Debrecen has won the Green Innovation of the Year award. At the Flowering Hungary competition, hundreds of municipalities competed with 400 entries, and nearly 80 recognitions were presented at this year’s, already 32nd, award ceremony, the Visit Hungary Nonprofit Ltd. announced to MTI on Saturday.
Among large cities, Kecskemét won the main prize; in the category for towns with fewer than 30,000 residents, Szentes received the top award. For communities with more than 1,000 residents, Súr was the winner, while Várda won in the smaller towns category. Budapest’s main prize was awarded to District XVI by a jury of gardeners, landscape architects, urban planners, and tourism experts.
This year, thematic awards also mobilized communities, traditionally attracting the most applications. The Main Square of the Year award went to Kardos, while the Avenue of the Year was awarded to the chestnut-lined Danube promenade in Paks. The Kindergarten Garden of the Year recognition was given to Budapest’s 22nd District United Kindergarten, and the Flowering Urban and Village Walks award went to Miskolc.
The Hungarian Tourism Agency and Visit Hungary Nonprofit Ltd. gave special awards to Mezőkövesd in the city category and Háromhuta in the village category, while the Patronage Award went to Baranyahídvég. The Prime Minister’s Special Award was won this year by Harkány and Vonyarcvashegy. The Flowering Municipality Award was presented to Tatabánya, Esztergom, Érsekcsanád, Kisbodak, and Budapest’s 14th District, and the Ministry of Agriculture prizes were won by Nagykőrös and Etyek.
Debrecen received the Green Innovation of the Year award, while Szikszó was recognized as the Flowering Community of the Year 2025. Additionally, Dunakeszi received a special award for its high-standard green space management.
Debrecen earned the Green Innovation of the Year award for the establishment of its Environmental Monitoring System. The system consists of 16 complex measurement stations and 2 surface water testing stations, providing data 24/7 on Debrecen’s environment and ensuring the safety of its residents.
As a new initiative, the environmental beautification efforts of the five smallest villages, with populations under 500, were also recognized with special awards. Gagyapáti, Kékkút, Hegyhátszentmárton, Salföld, and Regéc received valuable gift packages containing climate-resilient flowers, trees, and shrubs.
Photo: László Papp
