Kecskemét sits right in the heart of the Great Hungarian Plain, roughly halfway between Budapest and Szeged. It is the county seat of Bács-Kiskun, Hungary's largest county, and has long thrived as a market town surrounded by orchards and farmland. The city is famous for its apricot pálinka, a fiery fruit brandy that has been distilled here for centuries and remains a point of genuine local pride — best sampled at the Zwack distillery on the city's southern edge.
What makes Kecskemét worth a stop is its remarkable concentration of art nouveau architecture. The ornate Town Hall, designed by Ödön Lechner, is one of the finest examples of the Hungarian Secession style anywhere in the country, its facade covered in colourful Zsolnay ceramic tiles. The main square is a pleasure to walk around, lined with pastel-coloured buildings, churches, and theatres that give the city a grandeur out of proportion to its modest size — the Cifrapalota and the Old Synagogue are essential stops.
Kecskemét also serves as the gateway to the Kiskunság National Park, part of the wider Puszta grasslands that stretch across the plain. From here you can arrange visits to traditional horse farms where csikós horsemen perform their famous tricks, or explore the sandy steppe landscape on foot. The city itself is relaxed and walkable, with good restaurants serving hearty Hungarian food and none of the tourist crowds you will find in Budapest.