Szolnok is a city with county status, the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County and Szolnok District; it is also one of the most important crossing points of the Tisza. Its location at the mouth of the Zagyva, on the banks of the Tisza, in the heart of the Great Plain, has made it an important cultural and economic crossroads for centuries.
It has a population of around 70,000, making it the 11th most populous city in Hungary.
It is a major transportation hub, best symbolized by the Tisza Bridge built after World War II. It handles important goods in transit both by road and by rail.
The wood, textile and chemical industries, as well as paper and pulp, are the most developed in the city and its surroundings. Thanks to the hot springs, spas and spas were built, thus also improving health tourism in the city.
The city's name is first mentioned in 1075 in the Zounok script. Many prehistoric remains have been found in the vicinity of Szolnok, testifying to its early settlement. With the exception of 150 years of Turkish rule in the 16th and 17th centuries, Szolnok has always been part of Hungary. The city suffered severe Allied devastation during World War II, from which it was quickly rebuilt.
Szolnok is known for its bridges over the Tisza, the neoclassical town hall building, the beer museum, the aviation museum, and its sporting life. Its most successful sports are basketball and water polo: the latter club has also won the Champions League and the European Super Cup.
Szolnok has been inhabited by several famous people, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, astronaut Bertalan Farkas, and mathematician Gábor Szegő. More than 98% of the population is Hungarian, but a significant Roma and German minority also live in the city.