• Get in
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Get out

Sopron is a city in Hungary, close to the Austrian border, with a population of about 55,000. The officially bilingual town (historical German language name Ödenburg) is situated at the Amber Road, and in Roman times was named Scrabantia.

On August 19, 1989 the "Pan-European Picnic" took place near Sopron, when the "Iron Curtain" between Austria and Hungary was lifted for a few hours, allowing some hundred DDR citizens to cross the border.

[edit] Get in

By car: From Vienna, Austria on A2 until the Traiskirchen intersection, then on A3 until the Eisenstadt intersection, and on B16 to Sopron.

By train: Connected to Vienna by trains every hour, departure from Wien Südbahnhof at the top of the hour. Travel takes about one hour.

By plane: Nearest international airports are Vienna (70 km), Bratislava (70 km), and Budapest (200 km).

[edit] Get around

The city isn't large, so you can walk or buy a ticket to ride the public bus lines.

[edit] See

¤ Landmark of the city is the "fire tower"/"Feuerturm" (Tüztorony, Fö tér 1), with a museum of history of the city.

¤ The barock main square (Fő tér) with the City Hall, fire tower, Storno-house (museum) and main roman catholic church. In December there is a christmas market on the square (must see!)

¤ Fabricius - House (Fö tér 6) from 14th century with interior from 17th and 18th century

¤ Pharmacymuseum (Fö tér 2)

¤ Old Synagogue (Uj u. 22, end of 13th century)

¤ Várnegyed/Burgviertel (medieval city core)

¤ St. Michael Church with tower (15th century, Szent Mihály utca)

¤ Mining Museum in Palais Esterhazy.

¤ Liszt Ferenc Cultural Centre on the Széchenyi square.

[edit] Do

¤ Buy some bottles of the famous Hungarian wine "Kékfrankos"

¤ Take a walk in the forest around the city.

¤ Drink a coffee in the café at Széchényi Tér with a view on the beautiful Liszt Ferenc Központ (Theatre and Casino).

[edit] Buy

Shopping is (still) cheaper than in neighbouring Austria.

In the city you can buy trendy clothes in the shop "Jeans Club" or you can buy clothes and other stuff in the Plaza outside of the city. There's a new shopping centre near to the border of the town, where you can find shops of various famous brands, like Benetton or New Yorker.

[edit] Eat

Lots of restaurants, predominantly Hungarian but also Viennese cuisine, frequented by Austrian daytime tourists.

Tips: Graben Restaurant on the street around the city centre, Hungarian and Austrian specialites. The restaurant has a good atmosphere.

Mediterrano: it has 3 restaurants, one of them is called "Spago". Italian food and good wines, there are mostly jounger people because of it's design.

[edit] Drink

If you're in Sopron, you have to drink a glass of the famous wine of the area around sopron, it's called "Kékfrankos".

There's also a disco in the city plaza, the "Colosso".

[edit] Sleep

• Hotel Sopron****, [1]. Providing a magnificent view to the town, is situated just 10 minutes to the Austrian-Hungarian border. It takes only 5 minutes walking to reach the heart of the city from here.
• Hotel Fagus- Hotel Fagus is a newly opened wellness and conference hotel ideally located in the Lövér forest in the beautiful city of Sopron. Only 7 km from the Austrian border, 15 km from the lake of Fertő, 60 km from Vienna and 200 km from Budapest.
• Hunguest Hotel Szieszta is located in the middle of a park in the Lővérek, a green hilly area whence a superb view is offered onto the town. The sub-alpine air, the wonderful neighbourhood.
• Mandarin Pension, 9400 Sopron, Baross u. 1, [2]. about 30-80 EUR. Not recommended, next to 2(!) railway lines, a busy road and a night club.
• Danubius Bio Sport Hotel Lövér ****, 9400 Sopron, Varisi ut 4,[3]. About 65-155 EUR
• Pannonia Med Hotel, ****, 9400 Sopron, Varkerulet 75, [4]. About 75-130 EUR
• Rosengarten Hotel is located near the downtown of Sopron and offering a full range of services in dental tourism to its guests.

[edit] Get out

Sopron is close to the quarries of Fertőrákos, where in summer operas are held, and with a nice view on the Neusiedler See / Lake Fertő.

Near to the city is the Castle Esterházy in Fertőd.