Szombathely - my "hometown" in Hungary

Szombathely (population 90,000) is one of the oldest towns in Hungary. In Roman times it was known as Savaria. Roman remains and part of the Roman Road that ran through the town can be seen as well as the remains of a temple to the Roman Godess Isis which attest to the towns status in Roman times.

Other cultural attractions include the Schmidt Museum, home to a display of Hungarian antique furniture, and a Skanzen (a recreation of a turn of the century Hungarian Village).

The town has a large, pretty main square with a number of outdoor cafes in which to relax and enough trendy shops to keep shopaholics happy.

It also has pleasant parks, a boating lake, an arboretum and two popular outdoor strands (lido's).

Although Szombathely probably only merits a few days stay as a destination in its own right, it makes a superb base for excursions to other picturesque towns in Western Hungary including Koszeg, Sopron and Sarvar.

Szombathely is at the base of the Alpine foothills and the picturesque countryside and hillwalking trails of Boszok, Velem and Koszeg are nearby. The Austrian border is only 20 minutes drive away.

Quick Tips:

Take in a football (soccer) match for approx (seat) and cheer on the local team Haladas. They need the support!

Cake and ice cream at the Meszaros Cukraszda (one of the best in Hungary IMHO!).

The Romkert Museum for the Roman remains.

A few Korso's of beer in the Ferences Sorozo, a cellar underneath a church at the top of the Main Square.

A stroll in the Park and around the boating lake.

The amazing huge mural behind the VAOS restaurant (at the corner of Koszegi Utca) that depicts a pictoral history of Szombathely.

A typical Hungarian meal with Gyulas, Gypsy music and singing (my family loves a sing along) at the Pasztor Csarda in Olad (once a village in its own right but now a district of Szombathely).

If you are going on an excursion and need picnic items, get these from the Town Market (Piac) or the huge Tesco Superstore on the outskirts of the town (follow the many signs). The range of fresh produce is truly excellent and much of it is sourced locally.

Best Way To Get Around:

Sadly the Tram that used to trundle through the town is long gone, but there is a decent bus service, that will take you to the most important places in town. Buses run at half hourly intervals. Taxis are also pretty reliable (the rip offs that occur in Budapest are rare here).

Szombathely is a nice place to walk really so if you have the time energy (and a streetmap), just take a stroll.

Scheduled bus and train services (including Intercity services to Gyor and Budapest) to other towns and villages are also pretty good. More details will be posted on specific routes etc. elsewhere.

The oldest of the hotels in Szombathely is centrally located, less than 5 minutes walk from the town square. Most of my relations (as well as my dad) refer to the place by its old pre-war name of the Kovacs Szallo (Hotel) and fondly recall the dances and balls that took place in the restaurant / ballroom.

Nowadays, it's a two-star establishment, perhaps in need of a spruce up and is often used to accommodate tour groups. Most of the 90 rooms are en suite, but some have only a sink. Prices start from around £30 per night.

The restaurant / cafe retains its old splendor but is sadly underused unless there are tour groups or weddings taking place. The menu is traditional Hungarian and the food is perfectly acceptable.

This three-star hotel my look rather ugly from the outside (a typical 60's building) but the interior and rooms are comfortable and the levels of service are good. It has a nice location across the road from the boating lake and is only 10 minutes walk from the centre of town. There is a large off-road car park at the front of the hotel if you are driving.

The hotel's restaurant is decorated in Hungarian peasant-style and the food (and red wine) is of quite high standard. You can also use the swimming pool next door during your stay.

The Meszaros Cukraszda has been serving up some of the nicest ice cream (Fagylalt) in Hungary (in my opinion anyhow) for decades. Even under the communist regime, the Meszaros family maintained control of the place. It has always been extremely popular for its quality ice cream and cakes, even though it is slightly away from the town centre (head towards the watertower and you're on the right track). As you get nearer, you'll probably pass small kids (and parents too) eagerly devouring their cones. The confectioners occupies the ground floor of a large house. There is a take-away counter as well as a parlour with around 10 tables (no waitress service). Most of the time, there are at least 6 different flavours of ice cream, which you order by the scoop (gomboc). My favourites include Karamel, Fahey (Cinnamon), Oroszkrem (Russian cream) though I've never been disappointed. You could always opt for a selection (Vegyes) if you find it too hard to choose :-).

As well as the ice cream, there is also a nice selection of traditional Hungarian cakes such as Dobos Torta, Esterhazy Torta and Kremes (yum). Coffee and soft drinks are also available too.

I make a point of visiting this place at least once a trip (but usually more) to get my fix of ice cream. Meszaros Cukraszda is well worth a visit!

The Pannonia Restaurant is centrally located in Szombathely's town square.

The restaurant itself is decked out in a rustic style, with heavy wooden tables and chairs.

The menu offers a comprehensive selection of mainly Hungarian dishes, but there are more familiar international items on offer. There are also daily specials too, often making use of seasonal produce. Menus are available with German and English translations.

