Three thematic routes, six renovated churches, as well as a multitude of religious, historical and artistic values have been included in the tourism program called “Religio et Patria”, which will be implemented starting in 2024 at the initiative of the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District (Tiszántúli Református Egyházkerület). The goal is for visitors to get to know the Calvinist traditions in Debrecen, Hajdúság and the Upper Tisza region in a unified system through experience.
The Transtibiscan Reformed Church District would make public the developments that have taken place in six churches in recent years (the Little Temple, the Verestemplom and the University Temple in Debrecen, as well as the churches in Kismarja, Létavértes and Szatmárcsek) – this is how the press conference held at the Reformed University Temple in Debrecen began. Bishop Károly Fekete pointed out that Reformed churches are known for their simplicity, yet they are emblematic buildings.
“We would like to show the beautiful face of the church, which visitors can only touch by crossing the threshold in the church square. In addition to genius loci, i.e. the spirit of the place, there is also spiritus loci, i.e. the spirituality of the place, and this pair of concepts is more worthy of the church. We believe that inspired art radiates, and that inspired art can be found in the places where we want to invite the interested, because the 21st century man also needs something to touch him”
– said Károly Fekete.
Ilona Katona, the tourism expert of the Transtibiscan Reformed Church District, detailed the elements of the program. The traditional tourist offer is divided into three thematic routes, which are given by the creation of a heritage tour. The first was named Debrecen the City of the Reformation, as part of which the Little Temple, Verestemplom and University Temple, which were renovated in recent years, can be visited individually and through group tours. Also part of the proposed route are the Great Church and the Reformed College of Debrecen, which as national monuments have already been among the most popular tourist destinations in the city. The second heritage tour (On the Path of the Crown Prince – In the footsteps of Bocskai) combines Reformed memorial sites from the time of the Hajduks into one route. In Kismarja, memorabilia related to the Bocskai family can be viewed, and the exhibition held in the church during the modernization is also connected to these. Nearby, the István Rozsnyai Museum Collection, operated by the parish, presents folk art values.
The third heritage tour is called Literary Monuments in Szatmár. The Felső-Tisza rural route is primarily about significant figures in the history of Hungarian culture, such as Ferenc Kölcsey, Sándor Petőfi and Zsigmond Móricz. In addition to the tomb of the author of the National Anthem, the renovated Reformed church in Szatmárcsek is also among the highlights.
“Anyone can walk around these routes individually at any time, but we also launch pre-announced heritage tours. Registered groups will be guided by a qualified tour guide at the relevant locations. In addition, we are also creating a city discovery game, so we want to involve playful young people and families”
– Ilona Katona added.
The cultural director of the Reformed University Church of Debrecen, which hosted the press conference, said that the building – in addition to continuing to serve as the home of the university church for missionary purposes – was also opened as an event venue last fall. László Matolcsi Tóth stated that they have had successful concerts and discussions, and in 2024 they will continue their cooperation with the Faculty of Music or Szólj be a papak! with his team.
“Our goal is not only to be the cultural flagship of the church district but also to introduce the university church to the people of Debrecen. We constantly find that many people do not know what is here, since the building did not function as a church for decades. To this end, we will start guided tours and we also want to get involved in the circulation of university life: according to our plans, for example, in the fall semester, students will be able to take an optional course that will fit the theme of the church,” added László Tóth-Matolcsi.
Those interested can find out more about the heritage tours, programs and Reformed accommodation on the website of the church district (https://ttre.hu/) and through the application of the European Radio.
