Mosonmagyaróvár is situated at the western gate of the country, 6km from the Austrian and 13km from the Slovakian borders. Being so near two important border stations such as Hegyeshalom and Rajka, makes it an economic, financial, touristic, transport, industrial and commercial centre. The town is also called middle of the “golden triangle” since it is 36km from Gyõr, 32km from Bratislava and 84km from Vienna by car.
Mosonmagyaróvár has 32,000 inhabitants. At the station, the Vienna-Budapest railway line stops that is part of the Paris-Istanbul international line. Here there is the meeting point of highway 1 from Hegyeshalom (Vienna) and from Rajka (Bratislava) and there is the exit point from M1 motorway.
Mosonmagyaróvár is one of the 16 historic towns of Hungary, its foundation dates back to the Roman times. For tourists, it has achieved its reputation as the “Gate of Szigetköz” but the transit; shopping and dental tourism is also significant. The town’s main touristic attraction is the thermal bath, whose water is used for treating locomotor, chronic inflammatory and gastro-enteric diseases.
Beside the structure of Danube branches, several artificial lakes promising successful catches make Szigetköz a real paradise for fishermen.
The Sights of Mosonmagyaróvár
Mosonmagyaróvár’s thermal bath can be ranked among the 5 most efficient ones in Europe. At the present, four pools, two swimming and two sitting, can be enjoyed. They offer of various temperatures for meeting the requirements of all age groups.
The almost constant north-western wind brings fresh air to the green belt and the bath locating near natural waters. The bath offers medical, relaxing and sports facilities. The thermal water is basically for medical purposes and highly esteemed. It contains a lot of dissolved salt, hydrogen carbonate and chloride thermal water, that is used for curing locomotor, gastro-enteric and inhalatory diseases.
Mosonmagyaróvár has a lot of medical facilities based on the thermal water: specialists, pools, carbonated baths, galvanic baths, underwater massages, medical massages, mud packs, electrotherapy and therapeutic gymnastics.
The Castle and its Vicinity – Mosonmagyaróvár’s Historical Memento
The Castle of Óvár was built on the foundation of the Roman settlement in the 13th century. It was rebuilt several times; its shape is an asymmetrical square. In 1818, Kázmér Albert, who was the prince of Saxon-Teschen and the monarch’s, Maria Theresa’s son-in-law, founded an institute for agricultural higher education. That was housed in the building of the Castle.
Its successor, the Agricultural Faculty of the West-Hungarian University, is still housed in the building of the Castle. Next to it, can be found the Saint Anna’s Chapel of Lucsony. This was built in memory of the victims of the plague epidemic in 1713.
The chapel has a wooden tower and above the door there is an artistic little statue of Maria placed into a cubicle. Getting over the Lajta Bridge, you are in the Square of 48 which is dominated by the massive building of the Salt House.
The then Capuchin monastery was built outside the town walls in 1689. After dissolving the order, the Capuchin monks left Mosonmagyaróvár in 1787.
The building was rebuilt in classicist style at the beginning of the 19th century, and then it was used for offices and as a salt store after which it was named. In the corner of the square the Lourdi Chapel is, next to which the Hildegárdeum, a kindergarten founded in 1882, can be found.
In the square, there is erected the Monument of the Thirteen of Bratislava, the so-called Hungaria Statue which is the first monument of the Great War.
Deák Square
In one of the oldest buildings of Mosonmagyaróvár is the mill which was working from 1648 to the 1980s. Opposite the Castle, the Habsburgs’ house stands owned by the archdukes. The building had some famous guests, for example, Champagny, the French minister of foreign affairs; count Stephen Széchenyi, our county’s ambassador; and Jellasich escaping to Vienna. Lajos Kossuth made a speech from the balcony recruiting the local men in October 1848. There is a plaque placed in memory of it.
The archduke, Frederick Habsburg, was the aristocrat living for the longest time in the palace. He spent his last years here, from 1920 to 1936, and was very poplar among the locals.
During his everyday walks, he liked talking to his employees and having a word with everyone passing by while sitting on a bench.
In his memory was erected the statue of his sitting figure which can be seen at the beginning of Magyar Street.
