Archaeological excavation found the remnants of the fortress on Szeged’s riverside!
An archaeological excavation has begun on Szeged’s Huszár Mátyás Riverside as part of a comprehensive redevelopment project, Deputy Mayor for Urban Development Sándor Nagy (Szeged Jövője, Future of Szeged) announced Friday.
Speaking at the site during a press conference, Nagy said the city has long planned to renovate the riverside promenade. The multi-phase project aims to green the area and create a riverside space that attracts visitors even in the summer—not a concrete heat trap caused by flood defenses, he explained.
Nagy emphasized that the new development is being scheduled in a way that minimizes disruption to the area, which currently accommodates heavy vehicle traffic and serves partially as a parking zone.
As part of that plan, archaeological and hydraulic engineering works were moved up to this summer. The latter includes replacing utility lines along a 330-meter stretch between the Belvárosi Bridge and the Belvedere Palace, Nagy added.
Excavation director Csilla Molnár said the dig began on Thursday, and archaeologists quickly uncovered remains of the northern wall of Szeged’s old fortress. Nearby, another wall segment surfaced—an unexpected find, as experts had no prior knowledge of another historical structure in that area.
After consulting with hydraulic engineers, they determined that the arched wall fragment is likely part of the first riverbank structure built after the massive flood of 1879, according to a representative of the Móra Ferenc Museum, as reported by SzegedMa.
Over the coming weeks, one of the excavation’s primary goals is to thoroughly document the northern fortress wall. Archaeologists will also investigate the area by the rondella—an old circular bastion—along the riverfront, aligned with the Móra Ferenc Museum building, in hopes of locating remnants of the southern fortress wall, Molnár added.
Work along the Huszár Mátyás Riverside—named after the pioneering geodesist and hydraulic engineer who first mapped the Danube, Maros, Tisza, and Körös rivers—is scheduled to run through August 19, according to current plans.
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