Szombathely Main Square, Hungary

Szombathely is the administrative center of Vas County in western Hungary, located 137 miles (220 km) west of Budapest and just 6 miles (10 km) from the Austrian border. The city was founded by the Romans in 45 AD under the name Savaria and is the oldest city in Hungary. During the Roman period, Savaria was the capital of the province of Pannonia Superior and an important hub on the Amber Road trade route. It was home to an imperial residence, thermal baths, and an amphitheater seating 8,000 spectators. It was in Savaria that the legions proclaimed Septimius Severus emperor in 193 AD, and the city experienced a golden age under Constantine the Great.

Today, Szombathely is the tenth-largest city in Hungary, with a population of approximately 78,000 people. Its name translates to “Saturday place” (from the Hungarian “szombat” — Saturday) and refers to the famous markets held here every Saturday. The Main Square (Fő tér) is the heart of the historic center. Here stands the Holy Trinity Column, and the main architectural landmarks are the Baroque Cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace, and the old Town Hall. Beneath the square lie the ruins of ancient Savaria: under the OTP Bank building, a glass floor reveals fragments of a 20-foot (6-meter) Roman roadway, and beneath the square is the Iseum Savariense — one of the largest temples dedicated to the goddess Isis in the world.

The main attractions of Szombathely include the Savaria Archaeological Park (Romkert) with the ruins of the imperial palace and thermal baths, and the Church of St. Martin — the birthplace of one of Europe’s most venerated saints, Martin of Tours. Every August, the city hosts the Savaria Historical Carnival, which brings the city back to the age of antiquity. This webcam shows a real-time panorama of the Main Square, allowing viewers to check the weather and atmosphere in the historic heart of Hungary’s oldest city.