Szekesfehervar (Székesfehérvár)
Alba Regia (Latin), Stuhlweißenburg (German), Stolni Biograd (Serbo-Croatian), Istolni Belgrad (Turkish)

Szekesfehervar is a city in central Hungary, located around 65 km southwest of Budapest. It is inhabited by 106,346 people (2001), with 138,995 in the direct vicinity, and is the centre of Fejér county and the regional centre of Central Transdanubia.
Szekesfehervar, which was founded in 972 as Alba Regia, is a city of kings. It was founded by Prince Geza. The medieval basilica was the place where Hungarian kings were crowned and buried: in the main church thirty-seven Hungarian rulers were crowned and fifteen were buried, including King Stephen, who founded the state of Hungary.

Coat of Arms of Szekesfehervar:
http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/1322/natparks8ma.png

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2891/natparks0su.png

Szekesfehervar in the XVIII. century:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/686/natparks5cg.png

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/482/terkepszfehervarbelvaros5ut.jpg

Main Square:
http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/9090/1917200509300954419xt.jpg

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/6640/natparks1hl.png

Lady Kati:
http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/4627/3033200505101747366rh.jpg

Bishop’s Palace:
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/4821/natparks1xy.png

http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/7567/natparks2aa.png

http://img66.imageshack.us/img66/2066/1553va.jpg

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/8071/szfvarpuspokipalota5ee.jpg

http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/8290/22093009pu.jpg

„Orszagalma" (Orb) /national symbol and symbol of Szekesfehervar/:
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5281/natparks6qt.png

City Hall:
http://img450.imageshack.us/img450/6411/natparks3sv.png

Matthias Rex Monument:
http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/7586/natparks0ng.png

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/7690/belvaros127eb.jpg

Cathedral Church of King Saint Stephen:
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/799/szfvarbazilika7ke.jpg

St Stephen's sarcophagus in the ruin garden of Szekesfehervar:
http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/3340/kt1566pq.jpg

St. Stephen’s Mausoleum:
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3774/natparks9us.png

Millennium Monument:
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/2725/natparks4dc.png

County Hall street:
http://img498.imageshack.us/img498/6500/natparks5lf.png

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/1285/belvaros136oj.jpg

St. Anne’s Chapel:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/7293/natparks4nb.png

Kossuth street:
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4725/natparks9rb.png

Cistercian Church:
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/9079/natparks5lj.png

Chiming clock:
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/1069/674200501222344480aa.jpg

http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/2331/natparks4jf.png

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/1733/natparks9oz.png

Fekete Sas (Black Eagle) Pharmacy Museum:
http://img450.imageshack.us/img450/4042/natparks1qn.png

Jokai street, corner balcony (XV century):
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/8494/natparks7ro.png

Judicial Palace:
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/6130/natparks3xb.png

St. Imre Primary School:
http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/2366/natparks2zl.png

Flower Clock:
http://img450.imageshack.us/img450/1696/natparks7nt.png

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/467/natparks6si.png

http://img450.imageshack.us/img450/8082/53791226sa.jpg

The „Varkocs" statue:
http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3443/natparks0ja.png

Franciscan Church:
http://img450.imageshack.us/img450/2149/53790792rs.jpg

Bory Castle:
http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/5233/pic067yy.jpg

Sostoi Stadium:
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6321/natparks3gc.png

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/3203/natparks9az.png

Palotai street:
http://img496.imageshack.us/img496/127/natparks3aq.png

Gorsium:
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/4169/natparks1zw.png

Absolutely outstanding and spectacular city. :yes:

Thanks Ban Bank for sharing these pics of this great Hungarian city. :okay:

Pozdrav :)

I've always loved central European architecture.

If you saw this thread and liked the city, check out the one I created and frequently update about it. It's right here in my signature.

On the previous thursday we were in Székesfehérvár and we saw many beautiful things while we were walking in the city,here are the photos...

