Introducing Szombathely

An Overview of Szombathely

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Szombathely (pronounced ‘Tsom-bat-eye’), might not be a destination on everyone’s lips but the city and the surrounding area does have a lot to offer. It has a handsome centre crammed with Baroque buildings with wonderfully detailed facades, grand churches, a magnificent synagogue and all kinds of eye catching Socialist era architectural gems. There are enough attractions like museums – indoors and outside – and galleries to keep you occupied for a week (though, really, a two day visit is sufficient to recognise the city’s charms) and the local area boasts castles, vineyards and beautiful countryside. The city is the tenth largest in Hungary and has all the facilities you’d expect from a l...Read More

Szombathely (pronounced ‘Tsom-bat-eye’), might not be a destination on everyone’s lips but the city and the surrounding area does have a lot to offer. It has a handsome centre crammed with Baroque buildings with wonderfully detailed facades, grand churches, a magnificent synagogue and all kinds of eye catching Socialist era architectural gems. There are enough attractions like museums – indoors and outside – and galleries to keep you occupied for a week (though, really, a two day visit is sufficient to recognise the city’s charms) and the local area boasts castles, vineyards and beautiful countryside.

The city is the tenth largest in Hungary and has all the facilities you’d expect from a large city although budget accommodation isn’t easy to find, though it does exist. As well as the university there are numerous specialist schools, many of which have their own accommodation; a good number of students stay in town during the week and go home at weekends and their residences are available to visitors in summer. The problem is that all the websites are in Hungarian only and are difficult to navigate; if you are looking for really cheap accommodation in Szombathely I’d recommend contacting the Tourist Information Centre in advance and asking them to arrange a room for you. As far as hotels are concerned Szombathely isn’t exactly teeming with them but there are enough to offer a reasonable choice, including the rather opulent Pelikan which occupies a former palace.

I can’t deny being pleased to have booked our accommodation in advance. Few people speak English and not many more speak German (an ability to understand German is usually an advantage in Hungary but apparently not here) so getting directions can be difficult. The Tourist Information Office closes at lunchtime on Saturday and remains closed until Monday so if you are visiting over a weekend it’s a good idea to do a little research in advance to find out what you might want to do, opening hours, etc. Furthermore the various attractions are not well sign-posted; we spent a good thirty minutes looking for the Roman ruins because there were no signs and because we couldn’t find anyone who speak enough English or German to help us.

Two main squares are linked by a pleasant pedestrianised shopping street. At the smaller one you’ll find the butter-coloured St. Elizabeth church and also the Tourist Information Centre. The church incorporates some of the features of an earlier Gothic church on the site which is also the location of an even earlier hospice for victims of the Plague. Tthe other square (known in Hungarian simply as Szombathely Fo ter - Szombathely Main Square) is much larger and grander with lots of fine buildings and numerous pavement cafes. Szombathely is not so touristy that you pay a lot more for a drink in this location so unless you are travelling with the smallest of budgets you can easily afford to station yourself here for a spot of people-watching.

Szombathely has the distinction of being the oldest town in Hungary and its attractions reflect that. Known to the Romans as Savaria, this was an important outpost and remains of an imperial palace, a bath-house and a customs post can be seen in the ‘Garden of Ruins’ next to the cathedral. The German name for Szombathely is Steinamanger’, a contraction of ‘Stein Am Anger’ – field of stones.

The Hungarian name means ‘Saturday place’, referring to the fact that since medieval times the town was well known for its Saturday market. Does a market still take place on Saturdays there? If it does we didn’t see any sign of it; perhaps it was over by the time we arrived.

Lying close to the amber route it’s always been a prosperous town and thanks to excellent fortifications, the Ottomans were not able to take Szombathely. Sadly the town suffered in two ways in World War Two. It was targeted for bombing raids because it was an important railway junction and because there was a lot of industry in and around the town, and, second, its Jewish population – some 4228 men, women and children – were picked up between 4th and 6th July 1944 and sent to Auschwitz. The handsome synagogue still exists but is now used for classical music concerts. Even if there’s nothing taking place when you visit, it’s worth a look because it is a splendid building that makes a brilliant photo opportunity. Before 1840 there were plenty of Jews in this area but they were not allowed to love within the town walls. Then the Emancipation of Jews in Hungary Act made it illegal to treat Jews in this way; by 1910, 10 per cent of Szombathely’s population was Jewish and they made a big contribution to commerce in the town, as well as having their own cultural and educational provisions. A Jewish school was one of the first to be set up in the country and a delightful plaque commemorating this can be seen on the wall of a building next to the synagogue.

