Historical, geographical, economical and cultural introduction of Balmazújváros

Balmazújváros is located in the East of Hungary, in Hajdú-Bihar County. This town of the Great Hungarian Plain is 20 km far from Debrecen, the largest city of the county, and 220 km far from the capital city, Budapest.

Balmazújváros is waiting for its guests with various programmes, hot springs, and with the well-balanced coexistence of human and nature.
The city encircled by the National Park of Hortobágy is cutted through by two natural water, the river Hortobágy and the Kadarcs-Karácsonyfok channel. The environs of the town and the special beauty of the region can be discovered by visitors on foot, by bicycle, on horseback, or on horse carriage. Native hungarian species, like the twisted horned "racka" sheep, the "mangalica" pig, the grey cattle and countless rare bird-species make the excursion memorable. On the Szegi and on the Margitai plain lives the the biggest, never domesticated bird of Hungary, the bustard, which also can be found in the blazon of Balmazújváros. The blaring horde of migrating crane-birds in autumn, the almost untouched beauty of the nature give a special experience to the visitors. Next to Balmazújváros, the old oak forest is situated on the boundary of Ohat gives a special experience, just like the Sziki fishpond, or the riverside sector of the Eastern Channel.
The climate of our town located in the Northern-Plain region is warm and dry, the number of the sunny hours are about 2000 hours, the average rainfall quantity are about 530mm, the yearly mean temperature is about 10 oC. The Tisza - despite of its peripherial position - has a significant effect on our region's hydrography: on the one hand it's abandoned river-beds constitute the basis of the present water network, on the other hand the river forms the region, it's the supplier of the channels crossing Balmazújváros. The man-made fishponds and reservoirs are important parts of the water system.
Underground waters maintain high level throughout the year in extended area, and our 60 oC thermal water can be highlighted which contributes to the alkalization. These areas are inhabited by rare species of plants and birds giving perfect opportunities for animal observing. Our soil conditions determine the character of the land-utilization and the direction of the improvement. Although prominent the proportion of the grazing ground, the part of the lake-farming, cultivation of plants by watering, and the plough-land farming is also considerable.
Agriculture has impact to our town up to this day. Most of the citizens can find employment in the sphere of agriculture and the animal husbandry, but industrial and commercial activities are slightly increasing too. It can be established by the demographycal analysis of Balmazújváros, that the number of the population is nearly doubled between the period passed 1870-2007. At presesent it is 18.132.
We have under local government's maintenance, and funding in the education section a day nursery, a kindergarten management, two primary school units, a secondary school complex, and an elementary art school, which mostly provide education for young between the age of 1-18. The local government and the Calvinist church helps supporting the old by building and maintaining of day-care centre, homes for the aged, and by the aid of giving home assistance. Due to the microregion centre role, our town provides the family-helping, the library duties, the speech therapian, the psychological and the other administrative tasks by institutional collaboration.
The following towns belong to the Microregion of Balmazújváros: Balmazújváros, Egyek, Tiszacsege and Hortobágy. Investments and improvements made in the near future focus on increasing the general aspect of the city and obtaining the population's higher education and employment. The two-thirds of active businesses in our city are associated businesses, one third are personal enterprises. The management is carrying out developments making our town more attractive to tourism and industrial investments: city beautification, allocating industrial sites, expanding schools and equipments, etc.

Our spa is a popular destination to people longing for rest and recovery. It was established on the local natural thermal water base (proved medically to be health-water), and it is under continuous development. At present, child’- and swimming-pool, adventure'- and thermal-pool and besides sauna, massage are waiting for the visitors. There is a swimming bath and a complex building block joining into the therapeutic tourism in our developing plans. With this investment we could satisfy the demands of visitor's requirements, while we can keep the familiar atmosphere of the public bath. The latest development was the building of Hotel Balmaz**** in 2005. With its excellent services (37 rooms, sauna, bowling ground, restaurant, squash-field, billiards tables, jacuzzi, solarium, massage and etc.) was established to serve the guests of higher demands. In its conference room several large firms from the country have held a meeting. Thanks to their excellent wine-room and kitchen their popularity is uninterruptedly growing. Such an appearance of private investment can be a model for other enterprises.
The historic building Semsey castle, owned by the local government, can be the "citadel" of the cultural tourism, if it would have been succeeded in its fully renovation with the help of the financial assistance of EU funds. The 1300m2 of total area building could give place to an exhibition-room, to the Semsey family's remembrances, to a library and internet room, to podium-programmes, and its arched cellar could give place to a restaurant and to a cafe. The local government has made its environment organization plan, including such important services, like the second phase development of the spa, the Sports and Leisure Centre, a camping and a rower-lake. In order to realize these developments, the local government negotiates with enterprises and employs tender application writing firms.

The local government is waiting for investments generating better utilization of the executive area of the town.
Excellent quality agricultural land lies in the eastern limit area, providing perfect conditions to the qualitative cultivation of plants. The Hortobágy plain, situated westwards to the city, could be competitive in the livestock-farming and in the bio-production. The quantity of the agricultural produce is the basis of the industrial investments related to the food-products processing, preparation and refrigeration. The local government provides the possibility of developing industrial sites with full public utilities suitable for production industry, commercial-logistic etc. Our town has good transportation connections: Highway M3 (E71) 17km far from town, Main-road-4 (E60) 27km, and Main-road-33 8km far, besides we have direct railway connection to Debrecen and Füzesabony.

The proof of the good relationship founded with the civilian sphere (associations and foundations) is that the local government assists in a prominent way the work of people contributing in large measure to the sport and cultural life. From more than 25 civilian organizations the Bekton Youth Wind Band and the Hímes Folk Dance Group not just in our country, but by satisfying the invitations came from abroad improve our city's reputation everywhere. We draw to your attention as returning programmes in our town: the literary evening memento to author Péter Veres, the reader of poetry competition, the carnival masquerade Winter-pursuer, the city picnic (cooking contest, meeting of the old-timer cars and motorbikes), the National Manual Reaper Contest, the Castle-Garden's evenings cultural programme-series, the National Trumpet Camp, the Vókonyai National Bio- cooking contest and Shepherd-Meeting; the Balmaz-Art International Creative Camp, the Regional Singer Meet, the Advent-time craftsman fair and programmes.
We could commend our town to the people's attention in many ways, who want to make a close relationship with us, like a twin town, cultural relationship, or have investing intentions.