Fő (Main) Square

Kőszeg has a special structure, where the medieval downtown is in the middle and to the south there is the Hungarian suburb and to the north there is the German suburbs. The southern or Hungarian suburb is mainly the current Fő (Main) Square and Castle Ring, where most of the boutiques can be found.

It is also interesting that it is not the part which is closer to the former city wall which is older, but the opposing part (16^th century). The younger monument houses were built only after the moat was filled up (18-19^th century) and thus the former city wall forms their back walls.

One of the most beautiful buildings from the 16^th century is the Arany Strucc Hotel, which is the oldest operating hotel in the country. It was named after the innkeeper Strauss (Strucc=Ostrich). Originally it was outside of the city walls, because at that time (1597) inns could only be operated outside of the downtown so the town wouldn’t be threatened by strangers.

The square got its current form in 1894 when the tallest building of the town, the Heart of Jesus Church, was finished.

Opposite the church, the Holy Trinity Statue -the oldest Baroque statue of the town - can be found.

Next to the church, is the current Post Headquarters, the former civil bank of the town. It was built by the plans of Ludwig Schöne.

The smallest Baroque house in the country can also be found on Fő (Main) Square under no. 13 – currently it is a hair salon.

The Fő (Main) Square is also one of the celebration squares. In the summers and on weekends, the Fő (Main) Square is a favoured destination for locals and travellers seeking a nice afternoon walk, a delicious meal or Kőszegi wine on the patios in front of the restaurants and cafés.