Private Drive: Trip to Sopron and Gyor from Vienna

What your day looks like

Sopron The town sprang to fame in 1989 as the site of the "Pan-European Picnic", when the Iron Curtain between Austria and Hungary was lifted for a few hours to allow hundreds of East German citizens to cross the border, an action that catalyzed the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Modern day Sopron merges past and present, creating a bridge between Hungary and its neighbors. Lying among the charming heritage buildings, churches and museums is the symbol of the city — the Firewatch Tower. The tower was built on Roman ruins and contains the ‘Loyalty Gate’ built in 1921 in tribute to the occasion when Sopron refused to cede to Austria in the 1900s. Head on up the steps to the tower terrace to check out the panoramic views of the Old Town and the surrounding picturesque lower Alps. The tower includes a visitor center which contains some informative displays on the history of Sopron accompanied by fascinating old paintings and photos. Gyor It's won a European award for the protection of its historic heritage, notably the reconstruction of its Baroque center. Churches, palaces, museums, characteristic corner-balconies, and narrow lanes, are all charmingly vivid reminders of the town's long and varied history. The Bishop's Cathedral on Káptalan Hill, though having a beautiful exterior, houses some fascinating sacred objects within. Outstandingly, the reliquary of Ladislaus I, containing the skull of Hungary's revered eleventh-century saint-king. Gyor also possesses perhaps the most beautiful Baroque square in Hungary, Bécsi kapu tér (Vienna Gate Square), with every house a historic building. Following Király UTC, a street full of Gyor's signature Baroque-style bay windows brings you to the city's main square since the fourteenth century, Széchenyi Square. This is also chock-full of Baroque buildings, and once the site of the Roman town Arrabona. The seventeenth-century Baroque Benedictine Church is well-worth exploring, if only for the ceiling pictures of the sanctuary and nave painted by Paul Troger. *Optional third party activities such as tours or attraction fees are not included in the price. We can’t guarantee that every attraction will be open for your trip, so we recommend checking the opening hours in advance. *Please note that this experience includes a private driver but it does not include a guide and is not a guided tour.