Sopron
The Town of Loyalty and Freedom.
Fertőd is the best known and most visited town of the Fertő area, it is also on the list of the World Heritage Sites. In addition to its monuments and other sights, it is the cultural centre of the region. It got its current name at the time of the reorganization of the Hungarian public administration, after a village that already existed in the Árpád era. On May 16, 1950 Eszterháza adopted the name Fertőd, and then in September Süttör was administratively attached to the town.
Attractions:
Esterházy Palace:
The 126-room palace surrounded by outbuildings and a 200-hectare park is the largest palace complex in Hungary and the third largest one in Europe. The centre of the building is the banquet hall upstairs with the connecting music hall. The summer dining room under the banquet hall connects the baroque garden with the building. The structure of the nearly 200-acre garden composition is defined by the three radial visual axes ("goose feet"-alley) that start from the focus of the palace, which continue behind the "parter" (large open baroque garden), in the large park forest, the pheasant garden and the wild garden. The construction and heyday of the palace is associated with Prince Miklós Esterházy "The Extravagant", who continuously carried out constructions from 1762 until his death in 1790 in order to establish a residence comparable to royal courts, and where luxurious ceremonies were common. Eszterháza was visited not only by distinguished families of the period, but also by Empress Maria Theresa, and the great composer Joseph Haydn lived and worked here as well.
Marionette Theatre: The Marionette Theatre was transformed into a multi-storey granary in the 19th century when its interior decorations were completely destroyed. The building, which also changed in its exterior facades, regained its original Baroque appearance by May 2013. The Marionette Theatre, as in Haydn's time, functions as a concert and performance hall, hosting classical music and jazz concerts.
Lés Forest: The structure of the nearly 200-acre garden composition is defined by the three radial visual axes ("goose feet"-alley) that start from the focus of the palace, which continue behind the "parter" (large open baroque garden), in the large forest, the pheasant garden and the wild garden. The radial trails of the French garden behind the palace continue in the former amusement forest, the Lés Forest. The most significant building in the entertainment forest that still stands is the Chinese house/pavilion, the Bagatelle.