Open the left sopron menu. Sopron: sights and places of interest (with photos) Sopron city hungary

29.09.2020

Sopron town (Sopron) is located 220 km west of Budapest, near the Austrian border (Distance from the city to the border - 6 km, to Vienna - 60 km). The population of the city is about 56,500 people.

Sopron is the richest Hungarian city with architectural monuments, awarded in 1975 with the Europa Nostra Prize. Due to its territorial position, Sopron is practically the only city that has fully preserved its architectural heritage.

Sopron's story:

On the territory of Sopron, even in the Roman period, there was the city of Skarbantia, which lies on the amber trade route: the amber mined on the Baltic coast was transported by merchants to the countries of southern Europe. After the collapse of the empire, the city was ravaged and rebuilt again after the arrival of the Hungarians.

In the 11th century, the city walls and the castle were erected on the preserved Roman foundations. The city got its name from one of the owners of the castle. The first written mention of the name Sopron was recorded in 1153.

In the 13th century, Sopron received the status of a free royal city.

In the 16th century, during the Turkish invasion, the city was sacked by the Turkish army, but the Turks were unable to gain control over Sopron. A large number of refugees flocked to the city, thanks to which the city grew. In 1676, Sopron burned down in a severe fire. And within several decades it was rebuilt, as a result, it acquired that unique appearance, which has been almost intact to our time.

After the First World War and the collapse of Austria-Hungary, Sopron had to go to Austria. Hungary refused to hand over the city and in 1921 a referendum was held. 65% of the vote was for the city to remain in Hungary.

Sopron attractions:

Historic city center - is a well-preserved monument of the urban planning of the 16-18 centuries. Most of the buildings are built in the Baroque style.

Fire tower - originally the tower was built in the 11th century, then it was rebuilt several times. The height of the tower is 60 meters, earlier it was used as intended by firefighters, now there is a museum and an observation deck in the tower. Having overcome 200 steps up the spiral staircase upward, you will have a stunning view of the historic part of the city. In a 1921 referendum on the redistribution of borders after the First World War, the inhabitants of the city decided to leave Sopron in Hungary. In honor of this, the tower has a “Gate of Faithfulness” decorated with the motto “Civitas Fidelissima” (“most faithful citizens”).

Address: Sopron, Fő tér 1

central square (Fő tér) - surrounded by old houses, most of which are valuable architectural monuments: the Shtorno House, the General's House, the Gambrinus House. Currently, they house museums.

Plague Column (Column of the Holy Trinity) - located in the center of the main square, built in 1680. According to legend, it was installed by a resident of Sopron, Janos Jacob Levenburg, in memory of his wife, who died during the plague.

City History Museum - also located in the central square. The museum expositions are dedicated to the history of the city of the 17-18 centuries.

Dominican Church - was originally built in the Gothic style at the end of the 13th century. Due to repeated reconstructions, there are now more baroque features than gothic in the appearance of the church.

Church of St. George - built in the 17-18 centuries. The bell tower was built in 1882.

Old synagogue - built in 1379, is one of the oldest synagogues in Central Europe.

Address: Sopron, Új u. 22.

Bakery - the only museum-bakery in the country. It is located on Bécsi utca 5 in a building with lions resting their paws on a dumpling. From 1686 to 1970, the house belonged to a baker's family, then a museum was opened here. The museum has a real bakery where you can see how bread is made, there is also a pastry shop and a shop where you can buy and taste all this.

Sopron University of Forestry and Forestry - founded in 1808 and is one of the largest educational institutions in Europe.

- the largest and most beautiful palace in the country, which was called the "Hungarian Versailles". Located 20 km from Sopron, in a place called Fertőd.

How to get there:

From Budapest to Sopron there is a train from the eastern station (Keleti pályaudvar), travel time from 2.5 hours.

Sopron is a beautiful city, an open-air museum, located 220 km from the capital, and only 6 km from the Austrian border. A small rivulet Ikva flows through Sopron and flows into Lake Fertö. The city center has been preserved in the form in which it was built in the XVI-XVIII centuries.

