Recreation, services

Debrecen provides a repository of excellent recreational programs for the potential ESS collaborates, their family members and friends visiting them. The numerous restaurants of the town offer Hungarian dishes as well as selections from the international cuisine. Several dozens of bars, cafés, clubs and pubs contribute to evening-time recreation. Those fancying an active relaxation can choose from among the various bicycle routes, horse-riding facilities, an experience bath, wellness island and zoo. A great number of museums and theatres, multiplex and art movies offer recreational programs in the town. Debrecen provides all reasonable services to those working there or visiting the town. It has a developed health-care system. The children can go to nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary and secondary schools. Foreign languages can also be learnt in the educational institutions. The university of the town is one of the highest standard universities in Central Europe.

Gastronomy
Stuffed cabbage in Debrecen style, pork rib soup, pancake with meat in Hortobágy style, pasta with potato and diced bacon, specialties of grey beef, fish soup, dishes baked or cooked in the furnace - just a few examples of the gastronomical assortment that is typical of the town and will not be available anywhere else. All the guests who wish to eat and drink in any of the cheerful restaurants of Debrecen can choose from among various tasty Hungary and regional dishes. Naturally the followers of reform nutrition will also find the specialities that will fit them the best, including dishes made of bio fishes from Hortobágy. But apart from the local and Hungarian specialities no guest will miss the tastes of the international cuisine either, as Debrecen also houses restaurants that offer e.g. Greek, Kurd, Chinese, Mexican and Italian food.

Leisure time
The town and its surroundings open the door to active leisure time. In addition to the wide selection of exciting bicycle trips, horse riding facilities and baths, fishing and hunting fans can also find programs to their taste. Debrecen is one of the forerunners of Hungarian medicinal tourism. The Mediterranean experience bath houses a wave pool, pools for kids and babies, 12 slides, a climbing wall, a cave bath and other recreational units to provide for an unforgettable relax. The Wellness Island of Debrecen provides about 60 different types of traditional and special services to all who wish to beautify and refresh. Sports fans can cheer at international standard hand-ball games in the weekends but the football stadium of the Debrecen team is also worth a visit. The zoo, located on 17 hectares in the Big Forest district of Debrecen shows about 1500 pieces of 165 species from five continents.

Accommodation
Any visitor arriving in Debrecen can select from a wide assortment of accommodations to meet his demands: many long-standing hotels, elegant motels, friendly private accommodations and several tempered camping sites await the tourists.

Health care, education
175 qualified GPs provide for basic medical treatment. The patients can be treated at a European level in the hospital of the town or the clinics of the University of Debrecen. Most of the services are available free to the citizens of the European Union who have a national insurance coverage.
The educational institutions from the kindergarten to the university await ESS collaborates and their families in bilingual educational courses and training programs in English, French, Spanish and Italian.

The vicinity of Debrecen
Hortobágy National Park, a World Heritage site and the biggest continuous wasteland in Europe, is just a short drive from Debrecen. The marshlands and fishponds in this area that the UN qualified a biosphere reserve represent significant bird nesting and migration sites at the European scale. So far 342 species of birds have been registered in the Park. M3 Archeopark - including an archaeological and ethnographic exhibition in its leisure park and a show of traditional Hungarian animals - is located close to the town