City of Györ

Györ, the City of Encounters

Converging rivers, intersecting roads, Hungarian hospitality, the impulse of youth and the excitement of a city deeply rooted in history: this is Győr, the City of Encounters! Győr is Hungary’s sixth largest city and home to nearly 130,000 people. Owing to its location, industry and highly skilled workforce Győr is the country’s most dynamically developing and innovative city. In close proximity to the Pér airport, the international river port of Gönyű, the international railway and the M1 motorway, this area, known as the golden triangle (between Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava) has become one of the largest industrial and economic centres.

The most important factor in the promotion of the city’s development is its location on the bank of the Danube. Along the right bank of the river important transport routes were established leading from the central part of the Carpathian Basin westwards. Already in Roman times this territory was important, as it was the link between Aquincum(Buda) and Vindobona (Vienna). It is for this reason that Győr ranks among Hungary’s most important cities with respect to ancient history, and it is one of the settlements which has had a leading role in the history of Hungary since its establishment. In Roman times a civil town was also built near the castrum (castle), which defended the province. About 1000 years ago, at the time of the birth of the Hungarian State it became a bishopric and a prefectural centre. During the time of Turkish rule it was a fortress that defended Vienna, and then in the 17th and 18th centuries, through the reconstruction of the inner medieval part, it became one of Hungary’s most beautiful baroque towns. At the end of the 19th century it developed into an industrial centre, which is a role it still plays today. Today Győr’s appeal is not only its dynamic industrial development, but also its cultural life, outstanding sport events, thermal baths, sacred and secular monuments, attractive inner city streets and terraces, which are the mosaic that makes this European city complete and gives it its pulse.

Owing to the confluence of four rivers, Győr is the ‘City of Rivers’, whose waters lend a unique atmosphere to the city through their gentle embrace. The picturesque MosonDanube, Rábca, Marcal and Rába - which once lent its name to the city - make a romantic walk irresistible. Even from a raft the ancient city walls, wonderful green spaces, old restaurants popping up under the shade of old trees or Radó Island, which is considered the island of lovers, can be admired. Meriting its ranking as Hungary’s third richest city in monuments, the Baroque inner city is ornamented by palaces that conjure up times past, characteristic corner balconies and statues.

Owing to the city’s lively and successful sports environment Zsolt Borkai, who is at once president of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, an Olympic champion in gymnastics, and mayor of Győr, received the award ‘Sportiest City in Hungary’ on behalf of Győr in recognition of its work and success in sport policy. This recognition reflects the outstanding performance of the sport clubs and sports men and women of Győr and the city’s exemplary decision concerning the emphasised of sport support. This is demonstrated by Győr’s allocation of 1% of its budget to sport support, which serves to stimulate children’s need for movement, to broaden sport opportunities and to promote the future’s sport role models. The city boasts first division teams in football, handball, basketball and futsal, which are all potentials for the podium every season in the national championships.

Besides coming in second in the Champions League, the Győri ETO KC woman handball team also won the Hungarian National Championship and the Hungarian Cup, both the Rába ETO futsal team and the Győr Uni SEAT woman basketball team won championships and the Győr ETO FC football team came in third in the championship. True to its name ‘City of Rivers’ the kayakcanoe department is among the most successful at training Olympic athletes, and has produced athletes like the three-time Olympic champion kayaker Zoltán Kammerer, the Olympic champion kayaker Krisztina Fazekas-Zur and future hopeful Ramóna Farkasdi. The city places emphasis on organising international sport events, and in the last four years seven European Championships/World Championships were hosted in the county capital of Kisalföld, where a range of events took place including handball, the pentathlon, canoe-kayak, the triathlon and water polo. Every year a sport event for children is organised called the Children’s Sport Festival. Children’s teams, composed of children aged nine to eleven with participation of team from abroad, take part in this three-day long event that is filled with exciting competitions and unforgettable moments.

More information: http://turizmus.gyor.hu/lang/en/