Most Hungarian cities have a nickname. Sopron is known as the “most loyal” city, Pécs as the “Mediterranean” city, and Veszprém as the “city of queens.”
The question seems simple: why Veszprém, of all places?
The answer lies on Castle Hill. All you have to do is stroll down the cobblestone street, step inside a medieval chapel, and then stop in front of the cathedral. In just a few minutes, a heritage that has shaped the city’s character for more than a thousand years comes to life.
More than a thousand years ago, the bishop of Veszprém was granted a privilege that secured a special place for the city in the life of the Kingdom of Hungary: according to tradition, he was the one who crowned the Hungarian queens. For centuries, this privilege linked Veszprém to the Hungarian queens, and it eventually became one of the city’s most well-known hallmarks.
However, the legacy of the City of Kings has not been preserved solely in historical sources.
One of the most exciting stops along the trail is the Gizella Chapel.
Frescoes dating back nearly eight hundred years have been preserved on the walls of one of Castle Hill’s most unique buildings. The relic of Queen Gizella is also kept there. In just a few steps, visitors find themselves among artifacts that connect a long line of generations to the era of the founding of the state.
From here, the route leads to the main cathedral, the former episcopal center, and the buildings that have shaped the city’s life for centuries. At almost every point on Castle Hill, there is a detail that points in the same direction: Veszprém’s history is closely intertwined with that of the Hungarian kings.
In early July, during the feast of Our Lady of the Sickle, it is particularly interesting to recall how natural it was for people in the Middle Ages to entrust a family, a city, or even an entire country to the protection of the Virgin Mary. The legacy of the “City of Kings” grew out of this tradition and can still be discovered today in the buildings, chapels, and traditions of the Castle District.
Anyone who climbs Castle Hill today can journey through several eras on any of the guided castle tours. The legacies of nation-builders, queens, bishops, masters, and pilgrims all converge within those few hectares.
Perhaps this is why the name “City of Queens” has endured for centuries. Walking on Castle Hill, it is easy to understand why this title has outlived kingdoms, wars, and centuries. Here, the past is not a distant memory: it is present in the silence of the chapels, among the stone walls, and in the stories that still lead back to this very place today.
