Big cities in Hungary – 5 facts you may not know about Szombathely – PHOTOS
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For most of the people, Budapest is the first thing that comes to their mind when they think about Hungary. This country is beautiful, and it has many other beautiful cities. We have already written about Győr, Szeged, Debrecen, Veszprém, Sopron, Pápa, Kecskemét, Szekszárd, Tatabánya, Salgótarján, Kaposvár, and many other cities. Now, let us take a look at Szombathely.
General information
Szombathely is the county seat of Vas county and lies in Western Hungary, about 220 kilometres from Budapest. Its Latin name is Savaria or Sabaria that was the name for the Gyöngyös Stream, which flows through Szombathely. It is one of the oldest cities in Hungary and is also called the Queen of the West. It is situated by the Alpokalja Mountain (Feet of the Alps) on the Kisalföld (Little Hungarian Plain). According to the latest happiness survey, Szombathely is the happiest city in Hungary. It has about 80 thousand inhabitants.
Close to nature
Szombathely is a city that lies in a beautiful area where visitors can enjoy being close to nature.
The Parkerdő Zöld Utak (Forest Green Roads) is a forest that provides safe, well-maintained and lovely paths. These are suitable for walking, jogging, running, and biking as well. Path “A” is 2,3 kilometres long with gentle hills and downhills. It is perfect for small, relaxing walks, jogging and running. The 3.7 kilometres path “B” offers a great opportunity for a long walk in the woods, fitness training, and cycling. The length of path “C” is 2.6 kilometres, and it has gentle hills and downhills, just like path “A”.
The Kámoni Arboretum introduces the trees and bushes, 3000 species all in all. The 27-acre big park lies by the Gyöngyös Stream and can be visited all year long. There is an Ecotouristic Centre that entertains visitors with a colourful variety of programmes and exhibitions. It is in front of the arboretum’s entrance.
There is an artificial rowing and fishing lake in the city. It was formed by filling up the former clay mine’s hole. Its perimeter is 1500 meters that we can follow by walking on the nice pavement around it. Those who are not keen on fishing can also rent row- and paddle boats by the lake.
History and traditions
The Museum Village of Vas County (Vasi Múzeumfalu) opened in 1973, and it aims to preserve traditions. It has already settled many indigenous domestic animals, saved 43 traditional buildings and created an ethnobotanical garden. The village organises programmes to teach people about the Hungarian traditions and customs.
The Historical Theme Park (Történelmi Témapark) introduces the antique natural sciences. It reveals how inhabitants worked with ancient materials, shows the technological breakthroughs of those times, and teaches about philosophy in an interactive, experimental way. It is a perfect programme for children and adults as well.
The István Járdányi Paulovics Ruin Garden (Járdányi Paulovics István Romkert) displays the biggest contiguous part of the antic Savaria. It exhibits remains of a cesarean palace, ruins of a castle, a public bath, mosaic surfaces, and workshops from the 1-4th centuries. However, the most interesting piece is the former palace complex. It had a large hall with the biggest contiguous mosaic floor in Pannonia.
