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Useful information for tourists about Szombathely in Hungary - geographical location, tourist infrastructure, map, architectural features and attractions.

Szombathely is the oldest Hungarian city and has many names in different languages. The Hungarian name of this western Transdanubian city is made up of two words: Szombat - Saturday and hely - the site of the famous Saturday fairs. Built by the Romans 45 years before our era, Szombathely survived a devastating earthquake, the rule of the Avars, and the encroachments of the Franks, who were later ousted by the Moravians.

Only in the 10th century did the Hungarians recapture the city, incorporating it into the Diocese of Győr. Destroyed by the Mongols in 1242, Szombathely was quickly rebuilt, subsequently receiving the status of a free royal city. Having twice resisted Turkish attacks, the city was later involved in the Ferenc Rakoczi uprising, lost some of its citizens during the plague, and suffered a severe fire.

These tragic events significantly reduced the Hungarian population of Szombathely, which was replenished by the influx of German colonists who soon became the ethnic majority. The subsequent history is typical for Hungarian cities that escaped the revolutionary events of 1849: the arrival of the railway intensified the economic development of the city, which soon absorbed several suburban villages; This was followed by devastating world wars, ending with socialist industrialization.

Unfortunately, the extremely turbulent history of Szombathely did not allow material evidence of urban life to be preserved more or less comprehensively to this day. Natural disasters, destructive attacks and successive rulers have created an unfavorable atmosphere that hinders historical inheritance. Nevertheless, Szombathely has preserved fragmentary relics of bygone eras, representing magnificent examples of ancient architecture.

The earliest are considered to be the ruins of Roman Savaria, represented by the remains of the Temple of Isis and an early Christian basilica built in the 4th century. The temple is dedicated to the greatest goddess of Ancient Egypt, who personified femininity and motherhood. While patronizing sinners, artisans, slaves and other oppressed people, the goddess did not neglect the prayers of girls, rich men and aristocrats. Even rulers relied on her intercession.

The Savaria Museum located here displays archaeological artifacts left behind by the Roman era. In addition, the Bishop's Palace, erected in Szombathely after it was given the status of an episcopal residence, and the city cathedral, dating from the same century, are of aesthetic interest. Tourists are recommended to visit the city hall, St. Martin's Church, and the Canon's House.

The historical Savaria festival taking place in Szombathely is extremely colorful. Its program includes a musical procession, fire games, and theatrical performances. Scenes of gladiator battles are also played out, folk dances are demonstrated, and those who wish to are drawn into wine feasts.

A road trip through Hungary took me to the west of the country, where I was able to see the sights of Szombathely, including the Savaria Museum and the city's cathedral, as well as the Iseum, a sanctuary of the goddess Isis; to find out more, read the story about the tour of Szombathely

The national characteristics of Hungarian roads are such that there is less traffic on secondary highways than on main roads. Most drivers prefer to buy a Hungarian vignette and drive for their own pleasure. For us, due to the geography of our planned voyages around the country, this ticket was not very useful, and we could only use it to get to Eger. And since you cannot buy a pass for one day, I simply did not see the need to contact it. And for the time being everything went well, until we left Győr, heading towards Szombathely to spend the night. Then it turned out that we were not the only ones who were so thrifty: there was a dense flow of truckers passing through the towns...

How the Hungarians tolerate this roaring herd rushing through small towns is beyond comprehension. If I were them, I would drive all the trucks onto toll roads, because the traffic in the western part of the country is completely ugly. Moreover, the traffic density is created almost exclusively by Poles, who clearly save on fares. I don’t know, maybe the carrier companies don’t allocate money for vignettes, maybe the drivers put the allotted funds in their pockets, but instead of crossing Hungary from the Balkans along the M7, they make money on country roads. By God, in an hour and a half of overtaking and maneuvering around trucks, I was more exhausted than on an excursion from Budapest to Eger, which required five hours of sitting behind the wheel...

We arrived at the place of our reserved overnight stay in the tiny town of Bük shortly before midnight. This time, instead of a hotel, I decided to stay in one of the guesthouses, which are a dime a dozen in that part of the country. Indeed, what is it that there is an incredible amount of housing for rent in Keszthely and Heviz. As soon as I raised the question, offers to rent villas and apartments in Hungary began to pour in as if from a cornucopia. All that remained was to choose the best value for money, which I did, ordering an apartment with all amenities from Bettina Vendeghaz for 22 euros.

The thought about whether the choice was right came to my mind immediately after arrival: the navigator took us to the right house, but there were no appropriate signs on this building, and there wasn’t even a light on inside. I had to go bang on the door and listen with a sinking heart to see if anyone responded or not...