The train station
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828825.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828826.jpg
Russian military cemetery
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828827.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828828.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828830.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828832.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828833.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828834.jpg
The new bus terminal
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828835.jpg
I've offered my ice-cream to "Kati néni":lol: but she refused it.
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34829253.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828836.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828838.jpg
We've tried to have a taste of the "országalma",but it was hard.
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828839.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828840.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828841.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828842.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828844.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828846.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828848.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828849.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828851.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828853.jpg
I don't know who this woman is, but we were afraid she'd jump!
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828854.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828858.jpg
Modern art(?!)
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828859.jpg
Coat of arms of the city - made out of flowers
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828860.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828863.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828864.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828865.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828866.jpg
Flower watch
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828874.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828876.jpg
Date is "updated" every day!
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828877.jpg
Mini-sandwiches at maxi-price!
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828880.jpg
Mathias Corvinus
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828881.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828882.jpg
My personal favourite - it can be used until the age of 5:(:lol:
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828884.jpg
In the terrace of the restaurant where we've eaten
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828885.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828886.jpg
Typical Fehérvárian housewife?!...
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828888.jpg
...and husband?!(wonder how old is he...)
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828890.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828891.jpg
While mother buys, children learn! Do I need a chain for the kids too?
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828892.jpg
Saint Stephen
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828895.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828896.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828898.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828899.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828900.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828902.jpg
We didn't go closer...Sándor Petőfi maybe?
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828903.jpg

http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828904.jpg
Alba Pláza in the distance
http://img6.tar.hu/tunderke-ssc/size2/34828906.jpg

I hope you guys had a pleasant stay here:)
Yes, that guy WAS Petőfi Sándor. Fehérvár is famous for its bad statues - like the Szalvéta (Napkin) on the main square, which is an ugly metal whatever on the baroque main square; the Fürdőkád (Bathtub) in the Zichy liget, which is an even uglier metal whatever in a main city park. Nobody knows the real names of these abominations. But the Gatyás Petőfi (Petőfi in panties) beats them all! It was rumored that the white jacket was lighted from the inside - this is not true however:)
The statue was the object of many pranks in the past years, like people hanging a large napkin on his arm and taking a purse in his hands like he is a waiter. Don't know who and why approves such statues...

Thank you very much for the pics. It`s a city where I was born, my homeland :)
Greetings from Russia!

Thanks on behalf of all Hungarians on the SSC forums! It is certainly a small world:)
You can find more about Székesfehérvár in my thread in the Projects&Development section, it's linked right here in my signature.

Thanks on behalf of all Hungarians on the SSC forums! It is certainly a small world:)
You can find more about Székesfehérvár in my thread in the Projects&Development section, it's linked right here in my signature.

More Székesfehérvár (not my pics)

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4871/21986204303b6971a60ebcd5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2070/fehrvrrx5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2936/2198591006a6378a5c8fbds2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/8239/2197808641fdd8230044bub1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/1442/2197801605d502b5b123bxr5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/2104/2197837837a49ae9a94absg0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6439/21978470055116c59236bdg0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/6552/2197800433882613288dbtp1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6044/21985860643891f7f371brs1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2213/21985941725987599627bhm5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/2090/21985987989e8ce7397dbwx9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/8158/2198627552009fa1d94db1lg4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/7898/fehrvr6ad8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/9950/fehrvr3ad4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/3039/2198589068fcb3d5411dbgd2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/1641/fehrvr1bx9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/7615/fehrvr2za0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/4529/fehrvr5kj4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/4045/fehrvr4on6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/3193/fehrvr7qo1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Great pics, thanks for posting them! They must be fairly new because the Hiemer House can be seen after its renovation, which was completed only 2 years ago.

I have made and posted several photo-series in the Projects and Construction Updates thread (originally Cityscape and Development) and some of them were quite view-centered and I was advised to post them here. So, here is the first one, a phototrip I took almost a year ago. Both the first series and the Flicker.com pictures are a nice collection of the midtown so I don't want to post another one from the same area. Most of my phototrips cover areas away from the historical parts.
So, here you go, the original post:


I have several photo series about the city in which I did not particularly concentrate on areas intended for tourists. This is one of them. Though it features some midtown sceneries, this series was mainly shot in residential/suburban areas I found interesting.

