Kapuvár is a small but ancient town of some 11,000 inhabitants in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary

Hungary

Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...

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The town is known for its thermal water which some believe has hydrotherapeutic

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy, involves the use of water for pain-relief and treating illness. The term hydrotherapy itself is synonymous with the term water cure as it was originally marketed by practitioners and promoters in the 19th century...

 properties. It is served by highway 85, and has a train station. It borders the Fertő-Hanság National Park, 15 km from the border station of Pomogy. The settlement was fortified as early as the 11th century and was the estate owned by the Nádasdy

Nádasdy

The Nádasdy, also spelled Nadasdy in English, is a major Hungarian aristocratic family whose roots reach into the Middle Ages. Their motto is: "SI DEUS PRO NOBIS QUIS CONTRA NOS" . The Nadasdy family made a large contribution to the development of Hungarian printing...

 family in the 16th century. St. Ann's church contains an ancient cemetery that is still being used. Local gastronomic specialties include "clasp-knife platter of Kapuvár," rolled meat of Hany Istók, slaughterman liver, foreleg ham of Kapuvár, rolled meat of Hanság, fritter-like pastry, rolled crepes filled with preserves, and "pretzel of Rábaköz." There is one fine-dining restaurant in the village, and a few small cafes. A pleasant collection of small, pretty houses with colorful flower gardens reflects the tranquillity of the surrounding rural area. The village was left largely untouched by Russian influences.

Culture

The wines of the Sopron wine region are available here, and wine-tastings and wine-tours are popular. A ceramics gallery sells unique Kapuvar creations in porcelain. Horse-riding tourism has significantly developed in recent years.

A three-day cultural programme (Days of Kapuvár) is held on Ann's day in July every year, with performances of music, art and folk groups. The Community Centre of Rábaköz holds theatre performances, concerts, folk dance programmes, and sponsors festivals of brass and reed bands, literary evenings, exhibitions and fairs.

A baroque castle, the Eszterháza

Eszterháza

Esterháza is a palace in Fertőd, Hungary, built by Prince Nikolaus Esterházy. Sometimes called the "Hungarian Versailles", it is Hungary's grandest Rococo edifice.-History:...

 in Fertőd

Fertod

Fertőd is a town located in the Győr-Moson-Sopron county of Hungary, not far from Austria. Fertőd was formed when the towns of Eszterháza and Süttör were unified, in 1950....

, is situated 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) from Kapuvár. Called “the Hungarian Versailles”, it was the site of famous performances and concerts, due to the work of Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...

. Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...

 taught music there, performed concerts, and wrote some of his most famous duets and trios there. A museum in one of the most beautiful baroque buildings, the House of Music, welcomes visitors.

Twin towns - Sister cities

Kapuvá is twinned

Town twinning

Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...

 with:

Dębica Debica Dębica is a town in southeastern Poland with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship .-Area:...  in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...