It is clear that we would not have stayed without an overnight stay, since almost every house in the city is “vendeghaz”, as a guesthouse is called in Hungarian, and yet we wanted to live like a human being, without wasting time running around the streets at night. And I was sincerely delighted when the owner of the villa answered my knock. He was somewhat surprised that we were so late, but he organized the accommodation in the best possible way. Having figured out where the stove, microwave and cutlery were located, we slightly admired the collection of golf trophies occupying half the wall of the kitchen and went to bed...

It should be noted that until that moment the weather in Hungary had not spoiled us like children. The sun shone non-stop all the way, rare clouds appeared only occasionally, and a pleasant breeze constantly blew. All the more terrible was the change that happened the next morning: a nasty rain was drizzling outside the window, and not a single break was visible in the cloudy sky...

In this situation, we naturally didn’t want to leave our warm shelter, but there was nowhere to go: the next overnight stay awaited us in Heviz. According to the plan, we were supposed to explore Szombathely and pop into Zalaegerszeg for a while, and I honestly tried to fulfill my plan. Having said goodbye to the hospitable Hungarian, we moved along the planned route.

The first impressions of Szombathely were very bleak: the outskirts, along which the intercity highway was laid, looked depressing. It was clear that the center was probably not so dull, but I couldn’t help but have doubts about whether it was worth visiting Szombathely at all, especially to the accompaniment of the relentless rain.

The large shopping complex “Family Center” became a lifesaver for us in every sense, where we went to “unwind a little,” to quote my other half verbatim. Shopping in Szombathely turned out to be decent, we picked up some clothes and shoes in the left wing, where the “C&A” section is located. At the end of the event, it turned out that we were not the only ones who managed to unwind: the small dirty tricks stopped falling from the sky, although the clouds had not gone away. In short, we had to hurry in order to have time to see the sights of Szombathely “dry”.

Realizing that in the center of European cities, no matter what, you won’t be able to park for free, I had my eye on the Penny supermarket that had a parking lot, located not too far from the cathedral and the main square. The navigator led us to the right place, but as soon as we parked, I thought that it was worth looking for options closer to the center, so that later I wouldn’t have to run to the car in the rain. The right place was soon found on Szabadsagharcos Street, lined with some businesses. That is, at first my attention was attracted by the abundance of parked cars in the area on the other side of the river, but there were no spaces there. So, having made a quick circle, we stood in solidarity with the local workers who did not want to pay for parking. From the place where we stood, it was exactly 350 meters in a straight line to the largest attraction of Sobmatheya.

It's time to say that the city, which the Romans founded in 43 AD, is rightly considered the oldest settlement in Hungary. In ancient times it was called Savaria and flourished, being on the most important trade route connecting Central Europe with Italy. Like other cities under the rule of Rome, Savaria had a developed infrastructure - citizens were a priori entitled to a forum, an amphitheater, baths, and the list goes on.

The peaceful life of the townspeople was almost destroyed by a series of barbarian invasions, supplemented, apparently for the sake of variety, by the catastrophic earthquake of 456. Those who lived in the early Middle Ages did not have a better lot: only in the 10th century, after the annexation of Savaria to the growing Hungarian power, did the restoration of the city’s economy begin. This had to be paid for by abandoning the past, for the new authorities gave the settlement the name Sobmathey, which in a simplified translation means something like “where fairs are held on Saturdays.”

Once again, the history of Savaria was almost interrupted in 1242 by the atrocities of the Mongol army. The city recovered quickly from the raid, and in the future no one was lucky enough to capture it. The Turks approached the walls of Szombathely twice, but were unable to defeat them. But what the fortifications could not stop was the plague, which wiped out a huge number of inhabitants in the 18th century. The population had decreased so much that it was necessary to invite settlers from neighboring Austria to occupy the empty buildings. Since then, a significant part of the townspeople speak German.

In addition to the composition of the population changing in the first half of the century, Szombathely was transformed in the second half. The newcomers found it necessary to demolish many medieval buildings in order to erect a cathedral, an episcopal palace and other large objects designed in the Baroque style on the vacated territory. Now the attractions of Szombathely are divided into two categories: ancient artifacts, which were moved to the Savaria Museum, and baroque pearls scattered throughout the city.

We began our acquaintance with the local ensemble by visiting the cathedral, which is the third largest in all of Hungary. At the same time, the buildings that stand in Eger and Esztergom are known to everyone, and tourists rarely visit the Szombathely giant.

Construction of the cathedral, covering an area of ​​almost 3,000 square meters, began in 1791, when the process of urban renewal gained decent momentum. The project was led by the prominent architect Melchor Hafele, under whom in less than three years the workers erected the walls, covered them with a roof and took up the towers, each more than 60 meters high. However, the unexpected death of the architect slowed down the vigorous progress of construction. The fate of Hafele was shared by Franz Anton Maulberch, the largest Austrian painter of the Baroque era: his untimely death overtook him immediately after receiving an order to paint the cathedral. It’s good that in this case the artist’s students took the reins. Anton Spreng and Josef Winterhalder so skillfully imitated the creative style of their mentor that to this day some guides to Szombathely name Maulberch as the author of the frescoes.

The townspeople celebrated the official completion of construction in 1814. The building, which has the shape of a Latin cross, turned out to be extremely harmonious, each of its details is in its own place, as if from time immemorial. This applies to both external design and interior decoration. The beauty of the interiors is eloquently evidenced by the fact that Emperor Franz Joseph I, who visited Szombathely during a trip around the country, was indescribably delighted with the design of the temple, and he had nothing to compare it with...

Alas, today it is impossible to stand in the place of the ruler of Austria-Hungary and feel the same admiration that gripped him: during the Second World War, the explosion of a bomb that fell on the building destroyed the most valuable ceiling frescoes, an organ and many sculptures. The restoration of the pearl of the Baroque style has been going on for several years, but there is no end in sight to this process. I would like to hope that the huge landmark of Szombathely is still destined to regain its former appearance.

To the left of the cathedral is the bishop's palace, but believe me, it is absolutely inferior to its neighbor. Opposite there is another administrative building in a neoclassical form, and it has the same problem. If you want the next portion of bright impressions, you need to move on to Foter Square, whose ensemble deserves the most flattering words. We did just that, finally photographing a monument to a Hungarian poet named Daniel Bergenyi, whose figure gazes thoughtfully at Szombathely Cathedral.

A couple of minutes later, the main square of the city appeared before us, having an intricate shape - a sharp triangle resting on a rectangular base. This place is really very beautiful, surrounded by numerous houses in the Baroque style. The first floor of almost every building is occupied by either a store or a cafe, that is, tourists have the most freedom. There is a fountain in the center of the space, there are flower beds around it, there are trees in tubs, benches are placed - relax as much as you like!

If it weren’t for the constant threat of rain, we would certainly have spent more time on Foter, but the clouds above our heads kept getting thicker and thicker. I had to pick up my feet and move to explore the sights of Szombathely.

The first thing we came across was the Church of St. Elizabeth, located almost next to the square. The Franciscan church was built in the 1730s on the ruins of an earlier structure, which, in turn, was built on top of the foundations of the ancient era. That is, the building, although a little unprepossessing, stands in a sacred place. And a block further south, such an extraordinary attraction as Tortenelmi Temapark was already waiting for us. The historical and theme park is filled with ancient military vehicles, workshops and fortifications, the inspection of which allows you to understand how military operations took place in antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Having studied the guide to Szombathely, I read that those who wish can even try their hand at shooting from an almost real catapult, not to mention gawk at the process of making weapons. In general, the walls and towers, stylized as antique, beckoned me with an irresistible force, but the rain again took its course and forced us to seek refuge under the roof of Iseum, another famous landmark of Szombathely, located three hundred meters to the east. Still, a museum is clearly preferable to a park in bad weather...

The value of Iseum is that its premises shelter the remains of the sanctuary of Isis, one of the Egyptian goddesses, whose cult was brought to the banks of the Danube by Roman legionnaires. There are only one or two ancient complexes of similar preservation in Europe, so the archaeologists who excavated the ruins between 1955 and 1961 probably went crazy from such a find...

The sanctuary, which occupied an area of ​​about 3,000 square meters, was built around the 2nd century AD. Scientists managed to partially restore the former appearance of the religious complex, and it must be said that the sanctuary commands respect...

The Iseum Museum also has a substantial collection of ancient artifacts, including a number of relics used in religious services, all of which were discovered during archaeological excavations. The museum also has an exhibition telling how the Roman province of Pannonia, which included a huge piece of the territory of present-day Hungary, lived and breathed.

Having completed our study of the Temple of Isis and its surroundings, we empirically established that the rain was not going to let up. Meanwhile, it was necessary to see the sights of Szombathely, and first of all pay attention to the hefty synagogue rising across the street. Jumping through puddles, we passed it, but it was a matter of honor to return. After all, say, the synagogues of Pilsen and Prague are known throughout the world, but the Szombathely synagogue, not much inferior to them in size and design, seems to be kept in the shadows.