Starting in the vicinity of the II. Rákóczi Ferenc Elementary School, some commie and regular older architecture:

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/9504/pc080555tk7.jpg

http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/6393/pc080556ks0.jpg

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7972/pc080557wj1.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/9596/pc080564yb1.jpg

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/513/pc080562pl7.jpg

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/8117/pc080566ki0.jpg

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/2383/pc080568yo3.jpg

These pictures were shot after a violent rainstorm. There is a construction site in this street: note the incredible amount of mud on the pavement:)

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2169/pc080569te8.jpg

Continuing my stroll to some areas in the Felsőváros, an area that has preserved much of its rural characteristics.

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/1097/pc080572ns1.jpg

http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/4318/pc080573yf2.jpg

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/6117/pc080574mk3.jpg

This is a renovated watermill complex, now functioning as an office for the local Kodolányi János University College.

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/7383/pc080576ny1.jpg

Houses on a creekbank: typical scenery, not far away from the Csónakázó-tó (Rowing Lake).

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7057/pc080577cj1.jpg

A really strange commie building, the Szabadművelődés Háza (House of Free Education) and the Terkán Lajos Observatory on the top. They have a 30 cm Newtonian telescope and organize observation shows for the public. As a high school with art classes is also in this building, no wonder this is the main goth lair of Fehérvár:)

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/1944/pc080579ny6.jpg

The Csónakázó-tó itself, with the Szedreskert residential area on the other shore. A peaceful place, I went to kindergarten here...

http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/9959/pc080582uq4.jpg

The Rózsaliget park, future site of the mini-Fehérvár and the Royal Playground (both part of Project Royal Walk). A creek separates this park from the abandonded site of the former amusement park where right now the four-star Euréka Park Hotel is under construction. The project includes a running park open also to the public.

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/1738/pc080584ib8.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/1900/pc080588uk7.jpg

The Csitáry Emil Well. Csitáry discovered a spring of mineral water with a very high concentration of iron and other metals (it turns the storage bottles red). It is called savanyúvíz (sour water) and considered very healthy. There are a few bottles of it in almost every apartment in the neighborhood. Csitáry left in his will that noone should ever ask money for this water. This is why the spring is open to the public, and everyone can take the water in this park.

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4088/pc080591oc0.jpg

The city swimming pool.

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/466/pc080593jb0.jpg

Commieblocks of the Ligetsor, just a few steps away.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9254/pc080597hl7.jpg

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5045/pc080600yi6.jpg

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/294/pc080602pi7.jpg

After a short ride by a Mercedes (well, just the Conecto type:)) I'm back to the city center, at the bus station.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3910/pc080604si6.jpg

Walking towards the main square

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4349/pc080610rv1.jpg

Christmas fair

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/5382/pc080612ba3.jpg

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/6986/pc080616sd2.jpg

A shopping street

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2778/pc080617hp6.jpg

After this trip I took another bus to the Öreghegy area where I live. This is where the Bory Castle lies, one of the most interesting buildings in Central Europe IMO. The whole area is quite special, I will dedicate a whole post to it. This is just some appetizer...


Large gardens and vineyards still preserve the agricultural past of this area.
http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/1783/pc080622hl7.jpg

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/2229/pc080624xi5.jpg

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/1719/pc080626ej6.jpg

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/1475/pc080627te2.jpg

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6505/pc080629ob5.jpg

These houses become extremely popular in this area after people could go West in the '70s...
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/6902/pc080634vl6.jpg

And finally... with victorian gloom, the Bory Castle towering against the dark autumn sky!:)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8976/pc080636yx4.jpg


I hope you liked the results of this trip. Though the sun didn't shine, I think these pictures are still quite good, they have an atmosphere they just couldn't have had with the sun shining.

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/8117/pc080566ki0.jpg

The owner must be the laziest driver EVER. The parking spaces are empty on the other side of the road,but the driver squeezed the car through that tight space between those red poles...

Oh yeah... but I think that space is not so narrow. Anyway, I can't understand people who park this way, I usually don't mind walking even 100-200 meters if I can leave my car at a good parking lot.

