Place and role of Mosonmagyaróvár in space and time

This town and its neighbourhood have always been in the join of the regional connections. This is the place where in the Old World and Middle Ages the only passable road led through the marshlands of Danube and Hanság areas.
The roads from the southern German areas leading to Pannonia (east-west), as well as the roads from the Czech basin to the Mediterranean (north-south) met here. The Limes in the times of the Romans, Vindobona (Vienna) – Carnuntum (Petronell) – Ad Flexum (Magyaróvár) – Arrabona (Győr) – Brigetio (Szőny) – Aquincum (Óbuda) was leading through this area. One of the important places of the Limes was Ad Flexum. There was a narrow passage between two large water- and marshlands, and due to this fact this place had a significant role from military-, defence- and commercial aspects and therefore it became one of the trade- and military routes.

This had and has been a determinant factor in the history of the region. In the first centuries of the Middle Age this area was called the „Moson gate”. Stephen 1st organised the most important base and the centre of the county of the feudal Hungarian state around the royal castle of Moson, because it had excellent position in order to control and block the traffic. This had been a significant role during the crusades and later during the Turkish wars. During the later centuries this position also resulted in enormous profit in the stock market. Having ruined Castle of Moson in 1271. Magyaróvár took over the military and administrative role. Therefore it was Queen Elizabeth who gave township to the settlement of Magyaróvár in 1354 that had been the shire town of Moson County before the uniting of counties following the Trianon Treaty of Peace.

From the 16th century the fortified castle of Magyaróvár and the surrounding huge Habsburg estate facilitated the dynamic development of trade and handicraft. Despite of the restrictions of the franchise of the town this role of centre of estates was profitable, both in the establishment of the Academy and in the evolvement of the early manufacturing industries. Trade routes were crossing Moson County, its corn market reached of that of Győr’s, and the rivers helped the booming of flouring-mills. In the first thirty years of the 20th century highly developed manufacturing industry came to existence in Moson and Magyaróvár. The main labour force of these industries came from the neighbouring settlements. In 1939 Moson and Magyaróvár united and Mosonmagyaróvár consolidated to become the centre of the small region. Up to 1984 when the districts were reformed the town had been the residence of districts, but due to its location and institutions, schools, hospital, trade- and financial services offered it has still been the centre of the region even today.

Traffic

The geographical location and roads to connect to the wider regions of Mosonmagyaróvár had great influence on the past, present and future of the town. Looking at the map of the region it can be seen that the only passable way between the marshlands of Danube and Hanság is here. Ad Flexum was established along the road of Limes by the Danube, a Roman military and civilian settlement that had significant defence and commercial functions for several centuries. The other important route linking the Baltic area to the region of the Mediterranean, „Route of Laurel” also had an effect on the region.

The significant role of the town resulted from its position in traffic had remained also in the Middle Ages, that is why the region was named „Moson Gate”. Of course, during the history of the town in relation to other historical events and following technical improvements and changes there were always different means of transport becoming more and other becoming less important – but today it can be proved by facts that the development of town – or decline of certain parts of the town – can be accounted for the roads leading through the town.

Let’s sum up some types of traffic and transport of the region

Water transport

Mosoni Duna (Danube) had an important role of waterway for a long period of time. The grain and live stock shipments from the Eastern region of the country, which were mainly bought by the wholesalers of Vienna, were delivered up on the Danube to Moson by boats and then were transported by road. For Moson part of the town this was a period of bustling trade, high-level services and good revenue. The memories of that period still visible today are the building of Futura (grain silo) in Moson, and the building opposite the factory premises of Kühne Rt – today as a restaurant – used to have a function in relation to water transport. The railway system built around the middle of 19th century displaced water transport and after a few weak attempts today Mosoni Duna is not used as waterway.

Since the 20th century the rivers of town and its regions have been more for the purpose of recreation and pastime. There were beaches, boathouses along the Mosoni Duna, there was a ferry going between Magyaróvár and Máriakálnok village, Wittman Park to Kálnok there were boats for rent. After a few years of fallback the facilities for water tourism have been revalued by today. There are some future tasks in order to promote this: the dam in Moson part of the town has already been started to be reformed to be able to travel by boat, there is a plan for the use of river inside the town and the improvement of the area and walkways along the river Lajta.

We must mention the waterways of the Szigetköz region, the dam of Dunakiliti and that of the Danube, which do not belong to the town from administrative aspects, but their condition and future can have significant effect on the tourism and visitors of Mosonmagyaróvár. Water- nature- and environment protection experts has done and still do a lot in order to restore this area to its undisturbed state, but final solution can only be found with the agreement of the Hungarian and Slovakian parties. In the case of sufficient volume of water in the region the number of boats in the region can be multiplied and the region can be connected into the international waterline.

