Hungary’s oldest light railway fumes again

Zsuzsi, the 134 years old light railway will be awaiting tourists at the weekend in Debrecen, writes travelo.hu. On this special day Debrecen offers programmes such as travelling by Zsuzsi, taking photos, planting flowers, watching majorettes performing, fishing, hiking and having a gourmet dinner.

The oldest light railway of Hungary with a narrow rail-gauge has been operating since 1882 without stopping. Its line, though, has changed quite a lot over the years. In the beginning it was continually expanded, from Debrecen to Nyírbéltek (49 km) but then it got shortened, and today travelers can take it on the way from Debrecen to Hármashegyalja (16 km). Originally, it was used for transporting wood, then the locals of the surrounding ranches could also hop on it. In 2011 it got renovated, and, for a while now, Zsuzsi has been taking passengers on scenic excursions.

On April 23 the railway will take off at Hétvezér Street and, according to the schedule, will go 5 lines, of which the first starts at 8:55 am and the last at 3:10 pm. To return from Hármashegyalja the first starts at 10 am, while the last at 5 pm. The steam-engine, which was bought in 2006, will be used for the first time this year, the journey begins at 10 am and the train returns at 12.45 pm. The trains finish the 16 km long trip in 50 minutes.

The programmes of the event begin at Hármashegyalj. Visitors can see the performance of traditional folk dancers, then watch the children theatre’s play and the majorettes of Nyíradony. In addition, all the attendants can take photos of the locomotive, plant flowers around the Természet Háza (House of Nature) in honour of the Earth Day. Also, only on Saturday, there is a special offer by which two people buying tickets for the train will have to pay only half of the price.

Passengers can go up to the watchtower of Hármashegy terminus, which has a height of 25 metre. Here, they may also visit the Koppány valley adventure park where, aside the courses, they can try out archery, paintball or use the quads. Plus, for a lovely price, visitors can have a simple menu too.

But if you are looking for more relaxed activities, do not be afraid, for, at the Hármashegyi-lake fishing is also possible. Different types of tickets are available. It is important to note that carps have been settled there and lately the surroundings of the lake got renewed and the water level increased, thanks to the lot of rain.

Historical places can also be visited: near the Csereerdő station there is the Sarmatian line of defense, which served the protection of the Great Plain back in the middle age, by stopping the continuous attacks. Not far from the Erdészlak station visitors can go to the church ruins of Fancsika. Here, at the area called Templomhegy (Temple Mount) relics from the middle age were found. Also, the Erdőspusztai Bemutatóház (Erdőspuszta Show House) is near the area, where especially woody plants can be seen.

If looking for more, you may want to visit the city centre of Debrecen, which surely offers a lot, including the Legendák Éjszakája (Night of Legends) where 3 famous chefs of Debrecen serve 5-course gourmet dinners.

Photo: Bitman (wikimedia)

Copy editor: bm

Source: travelo.hu