# Szigetbecse

Szigetbecse (German:Wetsch) is in Pest County.

## Get in

Szigetbecse is 3 km south of Ráckeve.
It can be reached only through Ráckeve, both from Budapest and the M0 motorway, and from the Kiskunlacháza section of the main road 51, along the road 5101 along the island, then deviating from it on the side road No. 51 112, which continues from here to the centre of Makád.
The easiest way to get there is by public transport with the HÉV Ráckeve starting from Közvágóhíd HÉV-állomás, from the end of which the intercity bus service of the Volánbusz leads to the village.

## See

* Catholic and Protestant Cemetery (Szigetbecsei Temető), Akácfa utca, ☏ +36 24 513510. There are beautiful, well-kept graves. For settled Hungarians from Upper Hungary (now Slovakia) created the Protestant cemetery. Opposite the entrance is the World War II heroes monument. Watch the fence assembled from the old grave stones!
* Statue of St. Vendel (Szent Vendel szobor). St. Vendel is the patron saint of animals. The statue was put here because since 1863 here were the common pastures of the village, and farmers herded out to graze the animals here. The statue depicts St. Vendel in shepherd outfit, with a lamb and a stick in his hand. Akácfa utca and Napsugár utca corner.
* Swabian houses, monument dwelling houses The beautiful porched and iron fenced Swabian village houses are the gems of the village. Made in around the 1850s. (Hu: Sváb házak. Loc.: Petőfi Sándor utca #20., 24., 30., 35. Can be viewed only from the outside.)
* St. John of Nepomuk statue. At bank of the 'dead fork' of Danube stay the Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk, the waters of the patron saint. The 1838' flood height is signed on the statue's base. Next to a statue is a World War II soldier's grave (Hu: Nepomuki Szent János szobor. Loc: Petőfi Sándor utca, Tel: +36 24 513510). Tree of Life. A wood carving sculpture. The name and date of birth of local children placed on it who in the third millennium was born. The enamel badges made by Fodor Piroska artist.The statue symbolizes life, the trunk symbolizes the mother, motherhood, fertility. (Hu: Életfa. Loc: Balassi tér. Tel: +36 24 513510, F: +36 24 513511).
* St. Stephen's Church memorial site. On Petofi Sandor street before you get off towar the backwater stop at a nice little park. A cross is in the middle of it, which keeps Szigetbecse first church memory, named after martyr St. Stephen. (Hu: Szent István templom emlékhelye. Loc: Petőfi Sándor utca, Tel: +36 24 513510).
* André Kertész Memorial Museum (André Kertész Emlékmúzeum, Makádi út 40), perhaps tye best known Hungarian photographer in the 20th century is André Kertész. André Kertész born in 1849, spent much time of his childhood and youth with relatives in Szigetbecse. On his first photos can be see the local landscape and its inhabitants. Content of exhibit: 120 original and signed photographs, and the furniture and some personal belongings from his apartment of New York City. T: +36 24 513510, F: +36 24 513510. Open: May-Sep. Sa Su 10:00-17:00. Free of charge.)
* St. Michael Roman Catholic Church The simple, Copf style church nemed after St. Michael the patron of the village. The church was built between 1800-1803. From the main entrance to the left on a pedestal of a stone cross can be see the name of locaals who fallen in World War I. (Hu: Római Katolikus Templom - Szent Mihály Templom. Loc: Makádi út 32. T: +36 24 513260.

## Do

* Tőzike Nature Path, in a Nature Protected Area. The trail starts at the Becse side of Danube backwater, where the Kereszt street reaches the Danube River. The length of its only one kilometer. The trail consists five information table, each of them can be easy to get to. (Hu: Szigetbecsei Tőzike tanösvény. Loc:Dunube Backwater. T: +36 24 513510, F: +36 24 513511, csucske@freemail.hu)
* Lake Balassi. After reconstruction of the lake, grass planting and finished around its the walkway with benches. The space is great place to the Village Day event, in winter is good to skating, ice hockey. (Hu: Balassi téri tó. Loc: Balassi tér , mid part of the village. T:+36 24 513510, F:+36 24 513511, szigetbecse@upcmail.hu)

### Events

* Easter Sunday Egg Run (Loc: Petőfi Sándor St.)
* St. Michael's Day farewell.