The 13th century neo-Renaissance fire tower (Tűztorony) rises in the center of Sopron. It is a 58-meter white building with a clock, an observation deck and a double-headed eagle on a spire; with a spiral staircase of two hundred steps. The building was erected on a Roman foundation. Under the tower there is an arched “Gate of Faithfulness” built in memory of the 1921 referendum.

On the main square of Sopron stands a masterpiece of the Hungarian Baroque - the plague column (Szentháromság-szobor) dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It was installed in 1680 at the expense of the patron Janos Jacob Levenburg in honor of his wife - Eva, who died of the plague.

Behind the plague pillar is a Gothic temple from 1280 - the Dominican church Assumption of the Virgin(Nagyboldogasszony templom), popularly called the Goat Church (Kecske-templom). Three rulers of the country were crowned here. The interior of the temple is more beautiful than the external architecture. Interesting frescoes and picturesque ornaments, vaulted mosaic windows and a Christian pulpit.

The Storno-ház house is an old yellow Baroque mansion with a bay window, built in 1417. His owner collected objects of applied art all his life: unique antique furniture, stained glass windows, cult objects, glass and porcelain items. Now all these items are the basis of the exposition of the Ferenc Shtorno Museum.

There is another beautiful mansion nearby - the house of Gambrinus (Gambrinus-ház) (1422). Its façade combines several architectural styles: it has features of Gothic, Renaissance and Rococo. Previously, this building housed the city hall.

General's house

The town hall (Városháza) of Sopron was built in 1896 on the site of a demolished 15th century town hall. Beautiful carved doors have been preserved from the medieval building; the new town hall was built in an eclectic style.

Archaeological Park Skarbantia

Behind the Town Hall is the archaeological park of the ancient Roman city of Scarbantia. In 1893, excavations were carried out here, fragments of the first Roman fort were discovered. Most of the finds were transferred to city museums, but the ruins of the fortress remained in place and are available for inspection.

Church of St. George (Szent György-templom) - originally Gothic, rebuilt into Baroque. The 55-meter bell tower was erected in 1882. The church was built for Protestants, but in 1674 it was handed over to the Jesuit order.

The old synagogue of Sopron (Soproni ózsinagóga) has existed since 1379.

Urshuli and Section squares

It is worth visiting the Ursolya tér and Széchenyi tér squares - their ensemble also consists entirely of historical buildings.

The Dominican Church (Domonkos templom) on Szechenyi Square was built in the 13th century in the Gothic style, but after reconstruction it acquired baroque features.

In the Church of St. Michael (Szent Mihály-templom) you will see a masterpiece of wooden art, the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Museums

There is a special museum street in the city - Tserkovnaya (Templom utca), where museums follow one another. What museums are worth visiting?

Hall Kaptalan

Káptalan-terem is located in the building of the once Franciscan, and now Benedictine monastery. This is the most valuable monument of the history of the 13th century with pompous decoration, sculptures and wall paintings.

State Evangelical Museum

It is open at the priest's house.

Franz Liszt Cultural Center

Liszt Ferenc Konferencia és Kulturális Központ, the great composer was born on the outskirts of Sopron.

City History Museum

It houses expositions dedicated to the XII-XVIII centuries.

Központi Bányászati \u200b\u200bMúzeum, opened in the former Esterhazy mansion. It demonstrates working models telling about the development of the mining industry, as well as works of fine and applied art on this topic.

Museum-Bakery

The Pékmúzeum is located at 5 Beči Street. A baker used to live here, but now a museum. Visitors are shown not only interesting exhibits, but also how bread is baked. Those who wish can buy flavored pastries at the local pastry shop.

University

Sopron is home to the Forestry and Forestry University, founded in 1808. Today it is one of the largest educational institutions in Europe.

A bit of history

The area where modern Sopron is located has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. The Romans founded their city here - Scarbantia (because the legendary Amber Trade Route, connecting Southern Europe with the Baltic shores passed here), which disappeared after the collapse of the Roman Empire. Hungarian Sopron was formed in the 11th century by the will of King Istvan I. Documentary mention of Sopron first occurs in 1153. It became a free city in the 13th century; in 1529 it was first plundered by the Turks, but not captured. In 1676, the city burned down, but it was rebuilt in several decades. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Sopron flourished. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary, according to the decision of a popular referendum, it remained part of the Hungarian state.

