It is situated in the south of county Pest, at the gate of the Great Hungarian Plain, only 72 km from Budapest. The town has nearly 40,000 inhabitants. It is a railway and road junction, the national motorway No. 4 crosses the town. Lajos Kossuth, one of the greatest figures of Hungarian history played a significant role in the life of the town. Cegléd still preserves the memory of his famous recruiting speech made in September 1848 in the market-place, which is now called Kossuth square. The town has been commemorating this important historical event by holding the series of programmes called Kossuth ceremony since 1996 every year. Apart from preserving traditions, Cegléd places an emphasis on making the town an important health tourism centre of the region. The Thermal Bath and Leisure Centre of Cegléd opened in 2003 awaits visitors who wish to recover from illnesses with the thermal water of 56 °C, as well as those who are interested in wellness and fitness. They are offered all kinds of modern services in the territory of the impressive bath. As a new project an aquapark was opened on 1 May 2005 with 17 chutes including a pendulum chute, which is unique in Hungary. The newest Thermal Camping site called Castrum was also opened with facilities for tents and caravans, as well as with 36 apartment houses with heating and all conveniences including a kitchen.