The nicest decoration of Deák Square is the monumental column of Saint John of Nepomuk with three other figures and reliefs. It was erected by Charkes Hugenstein, who was the land- steward, in memory of Maria Theresa’s coronation in 1744.
In Main Street, which used to be called German Street, each house is a historic building. They have gothic foundations and baroque or eclectic fronts. They have usually been named after their 19th or early 20th century owners.
In the house called Lenau-house, the famous Austrian poet, Nicholaus Leanu, lived while studying in the town in 1822-3. The dwelling house is in romantic style with a relief on the wall. In the park of the Castle there is a carved stone bench in memory of the poet.
The building called Black Eagle was built as early as the 15th century and functioned as a Jesuit monastery, brewery, hotel and restaurant. The former County House is now the Town Hall (at 11 Main Street) built in 1892 in renaissance style. On one of the columns, you can read the plaque about Napoleon‘s marching through the town in 1809; and the peace negotiations between 17th August and 27th September taking place in the building in the same year.
The nicest dwelling house in Main Street is the Cselley-house. In the building, there is housed the industrial history exhibition of Hansági Museum, Gyurkovich-collection of paintings by 19th and 20th century Hungarian painters. In the barrel-vaulted cellar, stonework remains from Roman times are exhibited..
Saint Gotthard Church – Mosonmagaróvár
Saint Gotthard Church can be found in the middle of the downtown, in Saint Lászlo Square. It is the most significant baroque building in our town.
The under croft was completed in 1934, where the Habsburg’s crypt, later archduke Frederick Habsburg and his wife’s, Isabella Croy archduchess, metal coffins were placed.
For 800th anniversary of King Laszlo’s canonisation, the statue of the king was erected next to the church building in 1993. The sculpture and the drinking fountain were made by sculptor Ferenc Lebó and financed by public contributors.
The Evangelic Church built around 1884, in neo-gothic style stands in Magyar Street, in the pedestrian are of Mosonmagyaróvár.
The Hansági Museum is one of the oldest museums in Hungary. It was built by Béla Höhner, a local master builder.
In its classicist building, you can see the exhibition called The History of the Moson Plain. It follows the history of the town and its surroundings from the far past up to recent times. In front of the museum building, the monument of the Revolution in 1848 can be seen.
The Calvinist Church of Mosonmagyaróvár
Going to Moson in Szent István Király Street, we can have a glimpse of the Calvinist Church. It was built by Bálint Szeghalmi in the traditional style of the wooden churches in Transylvania.
The Past of the Industrial Area in Mosonmagyaróvár
The Austro-Hungarian Monarchy’s largest military and gunpowder factory was built in the Industrial Area before and during the 1st World War. The Italian war prisoners working here built a lovely chapel, which has been renovated. Since the factory’s buildings are too stabile to be pulled down, it has remained a giant memento of the war.
A sorrowful sight of the Industrial Area is the symbolic cemetery in Mourning Square which commemorates the victims of the volley-firing on 26th October 1956.
In their honours, there is erected a line of wooden head boards and a three-figured monument completed by Tibor Rieger.
Rosalie Chapel of Mosonmagyaróvár
Rosalie Chapel can be found in the Moson part of the town. The original chapel was built in the18th century after a plague epidemic.
The present chapel building was built at the end of the 20th century in eclectic style.
Charles Flesch, a violinist and music teacher was born at 123 Szent István Király Street, in Moson. Here the Saint John of Nepomuk’s Parish Church can be found as well. The originally baroque building was rebuilt at the beginning of the 1900s.
Its frontal gate, the downstairs and the side window frames are still the original ones. In front of the church building, there is a stone cross with a German text and the year 1836. In the small square near the church, the statue of King Stephen the Saint was unveiled at the millennium on 20th August 2000.
The Cultural Centre of Mosonmagyaróvár
The cultural centre of Moson part of the town is the White Horse Community Centre at 166 St Stephen Street. The then White Horse Hotel’s big lounge is right above the entrance. It has nice projections; the crown moulding is decorated with pierced rosettes.
The Wind Power Plants
North-west off the town, where there is the best wind channel, the most wind power plants can be found in Hungary.
