Szeged gets skipped by a lot of people heading to Hungary, and I think that’s a mistake. While I was living in Budapest I tried to see as much of the country as I could, and Szeged turned into a favourite. It’s calm enough to explore in peace, which suits me because I’ll go a long way to avoid a crowd.
The real reason to come is the Art Nouveau, a flowery style I fell for back in Paris. Working out where to stay in Szeged is the easy part, because the centre is compact and flat. Here are the hotels I’d book now, starting with a boutique pick and then a spread of styles and budgets.
In short: Book Noir Hotel, for big, spotless apartment-style rooms right in the centre.
Best Hotels in Szeged
Top Pick
Noir Hotel
Area: City centre, about 12 minutes’ walk to the Votive Church
Guest rating: 9.5/10 on Booking.com
A four-star aparthotel on Püspök utca that feels more boutique than chain. Every room has a kitchenette, a balcony and soundproofing, and the National Theatre is about 500 metres away.
Guests love: spotless rooms, very comfortable beds and secure parking in the middle of town.
Watch out for: breakfast comes to your room from a short set menu, not a buffet.
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Closest to the Cathedral
Dóm Hotel
Area: Dóm tér, 100 metres from the Votive Church
Guest rating: 9.2/10 on Booking.com
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If you want to walk out the door and straight into the old town, this is the one. It’s on Bajza utca with the Tisza about 300 metres away, and there’s a sauna and a restaurant with a terrace downstairs.
Guests single out the staff, the location and the breakfast. The odd complaint is a small maintenance niggle, or the lack of insect screens if you like sleeping with the windows open.
Apartment with a Spa
Villa Antara
Area: Near Szent István tér, about a 16-minute walk to the Votive Church
Guest rating: 9.7/10 on Booking.com
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Not a hotel, but the highest-rated place on this list. You get a spacious apartment with a full kitchen, a garden and a small spa with a sauna and hot tub. It suits longer stays, or anyone who’d rather sleep a few streets back from the busiest part of town.
Reviews rave about how clean it is and how much thought has gone into the place. The only recurring quibble is a few missing kitchen basics, like a kettle.
Quieter Option
RIVA Szeged
Area: Egyetem utca, under a kilometre from Dóm tér
Guest rating: 9.3/10 on Booking.com
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A modern hotel on a quiet street beside the university’s Faculty of Arts, with underground parking and a restaurant doing brunch with vegan and gluten-free options. It’s a sensible base if you’re arriving by car.
Guests keep mentioning how spotless and roomy the rooms are, and how far the staff go to help. The main gripe is that the breakfast spread could be more varied.
Best Value
Tisza Gyöngye Apartmanok
Area: Újszeged riverbank, about a 12-minute walk to the Votive Church
Guest rating: 9.0/10 on Booking.com
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Apartments with balconies just over the river from the centre, next door to the Napfényfürdő Aquapolis water park. With an on-site restaurant and play areas for kids, it’s the obvious choice for families.
Guests like the balconies, the friendly reception and the easy walk over the bridge into town. One thing to know: in winter, running the air conditioning as heating costs extra.
Explore more of Szeged with my comprehensive guide to Things to Do in Szeged, where I’ve covered the best activities and attractions the city has to offer.
Where to Stay in Szeged
Szeged’s centre is small enough that nowhere on this list is a hardship. The real choice is between the old town, the streets around the main square, the university quarter and the quieter side of the river.
Dóm tér and the Votive Church
This is where I stayed, and I’d call it the best base in the historic old town. The twin towers of the Votive Church loom over the square, the river is a few minutes away and you can walk to almost everything. It’s also where the summer open-air theatre season sets up its stage.
For a bed right on the doorstep, book Dóm Hotel.
Széchenyi tér to Szent István tér
Széchenyi tér is the main square, big and leafy, with the yellow town hall on one side and the National Theatre a short walk towards the Tisza. This is the area for cafes, restaurants and some of the best Art Nouveau facades in the city.
Keep walking north and things quieten down around Szent István tér and its old water tower. Noir Hotel puts you in the thick of it, while Villa Antara is the pick if you’d rather trade a few minutes’ walk for a garden and a hot tub.
Coming through the capital first? My guide to what to do in Budapest covers the city itself and how to fit Szeged into a wider Hungary trip.
The University Quarter
Szeged is a university town, and you feel it in the streets south of Dóm tér towards Heroes’ Gate. They’re quieter at night than the main square, but still close enough to walk into the old town in a few minutes.
RIVA Szeged is the one to book here for a quieter night close to town.
Újszeged
Across the Tisza, Újszeged is greener and slower, with riverside parks, the city’s beach and the Aquapolis water park. It’s a nice walk back over the bridge in the evening, with the old town lit up across the water.
Families should look at Tisza Gyöngye Apartmanok, right on the riverbank.
Responsible Travel Tips
- Arrive by train: InterCity trains run roughly hourly from Budapest via Kecskemét, and tram 1 or 2 takes you from Szeged station into the centre. I took the train from Budapest and it’s a relaxing way to arrive.
- Take the tram-train to Hódmezővásárhely: It runs on the city tram tracks through Széchenyi tér before switching onto the railway, so you can hop on in the centre for an easy day trip without a car.
- Buy paprika from the growers at Mars tér: The market near the bus station is open every day, and small producers sell from the tables in the main hall. That’s the place to buy Szeged paprika straight from the people who grew it.
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Recommendations are independently chosen based on personal travel experiences and extensive research.
