Debrecen4U July 14, 2026

Debrecen Bicycle Museum Celebrates Second Anniversary with New Exhibit Space and Rarities

A new exhibition space, outdoor displays and free guided tours await visitors as the Debrecen Bicycle Museum celebrates its second anniversary. Based on the private collection of Attila Katona, the permanent exhibition opened on 1 August 2024, and this year’s anniversary will be marked with a celebratory cake.

The oldest exhibit in the Debrecen Bicycle Museum is a steerable running machine built by Baron Karl von Drais in 1817, but the collection also features many other remarkable rarities. Over the past two years, the exhibition has attracted thousands of visitors, not only from Debrecen and the surrounding region, but also from across Hungary and beyond the country’s borders.

One of the collection’s most unusual exhibits is a bicycle manufactured at the Opel factory in 1932, notable for having its bell mounted somewhere other than on the handlebars. Almost every exhibit in the museum has its own story, which Attila Katona, the collector and restorer behind the collection, is always happy to share with visitors. As the collection continues to grow, the museum is expanding with a new exhibition space.

With support from the Municipality of Debrecen and Cívis Ház Zrt., the museum has also acquired the neighbouring basement premises. This will allow the opening of a new exhibition wing covering almost 200 square metres, larger than the current exhibition space. “The new exhibition area will present the development of the bicycle from 1817 through to 1950 in a thematic display, while another section will showcase racing and championship bicycles from the period after 1910,” said Attila Katona.

The new exhibition wing is scheduled to be completed by 1 August. To celebrate the museum’s second anniversary, the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony will be replaced by a cake-cutting celebration. Visitors can begin the anniversary celebrations as early as this weekend, as the Debrecen Bicycle Museum is joining the Downtown – Love It event series. On both Saturday and Sunday, the museum will present an outdoor exhibition and offer free guided tours starting at 5:00 pm each afternoon.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu