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A journey through the part of Hungary immediately bordering Slovakia and Austria encompasses the historic towns of Esztergom, Eger, and Sopron. Although the land is mostly flat, there is much history and culture to absorb in this area.
Esztergom lies on a bend of the Danube 66kms north of Budapest, and has been the seat of Roman Catholicism in Hungary for more than 1000 years. This view is looking toward the Slovakian city of Stúrovo. |
Esztergom Cathedral is by far the largest church in Hungary, and is situated on a bluff overlooking the town. It was built 1822-56, and is 118m long by 40m wide. |
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| The Ezstergom Cathedral lies atop Castle Hill immediately adjacent to the Danube. At the south end of the hill (above left) are the remains of a royal palace built in the late 12C under King Béla III in the town's golden age. | |
Although largely flat and rather monotonous, the countryside in this part of Hungary does have a certain charm. Shown here is a scene in the Bükk (Beech) Hills near Miskolc. |
Eger is a Baroque gem in northeastern Hungary, and the place where the Hungarians fought off the Turks in 1552 after 170 years of domination. |
Eger - a statue to István Dobó, the general who held off an advance of the Ottoman (Turkish) army at Eger Castle in 1552. The Turks came back in 1592 and ruled until the late 17C. |
Eger's beauty is renowned in Hungary, and domestic as well as foreign tourists come to enjoy its architecture, fine wine, and numerous outdoor cafes. |
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| Eger - two street scenes (above). In the photo at right is a Turkish minaret which is now topped by a cross; it is the most northerly such structure in Europe. | |
Eger Cathedral was completed in 1836. |
Just 6kms from the Austrian border, Sopron is like a miniature version of Prague with its many medieval and baroque buildings. Its inhabitants chose to remain part of Hungary in a 1921 plebiscite under the Trianon Treaty. |
Graves of Soviet soldiers who liberated Hungary in WWII lie in a graveyard in Sopron. |
In the village of Fertőd near Sopron is the Esterházy Palace, completed in 1766 and seat of the eponymous aristocratic family. |
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| Two views (above)
of Esterházy Palace, which coincidentally was the residence for 30
years of the composer Joseph
Haydn. They sure wanted to make a statement with the front
gate!
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Kőszeg is another well
preserved historic town just 3kms from the Austrian border. The
Heroes' Gate shown here was actually built in 1932 to mark the 400th
anniversary of a Hungarian
victory over troops of Suleiman the Magnificent. The Hungarian
victory prevented the Turks from going on to attack Vienna.
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Map courtesy of Lonely Planet. |
