Baja (Hungary)

Baja (German: Frankenstadt) is a town of 35,000 people (2019) and a district in Bács-Kiskun County.

Understand
Baja is at the meeting point of two large regions: the Great Hungarian Plain (Alföld) and Transdanubia (Dunántúl). The River Danube separates the two regions. The occidental part of the city is where the Gemencforest starts to spread out next to the István Türr Bridge.

Baja is on the left bank of the Sugovica river (also called Kamarás-Duna), on the Great Hungarian Plain. However, Baja is more similar to the cities of Transdanubia. To the east, arable crops such as maize, wheat and barley are grown.

By car
Baja town is 90 km west of Szeged, 150 km (93 mi) south of Budapest and 108 km (67 mi) southwest of Kecskemét. It sits at the crossing of Road 55 and Road 51, on the river Danube.

By train
Direct trains from Budapest from Keleti station via Szekszárd (approx. 2 hr 40 min) or with a change in Sarbógárd (approx. 2 hr 50 min) or Kiskunhalas (approx. 3 hr 40 min).

Further direct trains from Dombóvár (connection from Pécs), Kecskemét (connection from Budapest Ferihegy) and Kiskunfélegyháza (connection from Szeged).

By bicycle
The Danube Cycle Path runs through the city. The river side can be changed over the Danube bridge.

In the town

 * Franciscan Church and Monastery
 * St. Peter and St. Paul Church
 * Baja synagogue, Calvary Chapel
 * St. Roch Chapel Meszaros tomb
 * St. John's Chapel
 * Andrew Jelky statue
 * István Türr Museum (exhibits objects of former local life)
 * István Nagy Gallery (a collection of István Nagy's paintings)
 * Bunjevci House (about Bunjevci traditions). The
 * Istvan Nagy Gallery
 * Türr Stephen's memorial
 * Charles IV memorial.
 * Former synagogue, Munkácsy Mihály utca 7-9. City library since 1985: Erected 1842-1845 in neoclassicism by architect Lajos Frey, main facade with a double row of columns.
 * Former synagogue, Munkácsy Mihály utca 7-9. City library since 1985: Erected 1842-1845 in neoclassicism by architect Lajos Frey, main facade with a double row of columns.

In the town

 * Gemenc is part of the Danube-Drava National Park, which can be discovered from Baja via a narrow gauge railway.
 * Gemenc is part of the Danube-Drava National Park, which can be discovered from Baja via a narrow gauge railway.

Eat
The local specialties include fish dishes of all kinds, especially fish soup.

In the town
West of the city centre, within walking distance, there are two campsites on the opposite bank of the Sugovica arm of the Danube. One in the Petőfisziget district and one in the Nagypandúrsziget district. Otherwise there are a few smaller hotels in the city centre.