The nine - arch bridge
Debrecen has a river,
Which is called Hortobágy
There's a stone bridge over it,
With nine arches.
Hardly was the stone-bridge finished, it inspired songs. It is so well placed that the Hortobágy cannot be imagined without it. Its constructor, Ferenc Pavolny based his name in Hungarian bridge-building with this creation. The bridge finished in 1833 is the longest and the most beautiful stone-bridge of Hungary. Its full length is 167.3 meters, the body of the bridge is 92.13 meters long. The stones were brought from Tokaj to Tiszacsege on the Tisza and from there it was transported by wagons to the location. The 400,000 bricks necessary to the bridge were burnt by wood brought from the Oak-wood of Ohat.
The most important road between Transylvania and Pest-Buda, that had been an important commercial road from the Middle Ages, crossed the river Hortobágy here. The development of Debrecen increased the importance of this road in salt-transportation and cattle-trading. A wooden bridge had always been here before, where toll was also taken. Documents refer to it from 14th century. The totally renovated bridge in 1702 was made of wood. The council of Debrecen decided to build a stone-bridge in 1827, which was finished six years after.
Before the river regulation many wooden bridge crossed the Hortobágy and its side-waters. The Zádor-bridge near Karcag was built in a style similar to the nine-arch bridge before the regulation of the Tisza, but the flooding washed away two of its pillars. Today this area is waterless, and the bridge is standing on a dry land.
