Winter is full of celebration, cheering off the seasonal blues, Debrecen is no different from any other city in this regards, with Christmas and new year celebrations aplenty. However, if you are looking to take a winter break outside of the celebration period there is still much to see and do.
One of the best things about Debrecen is that many of the top things to do in the summer are even better in winter. You can do them all year round making Debrecen a great destination all year round.
- Go for a Walk in the Great Forest
- Baths, Thermal Spa’s
- Debrecen Zoo
- Ice Skating
- Friday English Movie Night
- Forum Shopping
- Agora – Planetarium
- The Deri Museum
- The Modem Museum
Go for a Walk in the Great Forest
Winter might be cold but it is also beautiful, where better to enjoy a bracing walk through the Great Forest and beside the lake. The ducks and fish are always an interesting diversion even beneath the ice.
Be sure to take your camera, you never know when a great picture opportunity will present itself!
If you start feeling the cold, it is only a short walk to Krudy’s for a hot chocolate or coffee? Or why not go for a Therma Spa dip first, directly opposite Krudy’s Resturant?
Baths, Thermal Spa’s
Debrecen benefits from healing Thermal Spa waters, rich in minerals. Chase away those winter blues and any aches and pains with a therapeutic soak. While you’re at it, why not go for the relaxation trifecta with a sauna session and massage as well.
In the summer of 2020 a new bath will open of spectacular proportions which is destined to be one of the biggest in Europe, perfect for Winter 2020.
Aquaticum Spa 
New Bath Plans 2020 
Thermal Baths
Debrecen Zoo
We all love the Zoo as children for whom it is a magical place, getting up close and personal to the wonderful animals, but as we get older it tends to be something you do just with the kids rather than alone. Visit Debrecen Zoo to re-find your youthful fascination, with the wondrous natural world as an adult, kids are optional.
Due to an increase in foreign visitors to the Zoo, the management has begun to arrange more English language tours as well as publishing the Zoo Guide map in Engish among other languages.
Ice Skating
Debrecen has two great options during the winter months, a permanent professional Ice Ring located in the heart of the city, but also a mobile open-air Ice Ring constructed at the Football Arena and available for the month of January.
The permanent Jégcsarnok (Ice Hall) opened its gate in 2004 and was extended by a practice ice rink in October 2015. It offers two international standard courses and 1600 m2 of well-maintained ice surface throughout the whole year for Ice skating enthusiasts.
Friday English Movie Night
Reserve your Friday night for a Movie @ the Cinemacity in the Debrecen Plaza.
Everyone loves a good movie, and on Friday’s there is always at least one English language movie on show. Book ahead because with 50,000 students in the city of which 10% are foreign students, – so it does get busy!
The Plaza also has a food court and a bowling alley so there is no need to go elsewhere for the evening.
Forum Shopping
Winter is cold, but you don’t have to be in the Forum Shopping center, a shopping center of international calibre. As you can probably imagine there is plenty of shops to visit inside, and since it is just a few minutes walk from both tram lines it is easy to reach by public transport. By car, it is also very convenient, with the first hour of parking free.
It is the perfect place for lunch with a great choice of foods, including Hungarian specialities besides the usual Fast food chain options, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken etc. in the food court.
With three floors of shops, you won’t get bored, just tired. When you get tired visit Frei Cafe, conveniently located in a fabulous book shop, or if Starbucks is directly opposite the food court.
Agora – Planetarium
If you are interested in the planets, stars, the Sun, and the technology and science used for planetary discovery the full-dome movies are a must-see. From Wednesday – Sunday one of two movies is screened starting at 5pm each day. Access is available via the standard Agora tickets.
Besides the planetarium, there is plenty to see and do at the Agora Science center, from the electricity generator and mirror maze to many other thrilling science exhibitions.
The Deri Museum
The Deri museum is a great destination at any time of the year but particularly during the winter because you are more likely to take your time to read about, learn and understand the items on display. The Deri is a perfect size, just small enough so you don’t leave without seeing it all, and just big enough that you can get through it all before you drop from exhaustion.
Every museum piece is interesting, and each section has just enough with breathtaking examples of each piece. The sword collection is particularly fine, housed in the main building.
This museum is also home to the world-famous Munkacsy’s Christ trilogy paintings, as well as the Ferenc Medgyessy Museum, both of which are a must-see if you are in Debrecen.
Ferenc Medgyessy was one of the most significant Hungarian sculptors of the 20th century and his sculptures of Horses are especially breathtaking. Although his work is housed in a secondary site of the Deri, it is within 10 minutes walk from the main Deri Museum building. The museum has much more to see and besides, spread over three separate sites.
Christ Trilogy 
Ferenc Medgyessy
The Modem Museum
Right next door to the Lycium Hotel and the Deri Museum is the Modem museum, a vast three-story cultural center and museum of modern art, typically housing 3 or 4 exhibitions at once. Details of their exhibitions can be found in English on their website.