In the post-war period, a great deal of work was done in Sopron to preserve and restore historical monuments. Most of the buildings in the old center were built in the Habsburg Baroque style, but masterpieces from earlier eras have also remained in the city.

Festivals and Holidays

The Sopron Festival season opens in May with the емzutazás Wine and Gastronomy Festival.

In summer, themed holiday weeks are held in Sopron with folklore programs, festivals and fairs. Concerts and exhibitions are constantly replacing each other.

At the end of September, the city noisily celebrates the festival of young wine "kekfrankosh" - the Suret carnival. People of different nationalities living in Sopron wear folk costumes. Vendors offer painted gingerbread, traditional sweets and Hungarian delicacies; wine flows like a river.

What to see in the vicinity

20 kilometers from Sopron is the "Hungarian Versailles" - the palace of the princes Esterhazy - a grandiose Baroque complex with a park, built in 1763–67.

Not far from the city, there is a national park - the Fertő-Hanság nature protection zone with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 23 thousand hectares, with Lake Fertерт, which has the status of a biosphere reserve. The unique natural site is included in the UNESCO list.

Climbers can climb the Lőverek hills south of the city. Above the top of one of the Levorek hills, the Karoy observation tower rises.

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Initially, Jozsef Esterhazy built a 20-room hunting lodge and two ceremonial halls. But this did not correspond to the ambitions of his son Miklos. As the richest nobleman in Hungary, he conceived of creating a palace, not for the splendor of Versailles. For this, the best Italian artists and architects were invited and huge funds were spent.

The hunting lodge was rebuilt and significantly expanded with lateral annexes giving the facade a semicircular shape. A magnificent fountain with sculptures of a dolphin and cherubs was laid out in front of the palace.

In total, the palace has 126 rooms, each of which is distinguished by its original design and does not repeat one another.

On the ground floor there is a beautiful room of the palace - the Reception Hall, made in the Italian style. Its floor is lined with marble tiles, the ceiling is painted with mythological subjects and dancing angels. The music hall delights with its gilded walls.

The ceiling of the grand hall is decorated with a huge fresco depicting Apollo on a chariot, and allegorical figures of Day and Night. The fresco has an amazing feature: from wherever you look at it, the chariot seems to be moving right at you.

In addition to the main building, the museum complex includes an opera house, a puppet theater, the Orange House, a music house, as well as French and English parks.

Esterhazy Palace

Esterházy is nicknamed the “Hungarian Versailles” as it is the largest and most beautiful palace in Hungary during the Baroque era.

The palace has 126 rooms. The Banquet Hall is especially beautiful, its ceiling is decorated with the image of Apollo in a chariot. Decorated with the letter "E" indicating the owners' surname, the Great Library contains nearly 22,000 volumes. At the main entrance, tourists admire the wrought-iron gate, which is a masterpiece of blacksmithing art from 1764-1766.

The columns separating the gate are decorated with Rococo stone vases. On both sides of the palace, there are small two-story buildings that look like arms, ready to embrace the symmetrical park. Today, one part of the palace houses a hotel, and Haydn festivals take place in the summer.

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Lake Fertö

Lake Fertö is the fourth largest lake in Central Europe, with an area of \u200b\u200babout 315 km², with an average depth of about one meter.

On the amazing Lake Fertö you can observe more than 300 species of nesting and migratory birds, including herons, as well as spoonbills, wild geese, toadstools, warblers, wiggles, and many others.

When seasonal flights come, snipes, bean beetles and plovers stop here, as well as the red-breasted goose, white-tailed eagle and harrier among rare bird species.

On the shore of the lake there is a training path from which bird watchers and park visitors can observe the biosphere of the reserve.

And already along there is the Fertemellek ridge, which have been developed since the time of Ancient Rome until 1948.

The hills covered with forests are very beautiful and picturesque; on them you can see a large number of rare plants.

You can visit the park with an organized excursion, and some areas are completely closed to people.