Soups include traditional Gulyas (Goulash) and you may also be tempted by another Hungarian speciality, Hortobagy Palacsinta (Pancakes Hortobagy style), a savoury pancake stuffed with beef/veal and accompanied by a paprika cream sauce.

For main courses, game dishes, notably wild boar and deer are normally good here. The Vaddiszno Porkolt (Wild boar stew) served with Galuska (a sort of pasta) is particularly enjoyable. As well as game, traditional meat dishes predominate, though fish and a small number of vegetarian choices are available. Portions are substantial, which probably means you'll not get to dessert, but pancakes, ice cream etc. are on offer. A decent selection of wines, spirits and beer compliment your meal.

Service can be a little slow when the restaurant is busy but on the whole, the Pannonia offers good value, hearty fare.

The Pasztor Csarda is out in the Olad district of Szombathely but if you have a car or book a taxi, it is a decent enough place to head for a meal. It is on the main road to the border crossing at Bucsu (to Austria) and many Austrians pop over to eat in the evening and at weekends. I normally stay with my cousin when I visit and he lives nearby so the Pasztor is his neighbourhood restaurant. The restaurant has a large indoor room seating around 80 but there is also a pleasant terrace and courtyard garden that is used during the summer months.

Menus are available in Hungarian, German and English and some of the waiters may have a smattering of German/English too.

The menu offers traditionally Hungarian dishes and is heavy on meat, poultry and game. It was here that I tried pheasant (Facan) for the first time, and rather nice it was too (though watch out for the fine bones!).

A number of the dishes are presented in pans or on skillets, allowing you to serve yourself. Accompaniaments include potato doughnuts (Fank) and herb dumplings which are very filling. Indeed, portions are big (a little OTT even) and good value. I very rarely manage a dessert, though pancakes, Retes (Strudel) and Ice Cream (Carte D'Or sadly) is available. The house wine is extremely drinkable, though there is a more extensive winelist as well as beers and spirits.

In the evenings, a Gypsy band often entertains guests and the violinists will "work" the tables taking requests. If you've never listened to Hungarian folk music before, it can be very atmospheric and enjoyable, especially if the locals start singing along. Be warned - the violinist can be rather persistant. A couple of hundred forints is normally enough to offer as a tip if they play for you (paying more may result in them setting up camp around your table). If you want to avoid the music, opt for a table outside!

Just across from the main post office, the Wagner is often thought of as the best of Szombathelys eateries and on the whole, I tend to agree though it has perhaps rested on its laurels at times.

We've often used the restaurant for meals with members of our family as the restaurant makes a pleasant setting and it has a couple of large circular tables, seating up to 12 which allows for group banter and merriment. Service is usually attentive and efficient.

The menu has Hungarian specialities as well as continental dishes and I think the food is cooked with a bit more care and imagination than the other restaurants in town.

"Gorog" means "Greek" in Hungarian but really the only Greek stuff on offer is in the spirits department. The reason this place is popular (with a young crowd mostly) is for the cheap and tasty pizzas. Definitely a place to head if you are on a budget or need a break from heavier Hungarian fare.

A cheap and cheerful place, packed out with locals and footy fans on weekends (hence the name) that can get unbearably hot during the summer. The best things to eat here are the huge schnitzels accompanied by inexpensive Korso's of beer.

While the "Blue Pelican" is never going to win any culinary awards, I've listed it because it is open really late. So if you've had a heavy night on the beer and feel peckish at the midnight hour, drop in here for a quick schnitzel to perk yourself up. My brother and I were heartily amused as my cousin and his friend (who had taken us on a pub crawl earlier in the evening) had to run to the loos to throw up as they saw us tucking into our food.

Luckily, the fast food chains have not really arrived in Szombathely (no Burger King or Pizza Hut yet), but as most people want to know where the local McDonalds is, I thought I'd list it. The usual fare is on offer and at Hungarian prices it's a giveaway. Set meals are known as "menus" in Hungary so ordering is hardly a problem.

This pub is housed in a cellar underneath the church at the top of the Town Square and it is one of my favourite drinking haunts. In the evening it gets busy, and there is a nice buzz to the place as people quaff cheap draught beer (Hungarian and Austrian) and tuck into the tasty pub grub.

At lunchtimes, the place is more sedate and a good place to stop for a cheap lunch. If you are lucky, there will often be fresh sajtos pogacsa (a type of soft roll to which potato and cheese are mixed in to the dough) on the table which make a meal in themselves with a couple of beers. You'll be charged for the number you've eaten.

Another decent stop if you are doing a pub crawl. There are a number of wooden booths that will allow you and your friends a bit of privacy. Food is also available too. If you fancy trying Hungarian dark beer (Barna Sor), then do it here. Its a sweeter version of ale (bitter) but not at all bad.

During the day, you can pop in for a coffee or people watch from the outdoor terrace that faces onto the square.