Győr
'The city of encounters', Arrabona for the Romans, a diocese almost a thousand years old, the scene of one of Napoleon's military victories (the Battle of Győr, 1809), today an industrial city, famous for its schools and well-loved because of its atmospheric centre and fine Baroque buildings. The heart of the ancient city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers, the Duna, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár (5/A Káptalan Hill), the residence of Győr's bishops, is easy to identify from afar with its squat tower. A 13th-century dwelling tower and the 15th-century Gothic Dóczy Chapel are the oldest buildings in the city. The Bishop's Cathedral (a basilica minor) stands on Apor Vilmos tér. Its Romanesque predecessor was built in 1030. The Gothic Chapel of St. Ladislaus (Héderváry-kápolna), built for the canonisation of King St. Ladislaus I (1077-1095), was added to it 400 years later. The gilded silver herm of St. Ladislaus, representing the pinnacle of medieval goldsmiths' art, is kept here. The Győr Diocese Treasury and Library (26 Káptalan Hill) holds the masterpieces of 1,000 years of ecclesiastical art. The works of Miklós Borsos (1906-1993), an outstanding representative of 20th-century Hungarian sculpture, are on display at the museum named after him at (2 Apor Vilmos tér). Staged in the loft of the Classicist edifice called Kreszta House (1 Apáca utca), an exhibition of charming ceramic figures made by Margit Kovács (1902-1977) is worth a visit. The Iron Rooster proclaiming the surrender of the fortress to the Turks in 1594 is the symbol of the city. It stands at the ornamental well on the Dunakapu tér. The fortress itself was ordered to be demolished by Napoleon. The Vastuskós House (No. 4) is one of the historic buildings on 
Széchenyi tér. The nail-studded block of wood at the corner of the house used to be the sign of a 19th-century grocer's shop. Apátúr House (No 5), a splendid Baroque palace, the former residence of Győr's abbots, now houses the Xantus János Museum exhibiting a rich collection of documents on urban and medical history, works of applied art and postage stamps. Three important buildings that used to belong to the Benedictine Order also stand on this square. One of them is the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, with its interior styled after the Church of Il Gesú in Rome, furnished with authentic early-Baroque furniture and decorated with fine frescoes. A pleasant stroll around the city could include a visit to the Zichy Palace (20 Liszt Ferenc utca), a scene of weddings and concerts. The wrought-iron embellishments of the Old City Hall (1 Rákóczi utca), the impressive Eclectic building of the new one (Városház tér), the Tuscan-columned courtyard of the Hungarian Ispita (6 Rákóczi utca) and the lavishly decorated enclosed balcony of Rozália House (21 Kazinczy utca), are characteristic features of the city's architecture and are worth seeing. The Váczy Péter Collection of the Municipal Museum (6 Rákóczi utca) includes Greek and Roman decorative objects, Renaissance and Baroque furniture, statues and paintings, Chinese porcelain as well as contemporary graphics. The 18th-century 'Foam Virgin' statue in the Carmelite church at Bécsi kapu tér is one of the finest Hungarian sculptures. A rich collection of 20th-century Hungarian paintings of the Municipal Gallery (17 Király utca) is housed at the Esterházy Palace. The Rába Quelle Baths (1 Fürdő tér) were built at the confluence of the rivers in the city.
