Körmend is situated in the central part of the Comitatus Vas near the confl uence of the rivers Raab and Pinka, at the crossroads of the two main roads, the 8 and 86.
The area was already signifi cant in Roman times on account of the Raab river crossing and the two important routes passing by. After the land seizure, Körmend was the most important inhabited settlement in Comitatus Vas apart from Vasvár. Because of the north-south river crossing, the fi rst mediaeval settlement was built on the slope of the hill on the left bank of the Raab. At the Raab crossing in Körmend five roads from the south and south-east and four from the north converge. The convergence of these nine roads was a defi ning element in the development of Körmend’s urban structure. In a document from the year 1238, Villa Curmend terra regis, that is the village of Körmend, was mentioned for the fi rst time and was at that time in the ownership of the king. After the Tartar migrations King Béla IV bestowed town privileges on the settlement.
The name Batthyány has been associated with the history of Körmend for nearly 400 years. Over the years the castle became one of the most important castle buildings in the land and was rebuilt in Baroque Classical style. The museum that is housed in the castle carries the name of Dr. Ladislaus Batthyány-Strattmann, beatifi ed in 2003, and exhibits the history of the family, but with special reference to the prince who was an ophthalmic doctor. Castle Batthyány and the adjacent park are amongst the most signifi cant of cultural legacies in the region. Enjoy magical walks in the castle park, a nature protection site, under trees that are hundreds of years old, the most famous of which is a plane tree with maple leaves that is also centuries old. There are some important works of art in the park, too. Near the Raab Bridge, in the oratorio in the Parish church of St. Elisabeth - rebuilt in Baroque style and with a Late Gothic chancel – you can see an exhibition in memory of „Dr. Ladislaus Prince Batthyány-Strattmann – the doctor for the poor“. Amongst the places of interest the town has to offer are the Late- Baroque-style reformed church built in 1788. In Hungary there are two reformed churches whose interior walls are decorated with frescos and one of these is in Körmend. The evangelical church nearby the reformed church is Neo-Gothic in style and has been the jewel of the town since 1888.
Amongst the great events in the town there is the annual spring festival, the maypole dance on the last Saturday in May and the choreography competition, international castle concerts, the Whitsun celebration in the Catholic church, exhibitions, the Hungarian festive day on the Raab, the night of St. Ivan, the night of the museums, the Körmend Days series of performances, celebrations on the Feast Day of St. Stephen combined with fi reworks and a folklore festival on August 19, the water carneval and the town holiday, the anniversary of the town charter given to the town by King Béla IV and the birthday of Dr. Ladislaus Batthyány-Strattmann.
Further information:
Tourinform Körmend
9900 Körmend, Dr. Batthyány-Strattmann László u. 5.
Tel: 94/410-107, Fax: 94/410-132, e-mail: kormend@tourinform.hu
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