Szigetszentmiklós

Szigetszentmiklós is the largest settlement of the Csepel-island, located at the southern border of Budapest. It is easily accessible from the capital by suburban train with destination to Ráckeve, or by road from Csepel. It is connected by a bridge with Taksony and Dunavarsány at the opposite bank of the Danube. The town is geographically a part of the Great Plains, more precisely the Danubian Plain.

The Local History Collection presents the settlement’s six-thousand year old past. Stone-axes, stone knives, bronze age vessels, funeral urns, grinding-stones and bone tools are exhibited from the remains of the palaeolithic people. The middle-age history of the village is manifested by stonework, bricks, mints and cannon-balls. It is worth to observe the artefacts of the collection presenting the 19th-century peasant life. The remains of prehistoric animals uncovered from the local gravel mine including more million-year old snails and shell-fish form part of the exhibition, as well.

The only monument of the settlement is the transmission tower with a characteristic cigar shape built at the city border, and still in operation today. At the time of its inauguration in 1933 the Lakihegy Transmission Tower was the highest structure in Europe with its 314 m height. The mine lakes located near the Szigetszentmiklós exit of the highway M0 offer angling possibilities. A short but rather interesting study pathway leads within the area of the town, fitted with wooden bridges and benches, leading through a floating marsh system. The city boasts a modern water park with covered and open-air pools, toboggans, sports fields, thermal water pools, fitness training rooms and accommodation in pensions. The water park providing wellness services can host events with up to 1000 guests.

Sources: http://www.szszm.hu/, http://hu.wikipedia.org/, http://www.vendegvaro.hu/, http://www.museum.hu/