The seat of Csongrád county is Szeged, with its 160,000 inhabitants, it is the fourth most populated town in Hungary. Szeged is located near the mouth of the Maros River, on both banks of the Tisza River. Its larger half rests on the right bank, while Újszeged, its garden suburb is on the left bank. The origin of Szeged can be connected to salt and gold delivery on the Maros River. Even as far back as Roman times, a post guarded the trade crossing point on the Tisza River. Although the town is almost as old as the state, it received its present appearance only during the reconstruction works after the 1879 flood. A modern town was built with the help of significant international financial aid on the site of the destroyed settlement, with boulevards, eclectic uniform-facade palace rows, parks and squares, decorated with statues and shady promenades. The architecture of the town is characterised primarily by buildings in the eclectic and Art Nouveau styles, which are nicely complemented by the Neo-Baroque and pre-modern façades of the interwar period. The urban environment is further enhanced by the public statues and art works.
