Introduction
City with county rights in Hungary
For other uses, see Győr (disambiguation).
City with county rights in Western Transdanubia, HungaryGyőrCity with county rightsGyőr Megyei Jogú VárosClockwise, from top to bottom: Cathedral Basilica of Győr, baroque architecture in Győr, Benedictine Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, street in the city center, City Hall, baroque architecture
FlagCoat of armsGyőrShow map of Győr-Moson-Sopron CountyGyőrShow map of HungaryCoordinates: 47°41′03″N 17°38′04″E / 47.6842°N 17.6344°E / 47.6842; 17.6344Country HungaryRegionWestern TransdanubiaCountyGyőr-Moson-SopronDistrictGyőrGovernment • MayorBence PintérArea • City with county rights174.62 km2 (67.42 sq mi)Elevation108 m (354 ft)Population (1 January 2017) • City with county rights129,301 • Urban(7th)246,159DemonymgyőriPopulation by ethnicity • Hungarians84.5% • Germans1.5% • Romani0.8% • Others1.7%Population by religion • Roman Catholic44.9% • Evangelicals4.3% • Calvinists4.1% • Other1.5% • Non-religious14.2%Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code9000 to 9030Area code(+36) 96MotorwaysM1, M19, M85NUTS 3 codeHU221Distance from Budapest121 km (75 mi) EastInternational AirportGyőr (QGY)MPRóbert Balázs Simon (Fidesz) Ákos Kara (Fidesz)Websitegyor.hu
Győr (US: /djɜːr, dʒɜːr/ DYUR, JUR, Hungarian: [ɟøːr] ⓘ; German: Raab; names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia region, and – halfway between Budapest and Vienna – situated on one of the important roads of Central Europe. It is the sixth largest city in Hungary, and one of its seven main regional centres. The city has county rights.
History
[edit]
The area along the Danube River has been inhabited by varying cultures since ancient times. The first large settlement dates back to the 5th century BCE; the inhabitants were Celts. They called the town Ara Bona 'good altar', later contracted to Arrabona, a name which was used until the eighth century. Its shortened form is still used as the German (Raab) and Slovak (Ráb) names of the city.
Roman merchants moved to Arrabona during the 1st century BCE. Around 10 CE, the Roman army occupied the northern part of Western Hungary, which they called Pannonia. Although the Roman Empire abandoned the area in the 4th century due to constant attacks by the tribes living to the east, the town remained inhabited.
Around 500 the territory was settled by Slavs, in 547 by the Lombards, and in 568 – c. 800 by the Avars, at that time under Frankish and Slavic influence. During this time it was called Rabba and later Raab. Between 880 and 894, it was part of Great Moravia, and then briefly under East Frankish dominance.
Carmelite church in Győr
Rába at GyőrThe Magyars occupied the town around 900 and fortified the abandoned Roman fortress. Stephen I, the first king of Hungary, founded an episcopate there. The town received its Hungarian name Győr, which likely derives from Old Hungarian personal name Győr, who could be the county's first count. The town was affected by all the trials and tribulations of the history of Hungary: it was occupied by Mongols during the Mongol invasion (1241–1242) and then was destroyed by the Czech army in 1271.
After the disastrous battle of Mohács, Baron Tamás Nádasdy and Count György Cseszneky occupied the town for King Ferdinand I while John Zápolya also was attempting to annex it. During the Ottoman occupation of present-day central and eastern Hungary (1541 – late 17th century), Győr's commander Kristóf Lamberg thought it would be futile to try to defend the town from the Turkish army. He burned down the town and the Turkish forces found nothing but blackened ruins, hence the Turkish name for Győr, Yanık kale ('burnt castle').
During rebuilding, the town was surrounded with a castle and a city wall designed by the leading Italian builders of the era. The town changed in character during these years, with many new buildings built in Renaissance style, but the main square and the grid of streets remained.
In 1594, after the death of Count János Cseszneky, captain of Hungarian footsoldiers, the Ottoman army occupied the castle and the town. In 1598 the Hungarian and Austrian army took control of it again and occupied it. During the Turkish occupation the city was called Yanık Kala (یانق قلعه, 'burned castle', as a reference to the enormous damages caused by the siege).
In 1683, the Turks returned briefly, only to leave after being defeated in the Battle of Vienna.
During the following centuries, the town became prosperous. 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.
On 14 June 1809, during the War of the Fifth Coalition, this was the site of the Battle of Raab, the city's German name, where the army of Eugène de Beauharnais defeated the Hungarian "noble insurrection" (militia) and an Austrian corps under the Archdukes Joseph and John. Napoleon's forces occupied the castle and had some of its walls blown up. The leaders of the town soon realized that the old ramparts were not useful any more. Most of the ramparts were destroyed, allowing the town to expand.
Allied bombing raid against Győr, late 1944
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 leaders compensated for this loss with industrialisation. The town prospered until World War II when several buildings were destroyed. Some large-scale strategic bombing devastated industrial and residential areas as well as the airport. It was targeted because the Rába factory was a main tank (Turán) and aeroplane (Bf 109) producer. One of these raids destroyed some parts of the maternity hospital.
