Sopron, Hungary

It was a bank holiday weekend here in Austria and we spent the day yesterday in Sopron, just over the western border of Hungary. It’s a beautiful town at the foot of the Alps, 60 km from Vienna and 220 km from Budapest, and is one of the oldest in the country. The first settlers were the Celts, then the Romans (as a trading spot along the Amber Route from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and Byzantium), then a succession of Germans and Slavs. In recent years, Sopron helped to bring down the Iron Curtain, creating an escape route. It is one of the most beautiful towns in western Hungary. The medieval Inner Town (Belváros) is intact and its cobbled streets add to the charm. We whiled away the hours walking, drinking coffee and exploring small arches and hidden alleyways. It had so much character and a great sense of history.