For centuries, the tower has played a very important role in the life of the city of Sopron. The fires were monitored from it, and, surprisingly, music was often heard from the tower when significant events in life, such as weddings and funerals, took place.

The spire of the Fire Tower was decorated with a double-headed eagle, donated in 1622 by King Ferdinand II and Queen Eleanor.

Today the tower is not functioning, despite everything it has become significant in the life of people, it was a symbol of loyalty and love for the Motherland of Sopron.

In 1921, when the question of whether the city should remain a part of Hungary was being decided, the townspeople spoke in support of citizenship, and in memory of this, a sculptural composition "The people of Sopron pays tribute to the figure symbolizing Hungary" was erected above the gate of the tower.

The fire tower in Sopron has become a popular tourist attraction.

Many tourists climb a spiral staircase of 200 steps to the observation deck, a former security post, from where the entire city and its surroundings are visible at a glance.

Church of St. George Sopron

The Church of St. George is located in the city of Sopron. It is squeezed between houses on the street of the same name not far from the main square of the city. The temple was built between 1380 and 1430 and was a typical Gothic cathedral. Unfortunately, history has not told us the name of the architect who supervised the construction.

Since the end of the 16th century, the church of St. George has been taken over by the growing Protestant community of the city of Sopron. In 1676, a serious fire broke out in the city, many houses were damaged, and the church of St. George was not spared. However, the building was quickly rebuilt, with the baroque style dominating the design. In 1674, the church changed owners again, coming under the rule of the Jesuit Order. Since then, the appearance of the building has changed even more. In 1685, two side chapels were completed. In 1705–1706, a stucco ornament characteristic of the Baroque era appeared in the interior.

The final finishing touch to the appearance of the modern church of St. George was introduced in 1882, when a 55-meter tower rose nearby. The church has three bells, the largest weighs 800 kg, the middle one - 200 kg, and the smallest - 50 kg. All bells were cast in the twenties of the last century. The bas-reliefs on the church depict the famous battle between George and the dragon. Also found was a bas-relief depicting Saint Margaret of Antioch. The value of these bas-reliefs is that they remain from an old Gothic temple. There is also an old organ of 1633 at the church.

Today, tourists often come to the Church of St. George to admire the rich altar. The furnishings inside are truly luxurious, in keeping with the 17th century. In the baptistery of the chapel next to the sanctuary, you can even see the remains of original medieval paintings. And when you exit, you can capture the general view of the building and yourself against its background.

The most popular attractions in Sopron with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Sopron on our website.