Historical populationYearPop.±%1870 21,767—    1890 28,175+29.4%1900 38,094+35.2%1910 45,083+18.3%1920 51,268+13.7%1930 52,456+2.3%1941 58,431+11.4%1949 58,431+0.0%1960 72,060+23.3%1970 102,600+42.4%1980 124,147+21.0%1990 129,331+4.2%2001 129,412+0.1%2011 129,527+0.1%2022 127,599−1.5%Source:
The 1950s and '60s brought more change: only big blocks of flats were built, and the old historical buildings were not given care or attention. In the 1970s the reconstruction of the city centre began; old buildings were restored and reconstructed. In 1989 Győr won the European award for the protection of monuments.[citation needed]
A 100-year-old Raba factory on the River Danube close to the historical centre is to be replaced by a new community called Városrét.[when?] The mixed-use community will have residential and commercial space as well as schools, clinics and parks.
The city's main theatre is the National Theatre of Győr, finished in 1978. It features large ceramic ornaments made by Victor Vasarely.
The city has several historical buildings, for example the castle, and the Lutheran Evangelical Catholic church.
Climate
[edit]
Győr's climate is classified as oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) closely bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Among them, the annual average temperature is 11.1 °C (52.0 °F), the hottest month in July is 21.6 °C (70.9 °F), and the coldest month is 0.3 °C (32.5 °F) in January. The annual precipitation is 569.6 millimetres (22.43 in), of which July is the wettest with 64.8 millimetres (2.55 in), while February is the driest with only 26.9 millimetres (1.06 in). The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from −22.1 °C (−7.8 °F) on December 28, 1996, to 40.6 °C (105.1 °F) on August 8, 2013.
Climate data for Győr, 1991−2020 normals
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Record high °C (°F)
17.5(63.5)
20.5(68.9)
23.4(74.1)
31.2(88.2)
33.1(91.6)
36.6(97.9)
39.6(103.3)
40.6(105.1)
33.7(92.7)
28.1(82.6)
23.4(74.1)
17.6(63.7)
40.6(105.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
3.5(38.3)
6.4(43.5)
11.6(52.9)
17.8(64.0)
22.2(72.0)
26.0(78.8)
28.2(82.8)
27.9(82.2)
22.3(72.1)
16.4(61.5)
9.8(49.6)
4.2(39.6)
16.4(61.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)
0.3(32.5)
2.1(35.8)
6.3(43.3)
11.7(53.1)
16.2(61.2)
19.9(67.8)
21.6(70.9)
21.1(70.0)
16.2(61.2)
10.9(51.6)
6.0(42.8)
1.3(34.3)
11.1(52.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
−2.7(27.1)
−1.6(29.1)
1.7(35.1)
5.9(42.6)
10.3(50.5)
14.1(57.4)
15.6(60.1)
15.0(59.0)
11.0(51.8)
6.6(43.9)
2.8(37.0)
−1.4(29.5)
6.4(43.5)
Record low °C (°F)
−18.4(−1.1)
−20.4(−4.7)
−15.2(4.6)
−6.1(21.0)
−1.4(29.5)
3.6(38.5)
7.3(45.1)
6.8(44.2)
0.5(32.9)
−9.5(14.9)
−11.5(11.3)
−22.1(−7.8)
−22.1(−7.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)
32.7(1.29)
26.9(1.06)
37.5(1.48)
35.8(1.41)
63.1(2.48)
59.1(2.33)
64.8(2.55)
58.4(2.30)
59.3(2.33)
48.2(1.90)
46.4(1.83)
37.4(1.47)
569.6(22.43)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)
6.3
6.2
7.1
5.6
8.3
7.2
7.7
6.3
6.8
6.5
7.6
6.7
82.3
Average relative humidity (%)
82.2
75.8
68.5
63.2
66.5
67.0
66.5
68.5
74.1
78.9
82.4
84.0
73.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours
60
97
138
189
247
250
268
259
188
143
73
51
1,963
Source 1: Meteorological Service of Hungary (sun 1981-2010)
Source 2: NOAA
Main sights
[edit]
The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Mosoni-Danube, Rába, and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr's bishops, can be easily recognized by its incomplete tower. Győr's oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the 15th-century Gothic Dóczy Chapel. The cathedral, originally in Romanesque style, was rebuilt in Gothic and Baroque style.
Other sights include:
Town Hall
Benedictine church of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Carmelite church
Museum of Roman Archaeology
Jedlik fountain
The Pannonhalma Archabbey is located some 20 km (12 miles) outside the town.
Renovation[edit]
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The new Dunakapu Tér
After the year 2000 the city started many big construction and renovation projects.
The bigger changes include:
The Nádor-underpass, which relieved the Downtown's traffic infrastructure, and made the renovation of the Baross-Bridge possible.
Renovation of the Baross-Bridge.
Renovation of the old Soviet barracks and Bus Station by the company Leier.
Development of the Széchenyi István University, which is in close connection with AUDI Hungária ZRT.
Newly built Parking Houses which take off the high traffic load of the Downtown area. (e.g. József Attila and Dunakapu garage)
Renovation of the inner-downtown district. Széchenyi-square, Dunakapu-square, the territory next to the Moson-Danube and Rába.
