba to the nearby town of Gyula at the Hungarian-Romanian border.

The lack of roads certainly did not improve the local economy and unemployment situation that has plagued the region for the last two decades.

The Railway Station of Békéscsaba With Fountain.

The newly renovated Békéscsaba Railway Station with a fountain in front of it.

Traditionally Békéscsaba was more approachable by train and still there is much railway traffic, including international trains.

The Békéscsaba Railway Station from across the tracks. It is a rather large station with many trains, including freight trains passing through. The station building is visible in the background in the upper right quadrant of the picture.

The city’s architecture varies greatly. Centuries old buildings in the inner city often show elaborate architecture styles, there are also very recent additions that were designed to tastefully blend in with the older buildings.

The local museum named after the painter Mihály Munkácsy.

Some residential buildings, especially the ones built during the communist era, are more utilitarian, often in need of a renovation.

As with all real estate the important thing is location, location, location. Rental houses for low income people built after the communist era look nice, in many parts of the world one would have to pay serious money to live a house like one of these.

Rental houses for low income people.

There are lots of new construction sites in the city, and finally there is some much needed infrastructure development.

The statue of Lajos Kossuth in Békéscsaba.
The building in the background is the old Hotel Körös being renovated.

Many cities in Hungary, including Békéscsaba, were provided funding by the European Union to build ornamental fountains (not to be spent on anything else), purely for aesthetic reasons.

Many older industrial buildings are now closed, some have even been demolished, but the city’s economy shows some signs of improving.

The old steam mill. Like many other facilities in the food processing industry it was closed down some years after the industry was privatized.

The signs of modern times — in a city famous for its local cuisine, especially for its sausage and pork products, one can still find a McDonald’s restaurant.

A McDonald’s Restaurant in Békéscsaba. Oddly enough it is located in a hotel building that was built in the nineteenth century. For some reason I find that disturbing, but perhaps it is only me.
Update: It seems that the local sausages have won after all. The McDonald’s Restaurant in Békéscsaba has been closed down and the building is up for sale.

I saw this old fire pump in front of the fire station. No, it is not in use, it a museum piece.