Discover the secret of the towers of Veszprém!

Veszprém is the European Capital of Culture 2023, offering a wide range of activities for those interested in history, architecture, theatre, music and arts. Be part of all the experiences that The City of Queens has to offer!

1. Fire Tower

Over 200 years old, one of the most distinctive towers in Veszprém, the building that has become a symbol of the city has been given a new look and a new role.

On 27 October 1814, the citizens of Veszprém enthusiastically celebrated the renovated watchtower, which stood next to the then Market Square and had become an unavoidable part of the town’s life. Even at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the tower was still associated with the misconception that it had once been a minaret from which the muezzin used to call Muslims to prayer during the Turkish era. The reality is that the former watchtower, which served as a fortress, was supplemented in the 19th century with fire protection functions, hence the name Fire Tower, which is still used today.

2. St Stephen’s Church

The church, dedicated to St Stephen, was originally built with a baroque façade and a small hussar tower, but on 2 April 1909 a fire forced its restoration, giving it a neo-Gothic tower and the simple facade that can still be seen today.

The poet Ányos Pál (+1784) rests in his eternal sleep in a crypt under the church’s sanctuary. The carved entrance to the church, in the plaited style, bears the inscription ‘Providentiae divinae sacrum’, meaning ‘Dedicated to Divine Providence’. The building is now the home of St. Francis the Priest.

3. Church of St Imre

At 8-10 Vár Street stands the former school-house-church of the Piarist order, which has been teaching since 1711. The basement and ground floor of the school were built with the support of Maria Theresa in 1778. It was enlarged first in 1821 and then in 1893, and took its present form in 1905. On the street facade, next to the relief of Imre Csikász, there are plaques in honour of János Batsányi, our poet, Dr. Árpád Brusznyai, the martyred teacher of the institution in 1956, and the Piarists.

The Piarist church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Imre, is now also the town’s garrison church, and its high-quality religious exhibitions attract many visitors.

4. Two towers of St Michael’s Cathedral

In Trinity Square, in the heart of the castle quarter, you will find the Cathedral of St Michael, whose age is indicated by the fact that it is first mentioned in the Pannonhalma Charter issued by St Stephen in 1001. Later charters often refer to it as the oldest cathedral in Hungary, which is supported by archaeological finds, as research suggests that a church was already standing on the site in the 10th century.

Over the centuries, it has been destroyed many times by battles and fires, but it has always been rebuilt. The stones of its church, which has the status of a „Basilica Minor”, tell the story of a thousand years with unique artistic and historical value.

It is believed that Veszprém was the center of the first bishopric founded by St Stephen (which certainly existed in 1001), and the first Christian church in the city was in the Veszprém Castle. The rebuilding of St. Michael’s Cathedral, built in the 10th century under Prince Géza, is attributed to Queen Gisela. The cathedral was the coronation church and burial place of the queens.

Queen Gisela spent a lot of time in Veszprém, and her manor house, the Royal Palace of Veszprém, was built next to the cathedral she built, in the immediate southern neighborhood of the Gisela Chapel, where the present Bishop’s Palace is located.

For those, who love history, architecture and culture: new attractions in Veszprém

Thanks to a new development in Veszprém, the city’s landmark towers are now on display in a larger-than-life-size model exhibition.

In one of the new buildings at the foot of the castle quarter, in Deák Ferenc Street, the „Towers of Veszprém” exhibition is a unique insight into the mystery of the towers. You can learn about the history of the buildings, while the huge models offer a special experience for those interested in learning about historical buildings.

With the renovation and transformation of the gymnasium of the Piarist high school, built in 1906, the grant will create a new cultural and event space, which will also house a puppet theatre and an arts development and employment center. The puppet theatre will be run by the Kabóca Puppet Theatre from Veszprém, while the activity center will organize children’s programs. A new exhibition on the history of Veszprém will also be presented in the event space.