Maybe the guy was delivering some heavy stuff, you never know. Great pics as usual thanks Sieg!

del

Last February I took a bike phototrip in the part of Fehérvár I live. It's called Öreghegy and it is the biggest district of the city, occupying about 1/3 of its whole area. Because of its slightly higher location than the rest of the totally flat Fehérvár it used to be the vineyard of the city until the last decades of the communism - this meant that buildings were scarce and rural and the function of the land was mainly agricultural. In the seventies the first suburban streets were built and in the nineties the Öreghegy started to be a really popular and expensive place to live, because of the peaceful, quiet location. Suburbanization is a slowly, but firmly progressing thing: everything can be found here from state-of-the-art American-style housing projects to vineyards and old people living a rural life in small, traditional houses. The latter is diminishing of course, and in the coming 10-20 years the district will definitely lose the rural hint in its character.

I started on Rekop Street, one of the newest streets of the neighborhood. All houses here were built in this typical American-Mediterranean style so popular in Hungary these days. Since the pictures were taken even more houses have been built.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/8256/p20910099693479.jpg


http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/7646/p20910129708613.jpg


http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/4568/p20910159727499.jpg

After climibing the hill to the Millenium Memorial (which is a quite spectacular thing, three slender, slightly spreading towers reaching about 30 meters in height - I don't understand why but I just didn't take any pictures, I guess its presence is so obvious to me:)) we arrive into a different world. Narrow streets, rustical houses remind us of the rural heritage of the area. However, there are many incredible huge and expensive houses hidden here.

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5928/p20910179743673.jpg

A few streets away there is the Bányató (Mining Lake), an extremely deep artificial lake which is the result of mining. The houses in the neighborhood have large vineyars, preserving the local traditions. The wine produced here is awful though:)

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/7917/p20910199762067.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/9624/p20910209782310.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/7800/p20910219796343.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9017/p20910249813147.jpg

Rural-style houses on Pozsony street and one of the side-streets.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/128/p20910279830840.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6261/p20910319845608.jpg

Walking/riding past three ten-storey commies...

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/1411/p20910339862439.jpg

...we arrive at a relatively hidden part of the city called Ráchegy. Between a heavy-traffic road (Budai út, the one leading to the city from Budapest) and the huge industrial plants of ALCOA one would expect something quite bad, but many people say Ráchegy is the nicest part of the whole Fehérvár.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9329/p20910349874858.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8661/p20910359891110.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/982/p20910369906250.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/9941/p20910389921984.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/4994/p20910399938727.jpg

A little farther one can find many of the typical 'worker houses' so popular in Hungary between the two world wars. Metallurgy has been present for a long time and probably many of the inhabitants of these houses still work at ALCOA. There are many similar houses in the industrial parts of Budapest as well, most notably some streets in the Wekerle-telep.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2574/p20910419955245.jpg

In one of the small streets nearby I found a number of very remarkable commieblocks. Yes, these 2-storey buildings are in fact pre-fabricated commieblocks... One of them had no external insulation and painting in the side, so I could side the tell-tale 'panels'.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1623/p20910429971071.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/9031/p20910449992727.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/2302/p20910470012320.jpg

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/6492/p20910480025730.jpg

This street, immediately leading to the ALCOA grounds was kinda Balkan-like, with the bad road quality and the totally chaotic order of the fences of the houses. However, many houses were new even here.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8526/p20910490040052.jpg

Afterwards I took a short trip in Fehérvár's outermost commieblock district, the Köfém Lakótelep (Köfém was the name of ALCOA before it was ALCOA:)). It was built mainly to house the workers of Light Metal Foundry and... well, it wasn't a good neighborhood when I moved we moved in the city in the nineties. It is much more consolidated now, it is popular because of the peaceful, suburban location and the low prices due to the distance from the center. All buildings were renovated some time ago, I find their new looks excellent. The surroundings need some improvement though, many sidewalks and roads could be renovated and the large parks could also be nicer. There are several new playgrounds but more could be done here.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6814/p20910530057480.jpg

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/6228/p20910540078005.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/3757/p20910570094531.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2632/p20910590116545.jpg

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5148/p20910610135249.jpg

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/5615/p20910640145973.jpg

Finally, a glimpse back to the three tower blocks of the area.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/2747/p20910700167446.jpg