This winter, there are two reasons to marvel in the northeastern Hungarian city of Miskolc. While the festively decorated Advent tram has once again defended its prestigious European title, a technical monument over 115 years old ensures that the tracks remain passable even in heavy snowfall.
Miskolc remains the undisputed capital of Christmas rail vehicles. In the international competition organized by the Czech portal MHD86, the city’s Advent tram was voted the most beautiful in Europe for the ninth time.
In a field of 38 cities, Miskolc prevailed against strong competitors. The Czech city of Plzeň and the Slovak capital Bratislava followed in second and third place, Turizmus.com reported.
This year’s design, which marks the 14th edition of this tradition, is themed around The Nutcracker.
A 20-strong team from the transport company MVK Zrt. invested weeks in the detailed decoration. With almost 400 meters of light tubes and hundreds of ornaments, they transformed the vehicle into a rolling fairytale castle. The tram, which runs between Tiszai Station and the city center, has long since become a tourist magnet, attracting visitors from far beyond the country’s borders.
Other Hungarian cities also scored well in the contest. Budapest secured eighth place, followed by Debrecen in tenth.
Photo: MTI/Vajda János
Miskolc is not only banking on glitz and glamour, it also has a soft spot for technical history. When heavy snowfall hit the country last week, it was time for a very special vehicle to shine.
A self-propelled tram from 1910, was deployed to clear snow from the tracks.
The vehicle is still in active service in the city’s transport system today, after the Miskolc Transport Company saved it from scrapping and gave it a new lease on life and work. The fact that a tram that is over 115 years old still plays an active role in urban transport is a rarity even on a national level.
Historical snow-clearing tram in Miskolc. Photo: MVK Zrt.
The history of this special machine goes far beyond a simple technical curiosity, reads a press release by Tourinform Miskolc. It was built in the main workshop of the Budapest Tram Railway Company during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, originally as a covered motorized freight vehicle. At that time, it was equipped with a crane and designed for industrial tasks. Over the past century, it has undergone numerous modifications, engine replacements, and technical upgrades, with each era leaving its mark on it.
It served in Budapest for many decades, passing through several depots, before being decommissioned at the end of the 1990s. Many vehicles of a similar age disappeared from transport at that time.
However, this tram had a different fate.
In 1997, the Miskolc Transport Company saw its potential, purchased it, and gave it a new task, thus saving it from decay. It was put into service as a snow removal vehicle in the city of Bükk Mountains, and since then, every winter, when the weather warrants it, it goes to work on the tram tracks.
Photo: MVK Zrt.
With this mixture of festive tradition and living technological history, Miskolc proves that modern city marketing and the preservation of historical values can complement each other perfectly. While the Advent tram makes children’s eyes light up, the trusty snow-clearing vehicle from the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire ensures that life in the city does not come to a standstill even in the depths of winter.
Via turizmus.com, press release via Tourinform Miskolc; Featured image: MTI/Vajda János
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