Another interesting plaque can be seen over the entrance to an alleyway just off the main square. It’s dedicated to Irish author James Joyce who lived in Szombathely for a short whil; a small statue of the author can also be seen there. The hero of Joyce's 'Ulysses' Leopold Bloom, is an Irishman whose Jewish Hungarian father was born, according to the story, in Szombathely. I seem to follow Joyce in my travels round Europe but I had no idea about his connection with Szombathely so this came as a surprise. In fact Szombathely is full of little treasures and surprises. One of the grandest water towers I have ever seen stands in the town’s main park; we spotted the unusual crown section from a distance and knew we had to go to see whatever it was. It’s badly neglected now but it’s the sort of building crying out to be transformed into an art space or a café or restaurant.

As well as being reputed to be the birthplace of St. Martin of Tours, Szombathely has strong connections with the Catholic church. It’s the seat of the Archdiocese and boasts an imposing cathedral and adjoining seminary and diocese offices housed in handsome Baroque houses. At the other end of the town is St. Martin's Churc which has a beautiful graveyard teeming with ornate memorials. A visitor centre dedicated to St. Martin can be found in a house next door to the church.

I could easily have spent longer in Szombathely had I more time to spare. I already have the 'Waterworks Historical Museum' (visits free but by prior arrangement only) marked for a future trip as well as a trip to the nearby arboretum (two people in Szombathely recommended going to see the blooming rhododendron) and the Village Museum, an outdoor museum comprising a display of rebuilt traditional cottages and other rural buildings from the Vas region as well as native breeds and deomstrations of traditional crafts. Visitors travelling with children may be interested in a visit to the Szombathely Historical Theme Park (in the city centre, which I found odd) which is described as 'a unique interactive exhibition of the antique natural sciences': apparently there are lots of hands on exhibits showing how the use and development of different materials and technological design has evolved over the centuries. I thought it was a shame that this attraction is open only Tuesday - Friday; in the UK it is the sort of attraction many families would visit over a weekend.

We ate a main meal at an excellent restaurant near the Bishop's Palace but struggled to find tradtional places in the city centre, though there are lots of places for coffee and cake, or a pizza or meaty snack. The nicest places to eat appear to be in the surrounding villages and I imagine that you could get some recommendations from the Tourist Information Centre if this is what you're looking for.

We really liked Szombathely; it probably helped that the sun was shining making it very easy to enjoy the handsome streets and squares, though there are enough indoor things to do for a couple of days should the weather prove inclement. It might sound like an unrealistic destination but it's only a couple of hours drive from Vienna or Bratislava or even the southern Hungarian city of Pecs, all of which are served by budget airlines, as well as being a reasonable drive from the southern end of the Hungarian tourist centre of Lake Balaton. Read Less

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Garden of Roman Ruins

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Attraction | "What the Romans Left Behind"

The Garden of Ruins, Szombathely Photo - Garden of Roman Ruins, Szombathely, Hungary

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Long before the Magyars decided to perplex non-Hungarians by naming this settlement in western Hungary "Szombathely" (pronounced Tsom-bat-aye) the Romans simply referred to it as Savaria. Excavations have revealed Roman remains in several locations in the area but the ones that can be seen in the Garden of Ruins, just in the shadow of the city’s cathedral, are the most extensive and best preserved. Szombathely lacks signs to guide tourists to the main attractions: the entrance to the gardens is through a gate to the right of the cathedral. Although tours in English may be possible if arranged in advance, we were given a somewhat tatty polythene folder containing a plan of the gardens and a...Read More

Long before the Magyars decided to perplex non-Hungarians by naming this settlement in western Hungary "Szombathely" (pronounced Tsom-bat-aye) the Romans simply referred to it as Savaria. Excavations have revealed Roman remains in several locations in the area but the ones that can be seen in the Garden of Ruins, just in the shadow of the city’s cathedral, are the most extensive and best preserved. Szombathely lacks signs to guide tourists to the main attractions: the entrance to the gardens is through a gate to the right of the cathedral.

Although tours in English may be possible if arranged in advance, we were given a somewhat tatty polythene folder containing a plan of the gardens and a rather long text about the site and its history. A volunteer who spoke German very quickly briefed me on the recommended route but he did this so quickly I had forgotten a minute later what he’d said. It didn’t help that neither of us could relate parts of the diagram with what we could see on the ground; fortunately we have the benefit of coming from an area rich in Roman remains and can, therefore, spot a Roman bathhouse from miles away.

