Trains run often from Budapest-Keleti (cost: ~9€). To maximize my day, I took one that left me 9:30am at Győr. Armed with knowledge from various travel boards, I left my bag at the tourist info center and took a bus towards my first stop, Pannonhalma Archabbey.
The abbey is one of the oldest monuments in Hungary (from 996) and was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO during its millenium anniversary. Situated on top of a hill, legend says Saint Martin of Tours was born at the feet of the hill, hence its dedicated to him. Myths apart, the abbey complex is a beauty to behold.
Entrance to the complex costs ~8€ and includes a detailed audioguide. The route takes you through the basilica and cript, followed by the library. Do you remember the library from the Beauty and the Beast? It does exist.
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| My pics couldn't capture the magnificence of the place |
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| On the ceiling, very fittingly, Minerva. |
Among the curiosities kept there are the oldest document in hungarian, as well as several incunabula.
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| This book was printed in Nürnberg |
Despite hearing every single recording in the audioguide (history buff here), I finished the tour in 1 hour. After exiting the main buildings, I wandered through the surrounding area and found several awesome lookout points.
My tummy started to rumble, so I made it back to Győr in time for lunch and bought a lángos, because #Hungary. It's a fried flat dough, smeared with garlic sauce, cream and cheese. Needless to say, it went straight to my arteries.
Afterwards, I strolled lazily through the streets of Győr. The city is charming with its baroque style buildings.
At the bishop's palace one can climb the tower and enjoy the panoramic view.
I have to acknowledge that the city center is quite small, so after a couple of hours I was done sightseeing. Without much to do, I spent the rest of my evening sitting at the bank of the Rába before taking the bus back to Germany.
