Dunaharaszti

Dunaharaszti, a holiday resort and industrial town bordering Budapest, is situated along the Ráckeve-Soroksár Danube branch, to the south of the capital. It used to lie in a sheltered area, bounded by ancient Danube branches, thus people settled here willingly. Graves from the stone, copper and bronze age have been excavated on the confines of the town. It also played an important role in the time of the Romans. Grave finds have endured from the age of the migrations and the Hungarian conquest. The first golden age of the town was during the reign of King Mátyás. Most of its dwellers were craftsmen by then. However, the Turkish occupation in the 16-17 century ruined it.

After the reoccupation of Buda the restoration started immediately. German settlers arrived, and for about 200 years Haraszti was a small, but constantly growing German-speaking settlement. Around 1880 a new epoch began with the constructing of railway lines. After building the Budapest-Dunaharaszti-Ráckeve suburban railway line, the village became one of the favorite holiday resorts for the people of Pest. Lots of swimming places, restaurants, casinos, promenades and a sanatorium have attracted visitors.

In World War II the front stopped in its region, causing great losses. The planned economy of the communist era didn't develop it, but degraded it to a commuting town.

The development that leads to the municipal rank began in 1990. The M0 and M5 highways, and the 51, 510 main roads starting out of it in the region of Dunaharaszti, established its rapid development. More than ten multinational corporations can be found in the industrial area, and also the number of smaller companies is more than fourty.

In Dunaharaszti market is held twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday, which receives 500-800 venders and scores of customers.

 People from Budapest and abroad discover it as a holiday resort and place of excursion. This feature is provided by the 6 km long Danube bank with holiday houses, the camp-sites and sports facilities of the Paradicsom and Sport islands, the Soroksár-Danube branch suitable for water sports, the fishing area of the Danube-Tisza canal and the holiday centers located next to the clear-watered mining lakes. The biggest among them is the Universum camp-site, which, with its swimming place, jet-ski and motorboat lake, cable road water-ski and sixty bungalows for four to six people each, is the most significant water establishment around Budapest. 

All to this there is a number of restaurants and cafes in the town. A modern library, a museum on local history and the Baktay Contemporary Fine Arts Gallery in the building of Baktay Secondary School awaits visitors.

Some monument buildings can also be found in the town. The town hall was built in a classicist style, and it was the mansion of the Földváry family. The neogothic roman catholic church with its beautifully dyed glass widows and the baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk stands on the Fő út (Main street). Beside, there are churches of four other denominations in the town.

Dunaharaszti is also the educational center of the neighbourhood. This task was previously fulfilled between the two world wars by the Regional Civic and Technical School; today there is the Baktay Ervin Secondary School where besides regular education, about 500 adults in two types of schools study as well.
 

The cultural life of the town is very lively, musical programs and art exhibitions are often held here.