A characteristic town of the Great Hungarian Plain with 18,800 inhabitants, located 25 km from Debrecen at the north-eastern edge of the Hortobágy National Park, bordered by the tourist area of Hajdúszoboszló-Debrecen-Hortobágy. The settlement gained the privileges of a market-town already in medieval times. Protected values of the town include the neo-Classical Semsey mansion built at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries in the city centre, the monument Calvinist church built between 1807 and 1837 and the Catholic church (1786). The Town Hall was built in 1833, rebuilt in Eclectic style in 1911. The buildings of the Memorial House of Péter Veres and the Musem of Andor Semsey are both folk monuments. Darassa Puszta, which is the most valuable and colourful part of the Hortobágy National Park, is situated near the town. In the town 1 day-nursery, 2 nursery schools, 3 primary schools, the Péter Veres Secondary School provide education for children. In the Péter Veres General Community Centre and Elementary Art School the internationally famous Bekton Youth Brass and Reed Band works. One of the high-standard programmes of the town is the year by year recurring Evenings in the Mansion Garden to be held in the week before the 20th of August. This series of programmes is completed with folklore programmes of groups preserving traditions, classical and pop music programmes and educational exhibitions. The Reading Folk Club of 48 and Rákóczi Folk Club reviving old traditions are the scene of entertainment, culture and communal life. Tourists are attracted by the all year round open, continuously developing medicinal thermal bath with 6 pools and the growing number of places for private accommodation.