Debrecen4U November 13, 2025

Debrecen Advent Attractions

During Advent, Debrecen turns into a sparkling festive wonderland, where tradition meets creativity and joy. Visitors can discover the Advent Fair and many enchanting attractions in the city center that bring the season to life, offering moments of reflection, family fun, and holiday cheer. Debrecen Advent is one of Hungary’s most enchanting Christmas celebrations transforming the city’s historic center into a festive wonderland from late November through December. 

Apart from concerts, spiritual displays, and other programs, visitors are awaited with these magical sights and attractions in the heart of the city from November 28 at Debrecen Advent!

This year, lights will play an even more prominent role, as 10,000 lights will decorate Kossuth Square next to the city’s Christmas tree, making Kossuth Square even more magical with a light net.

Debrecen Advent invites the city to celebrate together each year with more than one hundred programs, nearly five hundred contributors, and two hundred performers.

Please find below the sights and attractions awaiting you at Debrecen Advent!

Debrecen Advent Fair

From November 28 to December 23, 2025, visitors can stroll through the Advent Fair, where more than 75 stalls offer handcrafted gifts, traditional Hungarian delicacies, and warming drinks like mulled wine.

Useful information:

• At the Debrecen Advent Fair, only cashless payments will be accepted at the catering units. Use your bank cards or the HelloPay card, which can be topped up on site, to make your purchases quickly and conveniently!
• Cash and credit card payments will still be available at the merchants, so everyone can find the most practical solution for them.
• Don’t forget your bank card at home, or top up your HelloPay card on the spot – a carefree Advent atmosphere is just a tap away!

In keeping with classic Christmas tradition, alongside selected quality craft and gastronomy exhibitors, visitors will be welcomed with gourmet dishes including a one-plate meal priced at HUF 1,500.

During the Advent Fair, from Monday to Friday, primary school children can also take part in free chimney cake making.

Illuminated Installations – Step into the magic of Debrecen Advent and experience the dazzling illuminated installations that light up the city.

• Light Globe: A giant glowing sphere that serves as a centerpiece, perfect for photos and festive ambiance.

• Ice Tree: A shimmering sculpture resembling frozen branches, symbolizing the elegance of winter.

• Light Tree: A towering Christmas tree made entirely of lights, illuminating the square with brilliance.

Traditional & Spiritual Displays – Discover the beauty of tradition and spirituality through inspiring displays at Debrecen Advent.

• Nativity Scene: A handcrafted display of the birth of Jesus, enhanced with peaceful lighting.

• Preschool Christmas Trees: Mini trees decorated by local kindergartens, showcasing creativity and community spirit.

• Advent Calendar: A large-scale installation revealing a new surprise or message each day. 

• Advent Soul Garden: A tranquil corner for reflection, decorated with lights and hopeful messages
• • The Memorial Garden behind the Great Church will be transformed into an Advent Soul Garden, which will provide opportunities for meetings, reflection, reviving the tradition of the living nativity scene, and, of course, donating.
  • The Advent Soul Garden can be visited between December 2, 2025, and January 6, 2026, in the Memorial Garden behind the Great Church.
  • More about the programs related to the Advent Soul Garden are available on the websites of the Debrecen-Great Church Reformed Church at https://www.nagytemplom.hu/, the Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café at https://karakter1517.hu/, and on social media at https://www.facebook.com/events/1295760195652948.

Family-Friendly Attractions – Enjoy the warmth of Debrecen Advent with family‑friendly attractions that delight visitors of all ages.

• Reindeer Family: A charming installation of reindeer figures, ideal for family photos and holiday cheer.

• Advent Corner: A cozy wooden hut offering crafts, storytelling, and warm drinks for children and families. Santa Claus will arrive in person this year to listen to the children’s Christmas wishes. The Advent Corner, tuned to Christmas, will reopen its doors on Dósa nádor Square from November.

• Christmas Mini Train/Fairy Tale Town: A delightful ride for children winding waiting for its passengers at the Dósa nádor Square!
  • Opening hours: 
    • Monday-Thursday 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
    • Friday 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Saturday 11 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Sunday 11 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
    • Monday, December 23 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

• Baroque Carousel: A vintage-style carousel with ornate horses and classical music, adding old-world charm.
  The baroque carousel, made in a small-scale artisanal environment in the town of Montagnana in Northern Italy, provides entertainment for smaller children at the Advent Fair in Debrecen. Thanks to the Nagyerdei Cultural Park, the ornate carousel awaits its passengers in all its glory in the period in the Advent season at the Dósa nádor Square.
  • Opening hours:
    • Monday -Thursday 3:00  p.m.  – 8:00 p.m.
    • Friday 3:00  p.m –  9:00 p.m.
    • Saturday  1. p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
    • Sunday 11. a.m.  – 8 p.m.
    • Saturday, December 23, 3:-00  p.m  8:00 p.m.

• Ice Rink: An outdoor skating rink where visitors can glide under festive lights in the heart of the city!
• • Ice Rink Opening hours
    • December 24, 2025 (Christmas Eve): 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    • December 25 – 30, 2025: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
    • December 31: 9:00 a.m. – Jan 1: 1:00 a.m.
    • January 1, 2026 (New Year’s Day): 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
    • January 2 – 4, 2026: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• • Price List
    • Entrance ticket: 2,000 HUF / person / occasion
    • Accompanying ticket: 500 HUF / person / occasion
    • Penguin rental: 1,000 HUF / piece / hour
    • Skate sharpening: 2,500 HUF / pair / occasion
    • Skate rental: 2,000 HUF / pair / occasion
• • Rental conditions:
    • A valid photo ID is required for the duration of the skate rental, or a deposit of 10,000 Ft / pair / occasion must be paid.
  • Additional information:
    • Entrance tickets are valid for single entry.
    • Children under 3 years of age are admitted free of charge.
    • Payment methods: Cash or bank card.
    • An invoice request should be indicated in advance.
    • Please find more information about Ice Rink rules at this https://debreceniadvent.hu/en/programs/ice-rink/

Advent Bridge and Ice Carnival

• The new Advent Bridge will also be dressed in lights, and lights will also play a major role in the evening Ice Flower Carnival.

• On December 13, the Ice Flower Carnival will be held for the first time, filling Debrecen with a magical, fairy-tale atmosphere.

Christmas Chalet/Hütte: A charming rustic hut that becomes the heart of the winter festivities in the heart of the Advent Fair.

Guests are welcomed with the comforting aroma of mulled wine, and rich hot chocolate, and with seasonal treats. Wooden décor, twinkling fairy lights, and evergreen garlands create a cozy alpine atmosphere, inviting visitors to gather, warm up, and enjoy the spirit of the holidays. The chalet is not only a place to taste traditional flavors but also a social hub where families and friends can pause, share stories, and soak in the magic of Christmas.

Blending light, tradition, and joy, Debrecen’s Advent attractions offer everything from quiet reflection to family fun and festive flavors, creating a magical holiday experience that keeps visitors returning year after year.

Source:https://debreceniadvent.hu/en/attraction/, dehir.hu | Photo credit:Facebook Papp László