With the arrival of January 2023, our new mini series – bringing Hungary’s tourist regions to life – also started. Mentioning Hungary, the most visited and most attractive tourist regions are Budapest and its surroundings, as well as Lake Balaton, which is dazzling in all seasons.
Unlike the others, however, we are not launching our mini-series with these two best-known regions, but rather with the Győr-Pannonhalma region, which is closest to our hearts. And why? Our office is housed in a small jewel box in the center of Győr, the “capital city” of Győr-Pannonhalma region.
And in the strictest sense of the word, we can work inside a small jewelry box every day, because when we leave our office, we can already see the view of the three-towered Town Hall, built in an eclectic style, which now also hosts concerts.
The Baross street, home to most of the city’s cafés and restaurants, is only a few steps away from here, which recently filled the street with the colorful cavalcade of the Christmas market and even more life. At the very beginning of the street, Gábor Baross himself greets us in the form of a statue, who, watching his pocket watch, is trying to get to the City Hall opposite him.
The Boat statue is also one of the attractions of Baross street, and also one of the favorite meeting places of Győr residents. Its popularity is due, among other things, to the fact that, according to local legend, whoever touches the intimate part of the male figure sitting in the boat will be lucky in their personal life. The ladies who are waiting for their luck in their love life, especially in the blessing of children, do not miss the opportunity, so a certain part of the statue’s body is visibly brighter.
Departing from Baross street, our path can lead to Bécsi kapu square, open from the Rába river, with its beauty, the Karmelita church, or directly to one of Győr’s most famous squares, Széchenyi square.
Széchenyi square is also one of the favorite meeting places of the people of Győr and hosts many events. Recently, the Advent candle-lighting tradition took place here, but now with the beginning of the year, the square is a little emptier, filled with life only by people trying to go to work every day, children coming home from school, and visitors to the cafe. Its main attraction is the church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, owned by Benedictine monks. The legend of the Vastuskós house hides an exciting story, according to which the nails were hammered into the wood by the guild boys themselves. Always a nail when they went there.
From Széchenyi tér, our path leads to Duna kapu tér, which used to be called Vízi kapu and Piac tér. By the way, to this day, this square is home to the Győr market selling local products. The history of the square can also be linked to a local, if not the most famous, legend, the legend of Vaskakas (iron rooster) from Győr. Because when Győr came under Turkish occupation in the 16th century, the Turks said the following: “We will leave Győr, when the iron rooster crows.” Because an iron rooster was sitting on the top of the gate of the castle at that time. It was then that the people tricked the rooster into crowing, and the Turks were so frightened that they never returned to the city…
From Duna kapu square you can enjoy a beautiful view of the confluence of Győr’s most famous rivers, the Rába and the Danube. The truncated tower of Püspökvár on Káptalan hill offers an even more magnificent view of the entire city. The tower of the Cathedral, the confluence of the rivers, the theater building, and the university itself. After all, Győr is not only a stronghold of rivers, culture and history, but also of education in Hungary.
If I could recommend only one detour in the tourist area, I would definitely vote for Pannonhalma, as it is one of my favorite places among the ones I have discovered so far. Pannonhalma is the meeting of the past and the present, Pannonhalma is the meeting of traditions and modern times. In addition to being on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996 as a cultural heritage, it is more than 1,000 years old and has a magnificent library of 400,000 books, including book specialties dating back to 1,000 years. Each of its buildings, each of its facilities tells a story of 1000 years.
In addition to the Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalmi, since the city is far from only religious tourism, we have the opportunity to visit the newly established Perfume Museum, take a walk in the Medicinal Garden, or even participate in a tasting of local wines in the Abbey Winery.
Győr-Pannonhalma is only one of the 11 tourist regions of our country, but it is the closest to our hearts. The region fascinates you and always awaits you back.
Travel with us and let the images become reality.
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