Hungary's Baroque city — exactly halfway between Budapest and Vienna, famous for Basilica frescoes, cherry palinka, and the confluence of three rivers
Győr (pronounced 'Dyor') is the capital of northwestern Hungary — a prosperous city on the confluence of the Rába, Rábca, and Mosoni-Duna rivers, exactly equidistant (120km) between Budapest and Vienna. It is sometimes called 'the Baroque city of Hungary' for the density and quality of its 17th–18th-century architecture: the Castle Hill quarter has been described as one of the finest preserved Baroque urban ensembles in Central Europe, with churches, palaces, and townhouses all in the same warm yellow and terracotta limestone palette. The Győri püspökváros (Bishop's City) on the castle hill i…
Győr (Arrabona in Roman times) was one of the most important military and commercial crossroads in the Pannonian region — a Roman fort on the amber and salt trade routes. After the Magyar conquest (896 CE), it became a royal episcopal seat and one of the first centres of Christian Hungary. The Turks occupied the city from 1594 to 1598 (a brief occupation compared to most of Hungary). The Baroque rebuilding after the Turkish period was funded by the wealthy Bishops of Győr and resulted in the distinctive architectural character of the inner city. The city played a minor role in the 1848 revolu…