Sopron is a small cozy town located very close to the Alpine border, at the foot of the Alps. It is surrounded on all sides by a ring of dense coniferous forests. In the I-II centuries, on the site of Sopron, there was a rich Roman settlement Scarbantia, through which the famous Amber Route passed: merchants transported amber mined on the Baltic shores to the countries of Southern Europe. Fragments of stone sculptures and decorations of the ancient forum, located at the foot of the Fire Tower, known as one of the symbols of Sopron, have survived to this day. This tower was erected on the remains of an ancient Roman foundation and since the 13th century served as the northern gateway to the city. In the old days, firefighters of the guards played a very important role in the life of the city. In addition to their main function of monitoring fire safety, they also warned residents about approaching troops or trade convoys. In addition, they were invited as musicians to all kinds of events - weddings, funerals, festivals. Ironically, in 1676 the tower itself suffered a fire. As a result of subsequent reconstruction, it acquired its current baroque appearance. The lower vault of the tower is decorated with a bas-relief "Hungary is calling its sons", recalling the historical event of 1921. The history of this bas-relief is as follows: after the First World War, when the borders were revised, the inhabitants of Sopron had the opportunity in a referendum to decide whether they wanted to relate to Austria or Hungary. The townspeople voted in favor of Hungary. The same event is reminded of the Latin inscription on the city's coat of arms, which reads "Civitas Fidelissima" ("The most loyal citizens").
Sopron is often compared to a jewelry box, since in terms of the number of its architectural monuments and museums it is the second Hungarian city after Budapest. Due to this fact, in 1975 Sopron was awarded the prestigious Europa Nostra Prize in Europe. The main square of the Old Town - Fő tér - is surrounded by old houses, each of which is a valuable architectural monument. Some of these houses house museums, the most visited of which is the Storno House, built in the Baroque style and decorated with a cozy corner balcony. In the old days, the house belonged to immigrants from Italy, the Storno family. Particularly famous is the head of the family, Felix Storno, who acquired this now famous building in 1872. Without any special education, he used his own funds to restore many frescoes in the Transdanubian region and, as a result, amassed a huge collection of medieval religious objects, furniture, stained glass windows, glassware and porcelain. Now all these values \u200b\u200bare exhibits of the museum operating in the Curtain House. The building is also known for the fact that Franz Liszt performed concerts here twice - in 1840 and 1881.
Another interesting building on the Main Square is the General's House. It originally belonged to Dr. K. Lackner, who donated the house to the general in 1681. Today, the house houses an exhibition of contemporary sculpture.
The House of Fabricius is a valuable architectural monument. The hall of the building is a unique example of the Gothic style, in addition, the elegant loggia in the courtyard, as well as the Gothic and Baroque cellars, deserve attention. The owners of the building have always been wealthy citizens or merchants; it got its name in honor of the mayor and member of the city magistrate, Endre Fabricius, who owned it at the beginning of the 19th century. When Franz Liszt was giving concerts in Sopron, the outstanding Hungarian poet Sandor Petofi, with whom Fabritius had warm friendships and who at that time was at the front, having escaped from the military barracks, lived in this house. Today, the House of Fabricius houses a museum, the decoration and furniture of which reflect the tastes of the burgher class of the 17th-18th centuries. However, the most interesting is the medieval basement of the building, which houses the Roman lapidarium. Here you can see the ruins of buildings left from the time of Scarbantia - the ruins of temples and baths, statues, burial urns and sarcophagi ... The Gothic house "Gambrinus", built at the beginning of the 15th century by order of King Zsigmond, is famous for the city hall. One of the most visited museums in Sopron is the Municipal History Museum, also located on the Main Square. Its exposition is dedicated to the history of Sopron in the 17th – 18th centuries. There is also a separate exhibition of archaeological finds from the area around Sopron - the Celtic, Roman and Hungarian periods. As in many other Hungarian cities, the central square of Sopron is decorated with a statue of the Holy Trinity. According to one of the widespread versions, it was installed at the expense of the native of Sopron, Janos Yakov Levenburg in memory of his wife who died during the plague epidemic.
Sopron is also famous for its ancient churches and temples. In the southern part of the Central Square there is a Benedictine Church, which is also popularly called the Church of the Kozy. The temple is famous for the fact that Hungarian rulers were crowned in it three times. The interior of the church is notable for its beauty - frescoes and ornaments, lancet windows and a unique Christian pulpit, which is of great value. Another significant temple in the city is the Church of St. Michael, located outside the Old City. The statue of the Virgin Mary inside the temple is a masterpiece of wooden sculpture.
Around the central part of the city there is a system of streets and squares - Sopron downtown. Its narrow winding streets, the medieval atmosphere of cozy courtyards, the walls of the old city that meet at every step, fantastically decorated balconies will take you to a bygone era. Despite the fact that Sopron is called an open-air museum, it still has its own museum street. Located in the downtown area, Tserkovnaya Street is distinguished by the fact that museums with the most valuable collections follow one after another. The Benedictine monastery houses the Kaptalan Hall, an architectural monument of the 13th century. Its magnificent decoration, statues and wall paintings are unrivaled examples of medieval art. House number 12, which once belonged to a Sopron priest, now belongs to the State Evangelical Museum. In house no. 5 you can see interesting samples of old clothes and coins. The Ferenc Liszt Museum is located on Tserkovnaya Street. The fact is that the great Hungarian composer was born near Sopron, in the town of Deboryan. The exhibition contains exhibits on the history of the city, ethnography, as well as works of fine art.
For centuries, downtown Sopron has been an area of \u200b\u200bartisans, merchants and winemakers. Streets such as Balfi, Fövényverem or Halász have retained their unique atmosphere to this day. The only bakery museum in the country is located on Via Bécsi. You will immediately recognize this building by the lions decorating its facade, leaning with one paw on the pretzels (a delicacy typical of Central Europe is dry dumplings sprinkled with salt). From 1686 to 1970, the house was owned by a baker's family. After that, the City Council decided to open a museum here, while preserving the original furnishings left over from the previous owners. In the right wing there is a working bakery where you can watch the process of making bread. In addition, the museum has a pastry shop and a bakery that sells the freshest baked goods.
Sopron is known not only for the wealth of its architectural monuments and museums, but also for being one of the oldest wine regions in Hungary. On all sides, the city is surrounded by gentle hills adjacent to Lake Fertö. Reflecting in the waters of the lake, the sun's rays intensify their effect, which contributes to better ripening of the grapes. The history of Sopron winemaking goes back to the era of the Celts, who appreciated the local climatic conditions and began to cultivate vineyards here. In the Middle Ages, the fame of Sopron wines spread far beyond the borders of the Hungarian state: many European monarchs and representatives of the higher clergy ordered them to their table. The most famous wine in the region is kekfankos. It has a rich crimson color and intense bouquet. Of the white varieties, zöld veltelini is the most characteristic, and the piros veltelini made from early ripening grapes is considered a real exclusive.
Many interesting natural and cultural attractions are concentrated in the vicinity of the city. So, for example, to the east of Sopron is the Ferto-Hanshag National Park. Lake Ferte deserves special attention here, famous for both its size and unique flora and fauna. In 2001, the lake and its surroundings were honored to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Climbers can recommend a walk in the Levorek hills surrounding Sopron. At the top of one of them is the Karoy observation tower, from where a picturesque panorama of the city and its surroundings opens. Just 25 km from Sopron, in the town of Fertöd, there is the legendary Esterházy Palace, one of the most beautiful in Hungary. The town of Nagyzenk (14 km west of Förted) is famous for being the birthplace of Istvan Szechenyi. In the manor that has survived to this day, there is a memorial museum, the exposition of which is dedicated to the life of the legendary Hungarian politician.