The Roman remains here comprise the Imperial Palace, a customs post, public bathhouse and an amphitheatre as well as potters’ workshops; the remains of a mithraeum (a temple) were found most recently in 2008.. This outpost was established in about 50AD but the excavations have found remains from the first to fourth centuries. In Roman times it was known as Colonia Claudia Savariensum (Claudius' Colony of Savarians); the German name for Szombathely is ‘Steinamanager’ which translates as ‘stones on a field’ which, presumably refers to the Roman ruins that German settlers found when they arrived there. The evidence points to this being a prosperous settlement; it was close to the Amber Road, an important route for transporting goods across the Roman provinces, and the presence of a customs house and several kilns and potters’ workshops suggest that there was money here. Savaria was destroyed by an earthquake in 456 AD, a decade or so after the Huns had taken the city.

One thing I really liked about this site is that you are able to get right among the remains, indeed you have to clamber over some sections to get around. Except for the sections of mosaic floor which are under cover, you can pretty much go wherever you want to. There are no boards beside the remains so you do have to persevere and read the information sheet and match up what that says with what you can see. The visible sections of the bath house and the amphitheatre were, fortunately, easy to identify and meant we could turn our attention to determining what the other sections were.

There are two simple roofed buildings that have been erected above the sections of mosaic in what would have been the imperial palace. The mosaic sections are nowhere near as striking or as large as those at, say, Fishbourne in England, but they are worth seeing nonetheless and regionally they are of note as they are the largest contiguous sections of Roman mosaic floor in Pannonia. The colours are not the best preserved I’ve ever seen but the motifs are easy to make out and rather pretty. In these two buildings there are some useful texts on boards on the walls which give you some interesting facts about the settlement at Savaria.

The Savaria Museum stands in the same grounds but was not open when we visited; this was a bit disappointing because the museum contains some of the well preserved pots that were found on the site, along with an exhibition about pottery in the area during Roman times.

As well as the Roman remains, there are also some excavated parts of the medieval castle and town that stood here centuries later; these include parts of the outer defences of the castle.

I think that you’d get a lot more out of this experience with the help of a guide so I would recommend making enquiries in advance if you’re able to. The garden is open Tuesday – Sunday from 15th March until 30th November, from 9.00am – 5.00pm. At the time of writing (July 2012) admission costs 600 HUF for adults and there are concessions for children, students, pensioners, etc. A day ticket can be bought which allows entry to allow Szombathely municipally run museums. There is an additional charge for guided tours.
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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 23, 2012

Garden of Roman Ruins

Szombathely, Hungary

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Gekko Pub es Etterem

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Restaurant | "Gekko Grub"

Lunch for two at the Gekko Pub Photo - Gekko Pub es Etterem, Szombathely, Hungary

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There are lots of places in Szombathely to have a coffee and a piece of cake or an ice cream but it’s rather more difficult to find somewhere for a lunch. Having arrived in town early in the afternoon on a Saturday, we dropped off our luggage and headed out in search of lunch. The Gekko Pub is a couple of blocks from the main square and is situated beside what is probably a busy roundabout during the week, though on a sunny Saturday afternoon it was pretty quiet. Having spent the previous day dodging rain showers in Bratislava we were pleased to have the opportunity to dine outdoors. The waiter told us he didn’t speak English and indicated to wait a moment: we thought he was...Read More

There are lots of places in Szombathely to have a coffee and a piece of cake or an ice cream but it’s rather more difficult to find somewhere for a lunch. Having arrived in town early in the afternoon on a Saturday, we dropped off our luggage and headed out in search of lunch.

The Gekko Pub is a couple of blocks from the main square and is situated beside what is probably a busy roundabout during the week, though on a sunny Saturday afternoon it was pretty quiet. Having spent the previous day dodging rain showers in Bratislava we were pleased to have the opportunity to dine outdoors.

The waiter told us he didn’t speak English and indicated to wait a moment: we thought he was perhaps going to fetch a colleague but he came back with a menu in English and German which was much appreciated as our Hungarian is extremely limited. As it happened our waiter also spoke some German so we were able to ask for more drinks and to pay the bill in that language.

It was the fact that the Gekko does pizzas that caught our attention and there’s a decent selection; not so many that it’s too difficult to choose, but enough that there’s something for most tastes, including a few meat free choices. They also do other dishes ranging from soups and salads to grill dishes and this being Hungary, there are plenty of pork options. The portions are generous; we watched in surprise as a lady at the next table polished off a big bowl of soup and was then brought a plate of pork with a mountain of delicious looking chips.

