In the footsteps of culture
We invite you for a little time travel - you will hear wonderful stories of history about the buildings, parks, and programs of Sopron - join us!
Day 1
Downtown walk: Fire tower - Storno house - Goat church - -Castle Wall promenade - Lenck villa
Most people have heard of the Fire Tower, the symbol of Sopron, whose balcony offers an unparalleled view of the city. The adjoining building, the Storno House, is the former home of a wealthy citizen of Sopron, with the original furniture still preserved. Stepping out of the Storno House, you will see the Benedictine Church, commonly known as the Goat Church, standing in the Main Square of Sopron. According to legend, the church was built from a treasure found by a goat, but in reality, there is a murder case in the background, which explains the name. A person named Henrik Geissel (whose surname means “goat” in English), who committed a murder, donated the money for building the church tower as an atonement for himself and his family. You will enjoy walking along the Castle Wall Promenade, walking along the narrow, cosy, cobbled streets, and you can immerse yourself in the present.
Arriving at Deák Square, you can again return to the past in the Lenck Villa. It is an ethnographic exhibition, but it is very different from what you might find elsewhere. It tells the story of where and how the lives of the craftsmen and the urban bourgeoisie met. In the charmingly beautiful upper middle-class villa, you’ll be able to glimpse into the life of the artisans and old tradesmen through the objects of the museum's ethnographic collection. The story is that of a family wedding that depicts the etiquette, the dresses, the eating and behavioural habits of the age: the bourgeois family and the servants populating the villa are feverishly preparing for the wedding of their daughter, Liza, attending workshops to prepare everything for the big day when the young couple will tie the knot.
Day 2
One day outdoors: Taród castle - Villa row - Deák square - Erzsébet garden
Perhaps the most special attraction of Sopron is the Taród Castle, which is also known as the Fool's Castle or the Owl Castle. For the most part, it is the work of a single person, the 50-year-old István Taródi, who used 150 railway carful of stones and bricks to build the walls. Walking along the Villa row in the Lower Lővérs, you can admire the sight of villas typically built with a single or two stories in the Alpine-style at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries. The second longest square in Central Europe, Deák Square with its shady benches, fountains and playground is an excellent place to relax and unwind at an arm’s reach from the city centre. The Elizabeth Garden is home to several special plant species. An outstanding specimen is a redwood tree, which is the highest such tree in Hungary. In summer, you can enjoy outdoor concerts of various genres in the Music Pavilion.
Day 3
Regional adventures: Fertőd, Eszterházy castle - Fertőd, Music House - Fertőrákos, Cave Theater
The area around Sopron also offers countless cultural experiences.
In Fertőd, you will be greeted by the imposing building and the huge garden of the Esterházy Castle. You can join a castle tour, but don't miss the rose garden and the music house either!
The guided castle tours starting every 30 minutes offer an insight into the castle and the Baroque-Rococo period, and include the summer dining hall, the sala terrana, the princess’s hall, then the Haydn hall and the Apollo hall, the Varnish room and the Castle chapel.
The Baroque Theatre History Tour, offered once a day, presents Pietro Travaglia's life’s work and the renovated puppet theatre, and the 18th century Eszterháza comes to life in a circular panoramic screening show.
Muzsikaház (the Music House) stands on the western edge of the park of the Esterházy Castle, and it served as the home for the musicians, actors, and opera performers of the former Esterházy court. Joseph Haydn also lived here in the upstairs three-room apartment between 1766 and 1790.
In the evening, the programs of the Petőfi Theatre in Sopron or the Cave Theatre in Fertőrákos complete the day full of experiences.