With its 115 monuments and 240 listed buildings, SOPRON can justly claim to be "the most historic town in Hungary". Never having been ravaged by Mongols or Turks, the inner town retains its medieval layout, with a fusion of Gothic and Baroque architecture that rivals Castle Hill in Budapest. Sopron is also a major wine-producing centre and the base for excursions to Esterházy Palace, the vintage steam train at Nagycenk and other sites. The only drawback is its proxim¬ity to Vienna, which means that Austrians come here in droves to shop, eat out and get their teeth fixed, swamping the town over summer.
On arriving at the main train station south of the centre, head 500m up Mátyás király utca to reach Széchenyi tér and the Belváros (the old inner city). A five-minute walk along Lackner Kristóf utca will bring you to Ógabona tér, on the edge of the old quarter.
4-star-hotel in Sopron
4-star-hotel in Sopron
3-star-bed & breakfast in Sopron
Hungary's wealthiest town historical monuments-wise, presented with the Europa Nostra prize in 1975, Sopron with its sub-Alpine climate lies near the Austrian border surrounded by the Lővér pine woods and vineyards producing superb wines. The Roman Scarbantia was an important station on the Ivy Road cutting through Europe in a north-south direction. What remains of the ancient centre can be seen in the SCARBANTIA FORUM archeological exhibition (Új u. 1.).
Statue remains and carvings are in the 61-metre-high FIRE TOWER which stands as a symbol of the town, providing a beautiful 360° panorama. There is a local history exhibition on one floor.
In STORNO HOUSE (Fő tér 8.) there is a Baroque corner balcony, and the famous art collecting dynasty established a museum where many interesting antiques have found a home together with an exhibition presenting the history of the town and surroundings.
Next door the GENERAL'S HOUSE (Fő tér 7.) was the residence of the mayor in the 17th century, and then the military commands set up their headquarters here. FABRICIUS HOUSE (Fő tér 6.) is one of the most valuable historical monuments in the town. It was an apartment house in the 14th century, and its furnishings reflect 17-18th century bourgeois tastes. The Trigs group of statues which originally stood on the Roman Capitolium can be seen in the medieval cellar housing a Roman lapidarium.
For centuries successive pharmacies have stood on the site of today's PHARMACY HOUSE (Fő tér 2.), and now the most beautiful furnishings from Sopron's most historical pharmacies can be seen collected together alongside numerous pharmacological written rarities.
The BENEDICTINE CHURCH (Fő tér) was the scene in the 17th century of coronations and national assemblies; the church - popularly known as "Goat church" - has Gothic vaulting and Baroque furnishing.
The HOLY TRINITY STATUE (Fő tér) has been classed as an outstanding work of Hungarian Baroque sculpture from the 17th century.
Taken as a whole the ORSOLYITA CHURCH (Orsolya tér 2.) can be rated as one of the past century's finest neo-Gothic constructions. The ROMAN CATHOLIC ECCLESIASTICAL COLLECTION OF SOPRON is housed in the oratory and comprises carved wooden figures and goldsmiths' works (note the 18th century Fountain of the Virgin Mary outside). A memorial exhibition honouring master aquarellist JÓZSEF HORVÁTH (1891-1961) is in the CÉZÁR HOUSE (Hátsókapu 2.), recognizable for its Renaissance corner balcony.
And if you're here, why not try a glass of wine in the atmospheric former press house? Dating from the end of the 13th century, the MEDIEVAL "OLD" SYNAGOGUE (Új u. 22.) has an exhibition on the first floor of relics recalling the Sopron Jewry.
EGGENBERG HOUSE (Szent György u. 12.) was built in the 17th century in late Renaissance style. Above the gate one can discern the Brandenburg coat of arms, and in the arcaded courtyard the Hohenzollern coat of arms.
Reconstruction of the originally 14th century Gothic CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE (Szent György u.) left it in Baroque style.
The CASTLE DISTRICT with its tiny medieval trading houses set on concentric streets and in squares in the inner city is complemented by today's elegant shops, making for a pleasant strolling area. An attractive feature is the COLUMN OF THE VIRGIN MARY work of a Viennese sculptor.
The private ZETTL-LANGER COLLECTION (Balfi út 9-1 1.) contains furniture, archeological finds, weaponry and pictures.
A Gothic masterpiece from the end of the 14th century, the CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Dorfmeister u.) is one of Sopron's most valuable historical monuments. The HOUSE OF TWO MOORS (Szent Mihály u. 9.) was built 300 years ago, and is named after the two Moorish figures holding up the barley-twist columns of the gate's entablature of this decorative house.
ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH Szent Mihály u.) is a 15th century Gothic structure built on Romanesque foundations, with a tower 48 metres high.
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3-star-hotel
3-star-hotel
4-star-hotel
3-star-hotel
close to the Danube
luxury in historical Budapest
