Esztergom

Esztergom is a city in Hungary, 45 kilometers north of Budapest. 30 928 people live in Esztergom. It is the center of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary, and the Constitutional court is in the city. There are a lot of rich museums in the city.

 Geography 
Esztergom is on the right side of the river Danube. There are big islands on the Danube. There are mountains to the east, that surround the city. The city is 100,35 km² big.

 History 
The city was founded in 972 by Géza of Hungary. It is one of the oldest cities in Hungary. Until 1249 it was the capital of the country. The archbishops built many schools, churches, palaces, and the kings of Hungary built castles. In 1242 the city was attacked and destroyed by mongols, but the castle on the hill was not. After the attack king Béla IV. moved to Buda, and gave the city to the archbishop. In 1543 the city was taken by the Turks, who built many spas. The Hungarians tried to take back the city many times, so it was destroyed again in the wars. The Turks left Esztergom in 1683. In 1822 Alexander Rudnay, the archbishop started building a big temple called a basilica. It is the biggest temple and the tallest building in the country, and the third biggest temple in Europe.

 Sister cities 
 25px Espoo (Finland) since 1974
 25px Štúrovo (Slovakia) since 1991
 25px Bamberg (Germany) since 1992
 25px Cambrai (France) since 1992
 25px Ehingen (Germany) since 1992
 25px Maintal (Germany) since 1993
 25px Gniezno (Poland) since 1994
 25px Mariazell (Austria) since 2002
 25px Canterbury (England) since 2004

Category:Cities in Hungary
Category:10th-century establishments in Europe
Category:Establishments in Hungary