Nagykörű

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Nagykörű is a village in central Hungary, in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, part of the Northern Great Plain region. It sits on the right bank of the Tisza River, about 25 km northeast of Szolnok. You can reach it by bus from the west, by ferry from Fegyvernek to the east, or by bike along the Tisza-dam.

The village name comes from its history of being almost surrounded by the Tisza before river control turned it into an island among river meadows. The first written record of Nagykörű’s monastery is from 1212. The settlement was founded in the early 14th century and once belonged to Ban Lothár of Gutkeled. An estate called Kürümonostora was granted in 1318 by King Charles Robert to Peter Kompolty.

Nagykörű survived Turkish rule thanks to its location. A legend says Turkish troops were lost in the marsh on July 19, 1530.

From the mid-1700s the village began to develop. The first vineyard was planted in 1751 by Baron Lórinc Orczy. Later, György Petrovay helped turn the area into a center for cultivating the Germersdorf cherry in the late 19th century. Nagykörű is known as the “Cherry Garden of Hungary,” with about 200 hectares of cherry trees, and the Nagykörű cherry is a trademark.

In 2001, about 94% of residents identified as Hungarian and 6% as Roma. The cherry industry is the main income for many locals, with cherries mainly grown for export. Tourism is growing too, though many houses are used as holiday homes. The surrounding area is popular for fishing, swimming, and other leisure activities.