We ordered a "Mr. Fish" pizza and a mixed salad to go with it. The waiter understood that both dishes were to share between the two of us, and sensibly brought two sets of cutlery (you’d be surprised how many places think that because one person asked for all the food, that all the food is for them). The salad appeared quickly and we were so hungry that we had to try hard to leave some for when the pizza arrived. Admittedly it needed a dressing and there was none on the table; it took us a few minutes to get the waiter’s attention (as it did a bit later when we wanted more drinks). It was a bit of a rubbish salad if i'm honest but at least the ingredients were fresh and the ones that needed to be crisp were just that.

The pizza had been thoughtfully divided between two plates, though it would have been better if it had been transferred to warm plates. The Mr. Fish pizza had toppings of tuna and olives and there was plenty of both. All pizzas are 30cm size and are priced at 1350Ft, approximately £3.68 at the time of writing. If you are staying in self catering accommodation, or want food sent to your hotel, they do deliver pizza.

There were no Hungarian beers in spite of them being listed (shame on them!) so we had to make do with Czech beers. Krusovice is the only draught beer they do (all other beers are bottled) and a half litre costs 520Ft.

Prices generally are reasonable. A Caesar salad will set you back 1390Ft, while a large bowl of penne pasta with a tomato and tuna sauce will cost 1490Ft. There's a huge list of sandwiches and they are MASSIVE!

Although we ate outside we did go inside to the use the toilets, which were fresh and clean. The interior looks good with partial stone walls, painted a deep terracotta red above the stone work - look out for the fake gekkos climbing up the walls.

The Gekko is open Mon - Wed 09:00 - 22:00, Thurs - Sat 09:00 - 24:00, Sun - 10:00 - 22:00.

Pizza delivery times differ so please check witht the restaurant.

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Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 13, 2012

Gekko Pub es Etterem
Szelestey Utca 2
Szombathely, Hungary
94340320

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Smidt Museum

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Attraction | "Hungarian Hoarder"

The Smidt Museum, Szombathely Photo - Smidt Museum, Szombathely, Hungary

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What do you give the man who has everything? In the case of Dr. Lajos Smidt, you’d better make it a museum. In fact, the Szombathely surgeon had so much stuff that when he retired he gave his entire collection to the local municipality who put it all on display in a museum in a former grammar school. Although he was an avid collector in his own right, Dr. Smidt was given many of the pieces in the collection by patients in lieu of payment. He even received items from a nearby castle! Although the museum is named after Smidt, it can really be regarded as a museum of local history with a few more general displays as well. Over two floors you’ll find rare books, paintings, glass and ceramics, ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on July 8, 2012

Smidt Museum
Hollan Erno Utca 2
Szombathely, Hungary

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Godor Vendeglo

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Restaurant | "Waiting for Godor"

Godor Restaurant, Szombathely Photo - Godor Vendeglo, Szombathely, Hungary

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Szombathely is a funny old town; partly this is because it’s in Hungary, a country I like a lot, but which often defies comprehension. I knew of the town by name only and didn’t know anything else until I picked up a promotional brochure for the "Via Urbum", a joint tourism venture between the respective municpalities of Maribor (in Slovenia), Varazdin (in Croatia) and Szmobathely. The Hungarian tourism people had done such a good job of highlighting Szombathely’s charms that when I recently needed a destination for an overnight stop en route from Bratislava to Maribor, I immediately thought of the town. We ate at Godor* on a warm Saturday evening in June having found the restaurant in a r...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on July 7, 2012

Godor Vendeglo
Hollan Erno Utca 12
Szombathely, Hungary

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City Cafe Hotel

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Hotel | "Sausage Steaming in Szombathely"

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With only twenty four hours to spend in Szombathely we didn't want to waste time in looking for a hotel when we arrived so we took the unusual (for us) step of booking a hotel in advance. The choice was quickly whittled down. There are no commercial hostels and although the student halls all offer accommodation, the websites of all were in Hungarian only and I could not decipher whether any offered term time accommodation to tourists. Searches of booking websites suggested several hotels outside of the city, mostly the spa type that are common in the area, and only two - one a ritzy hotel housed in a former palace - came up in the city centre. The only one that met our requirements was Cit...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on June 19, 2012

City Cafe Hotel
Kossuth Lajos Street 2
Szombathely, Hungary 9700
06 20 989-8989

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