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It was the first city in the press tour program where we were brought directly from the Vienna airport. By the way, it is necessary to tell about the Visegrad Four, who suddenly does not know. This is a coalition of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, which was signed by the presidents of the countries in 1991 in the Hungarian city of Vysehrad. Then, however, it was 3 countries, Czechoslovakia had not yet divided, and this unification was carried out with the aim of speedy integration with European structures, and all these countries entered the European Union in 2004. But the union has not collapsed, I am not very aware of how and for what purposes it functions now, but we were invited with a clear purpose - to assess the attractiveness of certain regions of these countries in terms of tourism, and to write about what we saw. The organizers were bribed by the fact that we were not given any conditions either on the number of posts or on the content of them, they asked only to mention the hotels where they spent the night, and, I must say, most of them are really worthy of praise! So, in the evening we arrived in Sopron!

In the city of Sopron, Hungary // oskinpavel.livejournal.com

We arrived and immediately plunged into the atmosphere of the holiday, the whole city center was taking a good walk, the square was filled with typical European shops with the products of farmers, all kinds of craftsmen and craftsmen, they prepared and sold hot food, and, most importantly, wine was poured around! We walked around the city, looked into all the beautiful nooks and crannies, and met people with wine glasses at every step, it was amazing for me. As a person living in Prague, I have seen thousands of people with beer mugs, but never with elegant glass glasses! Everything was straight in a popular way, beautiful and cute, and the people smiled very friendly!

Below is a photo of the courtyard of our Wollner hotel, which turned out to be a very stylish, comfortable four-star, and most importantly, when our Sopron guide lost half a group in evening walks, the owner was so nice that he phoned the organizers, found out the address of the restaurant where the other half had already sat down to dinner, and personally brought the guys! Respect and respect to him!

Hotel Wollner in Sopron, Hungary // oskinpavel.livejournal.com

// oskinpavel.livejournal.com

In the evening, Sopron looked great, but it was already dark to take good photos, so almost the whole group at half past six in the morning went for a morning walk to look at the city in the "right" morning light!

// oskinpavel.livejournal.com