Heves

Heves is a small city in eastern Hungary. About 100 km east of Budapest, Heves lies at the northern extreme of the Great Hungarian Plain (Nagyalfold), just south of the Mátra and Bükk hills and west of the Tisza River. Heves shares its name with a Hungarian county (megye). The city is the fourth largest city in Heves county. The closest major city is Eger, which lies 40 km to the north. Heves is a significant transportation hub for the towns and agricultural areas of southern Heves county.

Heves is home to approximately 11,000 residents. In addition to the ethnic Hungarian majority, there is a sizable Roma population. The city welcomes an outdoor market every Wednesday and Saturday morning. Heves is well known for watermelons and hosts a watermelon festival each August.

The center of the city is a scenic park with a chestnut-lined promenade, a gazebo, a fountain and numerous statues. A city museum and a 19th-century Catholic church stand at opposite ends of the park. A second museum (sakkmuzeum), one of the few chess museums in the world, is located not far from the park. Other recreational opportunities in Heves include a thermal bath, a community center that doubles as a theatre (kulturhaz) and the Aranykehely restaurant. The small city is also home to a number of small bars and nightclubs, including Unikum and Panziodisco.

Other major civic institutions in Heves include a city hall (Heves Varoshaza), a city library (konyvtar), a folkart and handicraft cooperative (művészeti csoportok), a music school (zeneiskola), a children’s house (gyermekhaz) and a high school (Eotvos Jozsef Kozepiskola). The high school is home to more than 1,000 students and is widely known for its police academy. Every year, the high school welcomes an English teacher from an English-speaking country to join the faculty for the school year.

Heves is served by a modern bus station near the center of the city. The city is also served by a small train station 1 km from the city center. Heves is located on a small train line (kis piros) that connects with major lines at Kál-Kápolna to the north and Kisújszállás to the south.

The major sources of employment in Heves are agricultural and service-sector occupations.

Twin towns – Sister cities
Heves is twinned with:


 * 🇮🇹 Breganze, Italy
 * 🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
 * 🇷🇴 Ciumani, Romania
 * Aalburg, Netherlands

Notable Residents

 * Antal Stevanecz, Slovene teacher and writer