The building has a certain charisma; it looks like a product of both eastern and western architecture. The Moorish motifs that inspired Ludwig Schön are visible to the naked eye, and immediately noticeable are the neo-Gothic windows, reminiscent of medieval Christian churches. In general, the Szombathely synagogue, built in the 1880s, is very good.

If we had turned left instead of right at the Franciscan church, the Savaria Museum would have been two steps away from us, and this, I tell you, is a place that definitely needs to be visited: the figure of 500 thousand exhibits dating back to the ancient era says for myself. Visitors are invited to get acquainted with the historical, archaeological, ethnographic and other sections, so that “Savaria” gives a comprehensive understanding of Hungary’s past. Of course, it was impossible to pass by such a landmark, and yet we passed by it, because none of us had the desire to cut back through half the city in the ever-increasing rain...

For the same reason, we also crossed out the Szombathely Arboretum, which houses a rich collection of Hungarian flora. We only had enough energy to drag ourselves to the car and set off from the most inhospitable city of the entire trip...

That is, we thought so then, because Zalaegerszeg and Köszthely treated us no better than their neighbors...

Szombathely is a city located in the western part of Hungary and is the administrative center of Vas County. It is located 220 kilometers from Budapest and 10 kilometers east of the Austrian border. Climate: temperate, dry. The average temperature in summer is +22 degrees, in winter the thermometer drops to –3 degrees.

Transport

To get around the city you can use taxis and buses.

Attractions

In Szombathely it is worth seeing the ruins of Roman Savaria, the remains of the Temple of Isis, the bishop's palace, the 18th century cathedral, the city hall, the Canon's House, the Church of St. Martin, the Church of St. Elizabeth.

Entertainment

Historical festivals are often held in Szombathely. Museums, bars, restaurants, art galleries, theaters, clubs, and shops are open here.

Hotels

Local hotels are classified as 3-5*. Clubs, restaurants, beauty salons, and fitness centers are open on their territory. You can also rent apartments.

Restaurants

In Szombathely, be sure to try cabbage rolls with sour cream, goose liver, goulash, and wine.

The shops

It is worth purchasing items made of clay, wood, porcelain, clothes with embroidery and lace, Hungarian paprika, and souvenirs.

Located in the very west of Hungary, the city of Szombathely rarely receives the attention of tourists. A significant part of the foreigners visiting this border settlement are road travelers heading to neighboring Austria (only 10 km away) and stopping here for a couple of hours to rest and buy inexpensive food. Few people know that Szombathely holds the title of the oldest city in Hungary and, in addition to the magnificent baroque mansions of the glorious times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it has preserved monuments from the Roman era. And almost 80 thousand people hint that this is not a place forgotten by God, but a completely “living” European city worthy of attention.

How to get to Szombathely

Search for flights to Budapest (closest airport to Szombathely)

Transport

Until 1974, trams ran through Szombathely, but today the city's public transport is represented only by buses, mainly the nostalgic Ikarus. True, tourists may not need them, since the historical center is quite compact. By the way, this is a paid parking area, so it’s better to travel on foot or by bicycle - fortunately, a city bike rental system has recently appeared in Szombathely. It’s better to call a taxi by phone (you can contact hotel and restaurant staff) or through apps - it’s cheaper than catching a car on the street.

Szombathely Hotels

Hotels in the city are offered at very affordable prices. So, the cost of a double room in a two- or three-star hotel is from 16,000 to 21,200 HUF (without breakfast). In the only 4* hotel in the city, a night will cost 26,345 HUF (including breakfast). You can rent an apartment for a day for 10,700 HUF. For a bed in a hostel they will ask for 5000 HUF. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

Cafes and restaurants

Szombathely catering caters for every taste, and the prices for food are pleasantly surprising. Establishments with traditional cuisine predominate, where they prepare goulash (1300 HUF), forest mushroom soup (800 HUF), fried catfish with dill (2000 HUF). Restaurants also specialize mainly in Hungarian cuisine, only in a modern interpretation. For example, pike perch fillet served on a bed of mashed potatoes and zucchini (2800 HUF). The locals' favorite fast food is burgers and cakes paired with takeaway coffee (2200 HUF with drink). There are also international players: McDonald's and Burger King.

Attractions of Szombathely

The vast majority of Szombathely's attractions are located in the historical center. You can visit them all in 1-2 days and without using public transport.

The historical theme park is one of the “freshest” tourist attractions (Arena u., 1). It is located in the Franciscan Garden (“Ferenzes Kert”) and is an exact copy of the ancient Roman fortifications with a fort, barracks and 6 towers. The park regularly hosts reenactment festivals, concerts and theatrical performances.