Free City Bus which can be used by everyone to get anywhere in the Downtown Area.
The Győr Arcade at Városliget.
The Kálóczy Square near the Széchenyi István University.
The Jedlik Bridge, which enabled traffic & transport between Sziget and Révfalu district.
The Rába Quelle thermal spa
Economy
[edit]
Audi AG subsidiary company Audi Hungaria Zrt. has a large factory in Győr, where the Audi TT sports car, the A3 Cabriolet, A3 Limousine, and many engines (1,913,053 engines in 2007) are built. The factory opened in 1994, at first producing inline-four engines for the Audi marque. Business then grew to assembling the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster. Eventually, V6 and V8 engines were also included, and after the acquisition of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Audi then began to build V10 engines. The V10s for Audi vehicles are fully assembled here, but only the cylinder blocks for the Lamborghini V10. Engines are also supplied to other Volkswagen Group marques, but over 90% of Audi vehicle engines are made here. By 2020, the factory has a 12 MW solar roof, producing 9.5 GWh/year.
Politics
[edit]
The current mayor of Győr is Bence Pintér.
The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2024 local government elections, is made up of 23 members (1 Mayor, 16 Individual constituencies MEPs and 6 Compensation List MEPs) divided into this political parties and alliances:
Party
Seats
Current Municipal Assembly
 
Fidesz-KDNP
16
M
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Opposition coalition
4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Civilians for Győr
2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Association for Győr
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
List of mayors[edit]
List of City Mayors from 1990:
Member
Party
Term of office
Ernő Kolozsváry
SZDSZ
1990–1994
József Balogh
MSZP
1994–2006
Zsolt Borkai
Fidesz
2006–2019
Independent
Csaba András Dézsi
Fidesz
2020–2024
Bence Pintér
Independent
2024–
Notable people
[edit]
Tamás Bakócz, archbishop
Miklós Borsos, sculptor
György Cseszneky, count, castellan
János Cseszneky, count, infantry commander
Josef Dobrovský
Freddie
Erzsébet Galgóczi, writer
Anita Görbicz, handball player
Izidor Guzmics
Stanley Jaki
Ányos Jedlik
Andrew Karpati Kennedy, author and literary critic
Tamás Kiss, footballer
Gyula Kőnig
Margit Kovács
Levente Losonczy, racing driver
Raimondo Montecuccoli
Árpád Orbán (1938–2008), footballer
Desiderius Orban, painter, one of The Eight; emigrated to Australia in 1939
Zsolt Palotai (1961–2023), electronic music DJ
Antal Pusztai
Zsófia Rácz, footballer
Alexander Raab, pianist
Hans Richter, conductor
Frigyes Riesz, mathematician
Marcel Riesz, mathematician
Samuel Aba, king of Hungary
József Szlávy, prime minister of Hungary
Miklós Takács de Saár, silviculturist, politician
Tibor Varga
Ibolya Verebics, soprano
Paul von Werner, Prussian Lieutenant General
Emil Zuckerkandl
Máté Balogh, composer
Transport
[edit]
Győr station under the Baross Bridge in 2008
The city is a national hub for rail and road traffic. The transport-geographical position of Győr is excellent.
Győr railway station has important railway connections via the Eastern Railway and Budapest–Hegyeshalom lines (Vienna–Budapest, operated by RailJet), but the Győr-Sopron railway line owned by the Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurt railway company (GYSEV), as well as the Győr-Celldömölk railway line and the Győr-Veszprém railway run by MÁV
In Győr, several main transport routes meet each other (M1, M19, 1, 14, 81, 82, 83, 85), and the motorway is accessible from several parts of the city. Győr-Pér Airport can be reached from the city on Highway 81, 15 kilometers towards Székesfehérvár. At the 1,734 km (1,077 mi) section of the Danube lies the port of Győr-Gönyű with its fully equipped 25 hectare serving terminal. However, the airport is not currently operating any passenger flights. The nearest passenger airports are Bratislava Airport which is 90 km away and Vienna International Airport which is 117 km away from Győr. Budapest's Ferenc Liszt International Airport is also at a reasonable distance, it is located 159 km away from the city.
Sports
[edit]
Győr is the home of the Győri ETO Sport Club, which has many sport divisions. The most popular sport in the city is handball, with the Győri ETO KC being the city's main team. ETO won the Champions League in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and in 2024 and also reached the final in 2009, 2012 and in 2016. In addition, Győr reached the final of the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2006 and the final of the EHF Cup in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005. The men's handball team, ETO-SZESE Győr FKC also plays in the first division.
WKW ETO FC Győr is a football team, currently (as of 2024/2025) in the Hungarian first division.
Twin towns – sister cities
[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Hungary
Győr is twinned with:
Brașov, Romania
Colmar, France
Erfurt, Germany
Ingolstadt, Germany
Kuopio, Finland
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Nof HaGalil, Israel
Poznań, Poland
Sindelfingen, Germany
Wuhan, China
Dunajská Streda, Slovakia
Bryansk, Russia
