The capital of the Danube Bend, Esztergom, stands out from the list of Hungarian settlements due to its place in history and its sacred nature. The city of 30 thousand inhabitants is wedged between the Danube and the Pilis Mountains opposite Štúrovo, Slovakia. It’s only an hour away from Budapest by car or train. Due to its rich history and natural endowments, it’s visited by many tourists every year.
The foundations of the current operation of the Municipality of Esztergom were laid after the free municipal elections held on 30 September and 14 October 1990.
Esztergom is the Capital of the Danube Bend, the cradle of our Christian state and history. As a tourist, one is immersed in the captivating moments of our past, and as the city is headed to the future, its present-day facilities provide an opportunity for unparalleled rest and relaxation.
Strigonium Ltd. - as a company owned 100% by the Municipality of Esztergom - is one of the key players in the economic life of the city. The activities of the Company and its member companies are wide-ranging, the aim of which is to perform high-quality urban management tasks and to develop the city.
Over the last three decades, Esztergom has undergone a strong industrialization that has never been seen before. While the Dorog and Nyergesújfalu areas used to be the regional center of industry, today Esztergom has become a clear economic center of the area. Investments in greenfields and in the industrial park, in particular the establishment of the Suzuki plant and the development of its supplier network, played a major role in this.
Esztergom with a permanent population of 28,000 is 39th in the ranking of Hungarian cities by inhabitants. The district of Esztergom includes a total of 24 settlements with more than 91 thousand people, making it Komárom-Esztergom County’s most populous district, and there are only 18 more populous districts in Hungary; these are mostly the immediate agglomerations of cities with county status. Esztergom is also the center of the Ister-Granum European Territorial Association, which crosses the Slovak-Hungarian border and covers more than 170,000 people.
According to archeological finds, the area of Esztergom has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Celts, Romans and Avars chose Castle Hill and its surroundings as their place of residence. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor while on campaign against the Quads, wrote some parts of his Meditations by the Garam River, which joins into the Danube across Esztergom.