Railway transport

From the point of view of railway traffic Mosonmagyaróvár has very good facilities, since located by the Budapest – Hegyeshalom main railway that is part of the international network. The renewed building of the station, covered platforms, undercrossing for passengers make the railway travels more comfortable and up to date.

We can also travel to Bratislava and Vienna by rail, however we can only get on most of the international trains either in Győr or in Hegyeshalom.

The railway station can become part of the combined freight traffic system, due to its facilities. There has been a feasibility study started regarding the operations of a new RO-LA terminal. The important industrial sites of the town are directly connected to the railway network, relieving the roads of the area from the considerable traffic anyway.

Buses and coaches

The distance between Moson and Magyaróvár, and the location of the railway station on the southern part of the city called for the first city bus line, that had taken people to the railway station since 1906. (The descendant of that entrepreneur has still been a reputable transporter of the town today.) Since 1926 there have been scheduled coach services to the neighbouring cities, and the settlements of the Szigetköz region – due to the lack of railway system in the area – are connected to the centres of the region with coaches as means of public transport.

Since 1990 Kisalföld VOLÁN Rt company has been responsible for the public transport of the town and its region. In the city there are 9 coach services, which take the people between the parts of the town as well as from the residential districts to the industrial areas. In 2003-in Királyhidai street – beside TESCO Supermarket – there was the new bus station opened supplied with all the transport related conveniences.

There are direct bus lines to the neighbouring settlements and however more and more people use their cars, the public coach service have still been very important. The approachability of the town has got even better with the daily coach services to Budapest and other at least ten cities of the Dunántúl region. Another way of public transport is the daily coach service from Burgenland and Vienna, which are operated mainly by Austrian entrepreneurs.

Roads

The road-systems of the town are basically defined by two factors. There are the main roads leading to the three capitals – Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava – that have already been part of the transeuropean channels of transportations – as well as the major roads of the town linking the parts of town. The service roads of the residential districts are linked to this internal road system. The old highway from Vienna to Budapest follows the old routes established in the Middle Ages (today main road No 1.), and the highway to Bratislava links the northern settlements of Szigetköz to the town as well. Last part of the motorway leading to the border of Hungary was completed in 1996. The use of the motorway between Mosonmagyaróvár and Hegyeshalom has become toll free since 2003. This is significant fact from the point of view of the town, since the increased freight traffic from north to south, that enters the country by Rajka and is connected to the main roads No 85-86 leading to the south, can avoid the historical downtown area, therefore reduces air- and noise pollution.

As for the roads of the town there have still been a lot without paving even today. After 1990 there was a significant development project started in order to improve road conditions of the town, but due to the lack of sewage system there were many roads that could not be paved. In 2002 the sewage system network of the whole town was started to be built – the objective is to finish by 2005 – and after that the streets and side-roads of the town can be reconstructed. Besides the paving of the more than 20 km road the local government puts an emphasis on the reconstruction of the existing road network of the town as well.

Among the long term objectives of the following period there is the traffic of the Ipartelep area to be led to road No.86 directly – reconstructing Fertősor street and building a new road-section – this way linking all the international highways outside the area of the town. An outer ring can decrease the traffic of the inner city even further, and the missing intersection of the southern motorway to be built, that can be continued to the direction of the village Máriakálnok – and following the construction of a new bridge on the Mosoni Danube, the traffic of Szigetköz region can directly be driven onto the highway. Another new road to the direction of the village Halászi can ease off the city centre. The traffic of the existing big junctions must also be reviewed (e.g.: Fő (Main) street – Sallai Imre street junction, junction in front of the hospital.) After the construction of the outer rings the inner roads of the town should also be rebuilt, and the green areas, parks and parking facilities must also be improved.

In the town, as usually everywhere in the world, parking is a major problem. In the crowded downtown areas there are only pay-parks. When establishing any new facilities in the town we insist on own parking places built.

In Mosonmagyaróvár and its region there is significant bicycle traffic. Bicycle travel has also been booming lately in the area. In spite of this the bike-road network is scarce. Inside the town there are some pathways at the main crossings. Bicycle travel would also require construction of bikeways.

In less busy roads there are information boards in order to help tourists. In 2002 between Mosonmagyaróvár and Halászi there was a new bikeway constructed and its traffic proves the necessity of these type of tracks. There is a tender with the assistance of the town to involve European Union funds to promote the construction of bikeways that reach the border as well as link the Fertő Lake bikeway to the one beside the Danube.

The up-to-date petrol stations of the town are available for the domestic and foreign travellers. A new information board system was started to be built up in 2000, which calls the attention of tourists on the institutions and places of interest in the town.

Mosonmagyaróvár can also be reached from the airports of Vienna and Bratislava as well, and there is another airport opened in 2003 close to Győr, in Pér. At the join of Mosoni Danube and Öreg-Duna (Old-Danube) – in Gönyű – there is an all-time operating and improving port and we encourage the entrance of further small boats.