The city's iconic building, the 58-metre-high Fire Tower, is a good place to start your Old Town walk.

Sopron's town council first hired a tower musician for the Fire Tower in 1527. The most famous of these was the barber and lame drummer George Adler, King Louis II. Although he was talented, he had many problems. He was always attending wine fairs and walking around town instead of guarding the tower. He was even reprimanded by the city council for bringing strangers up to the tower, where he would have a great time at night.

Next to the Fire Tower, under the arcade of the Town Hall, is a statue of Sopron's famous mayor.

Mihály Thurner of Sopron was the most prominent mayor in the history of Sopron in the 20th century, but at the end of his life he had to work as a street sweeper. Thurner played a key role in the 1921 referendum, and it was thanks to him that Sopron gained a national reputation in the fields of education, culture and tourism. He was mayor for twenty-three years. But after 1945 he was accused, stripped of his honorary citizenship, and a few months later arrested and sentenced to loss of his job. He was eventually employed as a street cleaner and retired.

In the middle of the Main Square stands one of the most beautiful and oldest Trinity statues in our country.

It is unique in the country, as it is the first statue with a twisted column to be erected in a public square. It was erected by a couple from Sopron as a vow of gratitude for surviving the great plague epidemic of 1695-1701.

Apothecary House - opposite the Fire Tower

Although the citizens of Sopron, a free royal city in the 16th century, enjoyed many privileges, they could not do everything. They were intent on demolishing the building opposite the Fire Tower, now known as the Apothecary's House. They wanted to widen the square, but the request to demolish it was rejected by King Louis II himself, who said it would spoil the overall appearance and atmosphere of the square. This case resulted in what is known as the country's first historic preservation order.

From the Main Square there are four ancient streets lined with charming ancient houses, former aristocratic palaces.

From here open out onto Church Street, Monastery Street, New Street, St George Street and Town Hall Street.

The image of the old town of Sopron that can still be seen today is actually the result of a chestnut bake gone wrong. According to the story, in November 1676 two children were roasting chestnuts in their home, but in a careless moment their house caught fire and a huge fire broke out in Sopron in the strong winds. The fire destroyed the entire town centre, two thirds of the suburbs were destroyed, the Town Hall was destroyed, even the church bells melted and only a few houses were left intact. It was the most tragic fire in the city's history. The citizens rebuilt the new Sopron, now in Baroque style, largely by their own efforts, and it was after this great fire that the city centre took on its present appearance.

Castle Wall Promenade

A walk along the footpath of one of Hungary's oldest city walls, still standing today. Sopron is the only town in Hungary where the Roman settlement (Scarbantia) has forever defined the structure of the town. The promenade is in fact an educational trail, where information panels tell you a lot about the 2,000-year-old Sopron. You can start your walk from the footpath starting from the Fire Tower.

Castle District

The famous Castle District, on which we can still stroll today, was formed in the former moat and only from the 18th century onwards were houses built. It was only after the Second World War that the former walled enclosure became visible, when the city wall was cleared from behind the buildings of the present Castle District. A section of the Castle District used to be lined with inns, hosting many celebrities. The poet and general Miklós Zrínyi, Joseph Haydn, Ferenc Liszt, Ferenc Liszt Jr. Johann Strauss, Joseph II ("King in the Hat") as heir to the throne, and even Emperor Franz Joseph.