Szombathely is a Hungarian city and it is the administrative centre of the county Vas in the west of the country, near to the Austrian border. It has several names, its German name is Steinamanger, and its Slovenian name is Sombotel. The well-known Latin name, Savaria was given by the Romans, the founders of the town.

Szombathely is the oldest city in Hungary; it was founded in 45 AD under the name of Claudia Savariensum (Claudius' Colony of Savarians). Savaria was the most important city in the Pannonia Superior province, because the Amber Road, the main trade route of the Empire, was very close. Savaria had an imperial residence, public bath, amphitheatre, mithraeum. In the Járdányi Paulovics István Ruin Garden, some ruins, mosaics and a part of the Amber Road can be found. The temple of Isis is under construction now; it will be a museum with exhibitions of the Roman age.

Saint Martin of Tours was born in Savaria, and Bishop St. Quirinus was killed there by the persecutors of Christians. An old Christian cemetery was discovered in Szombathely.

Savaria was destroyed by the attack of the Huns and there was a big earthquake in 458.

In the middle ages there were no interesting episodes in the life of the city. It was destroyed again by the Mongol invasion in 1242, but was rebuilt shortly after and was granted free royal town status in 1407. In 1578, it became the capital of Vas comitatus.

The development of the town began in the modern times, when the Habsburgs and the Germans began to settle down here. In 1777, the Diocese of Szombathely was founded by Maria Theresia. The new bishop of Szombathely, János Szily, did much for the city; he had new buildings to be built, including a cathedral, the episcopal palace complex and a school.

It was a prosperous period for Szombathely. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 Szombathely became a very important town, roads were paved, the city was canalised, and the tram line was built. The City Casino, the Great Hotel and an orphanage were built. The population was growing over four decades.

During World War II, Szombathely suffered a lot. The town and locality were attacked on several occasions in 1944 and 1945. An aircraft destroyed the cathedral. Between July 4^th and 6^th 1944, 4228 Jews were deported to Auschwitz.

After the war, Szombathely began to grow and the nearby villages were to become parts of the town. In the 1970s, many factories and buildings were built. Nowadays Szombathely is one of the most beautiful cities of Hungary, with advanced economy and important cultural values.

If you go to Szombathely you must see the Main Square, the Cathedral, the Ruin Garden, the Synagogue, the University, the Csónakázó-lake, and other amazing treasures of the town. Some pictures can be found in our gallery on Szombathely.