The Church of St. Elizabeth was founded in 1360 by an Italian Franciscan monk (Arena utca, 1). In the 17th century, the Gothic church was rebuilt in the Baroque style, but its altar retained medieval features, formally making the church the oldest in Szombathely.

On one side of the altar there is a unique painting depicting the city at a time when it was still surrounded by fortress walls (17th century).

Iseum - a temple in honor of the Egyptian goddess Isis of the early 2nd century - one of the main symbols of Szombathely (Rakoczi Ferenc u., 6-8). It was discovered relatively recently, in the mid-20th century, near a section of the Amber Route that passed through the city from the Baltic States to the Mediterranean. The territory adjacent to it is literally strewn with the ruins of ancient Roman buildings. Now on the site of the sanctuary of Isis there is a museum, which displays finds dating back 2,000 years. Archaeological research continues.

Szombathely Cathedral - the third largest in Hungary - was erected at the end of the 18th century on the site of a destroyed fortress temple and Roman ruins (Szechenyi Istvan u., 8). During the Second World War, the church was seriously damaged - only small fragments of beautiful frescoes and paintings survived, the restoration of which continues to this day. It was in this church that the famous physicist Lorand Eotvos proved the existence of the effect of changing the weight of bodies on objects moving relative to the earth, later named after him.

Szombathely Cathedral is the third largest in Hungary.

During the Roman Empire, Szombathely was called Savaria. The museum responsible for local history in the city (Kisfaludy Sandor u., 9) received the same name. The exhibition on the ground floor illustrates the natural and geological history of the region and tells about the way of life of the ancient people - the inhabitants of this pre-Alpine region. In particular, Neolithic and Roman artifacts are presented, as well as fragments of the foundation of a temple in honor of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva.

Weather

The climate of Szombathely is temperate continental. Summer is warm, but not sultry. Winter is cool and snowy. The city has a fairly large number of sunny days per year for the region - 250.

• Where to stay: You can diversify your holiday with an interesting excursion program and enjoy the delights of national cuisine at the resort

Szombathely (Hung. Szombathely, German Steinamanger, Croatian Sambotel, Slovenian Sombotel, Slovak Kamenec) is a city in western Hungary, the administrative center of Vas County. Population 80,154 people (2005).

Story

Szombathely is the oldest city in Hungary. It was founded by the Romans in 45 BC. e. under the name Savaria and was the capital of the province of Pannonia. An imperial residence, baths and an amphitheater were built in the city. The future emperor Septimius Severus led Pannonia and was proclaimed emperor in Savaria.

In the V-VIII centuries, the city, despite everything, remained populated; Slavic tribes and Avars lived here. After the defeat of the latter by Charlemagne, it came under the rule of the Franks, and at the end of the 9th century under the rule of the Moravians. In the 10th century, former Pannonia was conquered by the Hungarians. In 1009, Stephen I the Saint included Szombathely into the newly organized Diocese of Győr. In 1242, the city was destroyed by the Mongols, but it was quickly rebuilt and in 1407 received the status of a free royal city. In 1578, Szombathely became the capital of the Vas county.

During the Ottoman invasion, the city was besieged by the Turks twice. The first time was in 1664 that the Turks were forced to retreat after being defeated by the Austrians at Szentgothard. In 1683, after defeat in the battle of Vienna, the Turks plundered a large number of cities during their retreat, but Szombathely was saved by the fortress walls this time.

The beginning of the 18th century became a period of disasters for the city. During Ferenc Rakoczi's uprising, Szombathely was occupied several times by opposing sides; in 1710, more than 2 thousand inhabitants died from the plague, and in 1716, a fire destroyed most of the city's buildings. The disasters led to a severe decrease in the population, which caused an influx of new colonists, mainly Germans, into Szombathely. Soon the Germans began to make up the majority of the city's population.

A gymnasium was built in 1772, five years later Szombathely became an episcopal residence, after which it entered a period of rapid growth. A cathedral, an episcopal palace, and many new buildings were built here. In 1809, the city was occupied by Napoleon and was held by him for 110 days. During the Revolution of 1849, Szombathely supported the rebels, but there were no military operations in the vicinity of the city. In 1865, the railroad came to the city, and in 1885 several neighboring villages were included in the growing city.

After the First World War, Hungary lost most of its territory and Szombathely became a border town. During the Second World War, like most Hungarian cities, Szombathely was subjected to intense bombing. The city was liberated on March 29, 1945 by troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. In the post-war period, the city was industrialized, and a number of enterprises in the textile, engineering and food industries were built there.