23 - 31
July 2016

Sopron

Population: 75,000

Sopron is situated near the western border of Hungary, at the foot of the Alps. The city is one of the oldest jewel boxes in the country, rewarded with European awards, which unifies past and present in itself, and presents a bridge between the country and its western neighbours, and opens a gate to those visiting the country. The inhabitants of the city are famed for their hospitality and loyalty to their hometown. This is also symbolised by the Gate of Faith, which can be found on the southern side of the Firewatch Tower, the symbol of the city, and which was made in memory of the referendum of 1921.

A Closer Look
  • The centre of the city is the Main Square. The City Hall was built in 1896, in the year of the Hungarian Millennium. Opposite it, the Storno House is one of the most well-known buildings of the city, thanks to its highly interesting collection. Even King Matthias stayed overnight between these walls. The Goat Church provided a venue for coronations and parliamentary sessions. The Holy Trinity Statue is a masterpiece of the Hungarian Baroque, while the neo-Gothic Ursuline Church is one of the most impressive architectural monuments of the past century.

    Varkerulet was built along the former moat, its inner row of houses following the line of the castle wall. A gem of the renewed Varkerulet is the Maria Statue.

    The curative and refreshing air of the natural environment, the hiking routes of the wooded hillsides, the view towers, the mountain springs, and the proximity of Lake Ferto make Sopron one of the most beautiful and most pleasant holiday resorts of Hungary. The Loverek, the hilly area south of the city, is the most fascinating and most distinguished area of the city. It offers calm forests with spruces, oaks and chestnuts, lilies of the valley and cyclamens, hiking paths and lookout towers.

    Another attraction of the historic town of Sopron is the excellent wines of the region, so the city is becoming increasingly popular among those who would like to satisfy their thirst with noble wines.

    Sopron is also famous for music festival, VOLT, which was named the Best Medium Sized Festival in Europe in 2015.

  • Sopron is home to a variety of professional sports but it is basketball for which the city is most famous.

    The Sopron Sports Association of the University of West Hungary was founded in Selmecbanya in 1860 and from that time it has continuously operated as Europe’s second and Hungary’s oldest sports association. SMAFC stands for the Sopron University Club for Athletics and Football. However, their basketball players made it legendary, as they were the first team outside Budapest to win the Hungarian People’s Republic Cup, in 1969.

    Sopron is a “Town of Basketball”. The Sopron KC men's basketball team is one of the most prosperous teams in the first division championship. The UNIQUA Sopron women's basketball team won their first national championship in 1993, making their debut in the European Cup for Women’s Champions Clubs the following season. Settled in the top positions, the team played in the Ronchetti Cup in subsequent years, winning it in 1998 after beating ASPTT Aix-en-Provence. The team has won nine domestic championship titles and six Hungarian Cup trophies. In 2009, Sopron reached the EuroLeague Women Final Four after beating Wisla Krakow and Bourges Basket in the knockout stages, finishing fourth after losing to CB Avenida and UMMC Ekaterinburg.

  • By train:

    The inland and international railway connections of the region are highly developed thanks to constant improvements by GYSEV PLC. Connected to Vienna by suburban trains every hour, departure from Wien Meidling. Travel takes 70 minutes. Sopron is located within the Vienna regional tariff union, so with a ticket or travel card covering the entire network, it can be used to travel to Sopron.

    By car:

    Road 84 in the direction of Lake Balaton and road 85 connecting Sopron with Gyor and the villages in between. From Vienna, Austria on A2 until the Traiskirchen intersection, then on A3 until the Eisenstadt intersection, and on B16 to Sopron.

    By plane:

    Nearest international airports are Vienna (65 km) and Bratislava (100 km).

    Distances between Sopron and Hungary’s main cities:

    Sopron - Gyor: 123 km
    Sopron - Lake Balaton: 128 km
    Sopron - Budapest: 209 km

  • Taxi

    There are several taxi companies in Sopron, which can be reached at +3699333333.

    Electricity supply

    The electric network in Hungary operates on an alternating current network with the tension level of 220 V and frequency of 50 Hz.

    Road travel

    Vignettes for motorway travel are available for weekly, monthly or yearly periods, and can be purchased at petrol stations. The vignette is compulsory for all vehicles. By law, you must have your headlights on at all times while driving. You are also required to carry a reflective jacket, a warning triangle and a first aid kit in the vehicle.

    Emergency number

    Call emergency call number 112 only in case of sudden real threat to life, health, safety, environment or property and only in the case when the emergency services are needed to arrive instantly in order to provide immediate assistance. For registration of intercity and international calls please call 115.

    Currency

    The official currency in Hungary is Forint. Cash can be exchanged in banks and exchange offices. Numerous ATMs also stand at your disposal. Every day purchases can be paid with cash or credit cards, accepted by the shop. In most of the shops in Sopron it is possible to pay with Euro. Most of the hotels, restaurants and shops accept the following credit cards: Visa, EuroCard/MasterCard, Diners, American express.