Prague to Budapest-3rd stop- HUNGARY!

Győr is the main city of northwest Hungary dating back to the 5th century BCE, and halfway between Budapest and Vienna, on one of the important roads of Central Europe. It is the sixth largest city in Hungary.

Becsi Kapu square was our first stop (after a stop at the cafe for coffee) where there is Carmelite church and the statue of famous Hungarian artist Kisfaludy Karoly; Hungarian writer, playwright and painter, founder of Hungarian national drama.

The town was affected by all the trials and tribulations of the history of Hungary, occupied by Mongols in 1241 and then was destroyed by the Czech army in 1271. The town is surrounded with a castle and a city wall. During the following centuries, the town grew in wealth and population. In 1743 Győr was elevated to free royal town status by Maria Theresa. The religious orders of Jesuits and Carmelites settled there, building schools, churches, a hospital, and a monastery.

The Carmelite order established a presence in Győr in 1697, building the Church of the Immaculate and monastery between 1721 and 1732.The Carmelite Order refers to Elijah, the spiritual fathers of the order and Christian and Jewish hermits who lived, prayed and taught in the caves used by Elijah and Elisha. With devotion growing in the Middle Ages, women close to the communities of Carmelite friars were drawn to their life of prayer and the Carmelite convents grew. By 2001, the membership had increased to approximately 2,100 men in 25 provinces, 700 enclosed nuns in 70 monasteries, and 13 affiliated Congregations and Institutes. In addition, the Third Order of lay Carmelites count 30,000+ members throughout the world.

In the mid-19th century, Győr's role in trade grew as steamship traffic on the River Danube began. The town lost its importance in trade when the railway line between Budapest and Kanizsa superseded river traffic after 1861. The town prospered until World War II when several buildings were destroyed. In the 1970s the reconstruction of the city center began; old buildings were restored and reconstructed. In 1989 Győr won the European award for the protection of monuments.

It maintains its history and character as it is a small city only 75 miles from the bustling city of Budapest.... our next stop!Read more