Tatabanya

The first record of the modern seat of Komárom-Esztergom County dates from the 16th September 1902 when it was only a small settlement. Today the city is the area's intellectual, cultural and economic centre.

The need to house the labour force required by the mining industry that began to florish in 1896 brought into existence the workers' colonies that later developed into the city of Tatabánya. The three settlements of Alsógalla, Felsőgalla and Bánhida began to expand toward the mines. The city's current name dates from 1947. In a subsequent political decision it was designated the county seat.

Although the name of the city has retained the word 'mine' (bánya), the mining industry ceased operating here years ago. Developed around the former Shaft No 15, the last operating shaft of the coal seam, the open-air mining museum is an avid reminder of the mining past.

First documented in 1251, Felsőgalla and Alsógalla belonged to the castle of Vitány in the 15th century. The villages were destroyed in 1529 by the Turkish troops and it was not until 1733 that it was once again inhabited, this time by German settlers from Würzburg and Strassburg. The German character of these settlers has been preserved up to modern times.

During excavations the remains of a village dating back to the time the Magyars settled in Hungary was discovered in Bánhida. According to legend one of the most significant battles of the Settlement took place here. It is in memory of the battle that the huge statue of the Turul bird was placed on Kő Hill.

During the Turkish occupation Bánhida was deserted until 1622 when it was inhabited by Hungarians of Reformed faith for a while. In the 18th century they were replaced by Slovakian-speaking Catholic serfs who were settled here. The settlement remained typically Slovakian up until the time it was merged with the newly created city.

Among Tatabánya's sites of natural interest is the Szelim Cave where a significant number of archaeological finds have been discovered. An educational trail has been developed to make the natural assets easily accessible to visitors.

How to get there:
By railway, Tatabánya is served from Budapest. Coaches depart from Budapest and Székesfehérvár. By car, take the M1 motorway or, if arriving from Slovakia, either the Komárno or the Stúrovo-Esztergom Danube bridge.