Vác

Event agenda in region
Vác map
Accommodations in region

phone district code:

population:

33213 person

area:

6160 km²

Vác (), (approximate pronounciation, Vats), (sometimes spelled Väcz; Slovak: Vacov, German: Waitzen, Latin: Vacium) is a city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The town is occasionally known in Hungarian by the archaic names Vacz and Vacs.

Location

Vác is located north of Budapest on the left bank of the Danube river where it bends to begin its southern route. The town is seated at the foot of the Naszály Mountain on the outskirts of the Carpathians.

Modern Vác

Vác is a commercial center as well as a popular summer resort for citizens of Budapest. The cathedral, built 1761-1777, was modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The episcopal palace houses a museum for Roman and medieval artifacts. The city is also known for its 18th century triumphal arch.

History

Settlement in Vác dating as far back as the Roman Empire has been found.

Bishops from the diocese were influential within the Kingdom of Hungary, with many serving as chancellors or later becoming archbishops.

The town was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1541. During the Habsburg Monarchy's wars against the Ottomans, the Austrians won victories against the Turks at Vác in 1597 and 1684.

See also:

Bishopric of Vác

Demographics

Ethnicity

Hungarian: 94.9%
Roma: 1.3%
German: 0.5%
Romanian: 0.1%
Slovak: 0.5%
Ukrainian: 0.1%
Other/Undeclared: 4.5%

Religious denomination

Roman Catholic: 59.4%
Greek Catholic: 0.7%
Calvinist: 9.3%
Lutheran: 3.1%
Other denomination: 1.4%
Non-religious: 14.4%
Undeclared: 11.5%

Twin towns

Vác is a twinned with:- Deuil-la-Barre, Val-d'Oise, France- Donaueschingen Baden-Württemberg, Germany- Dubnica nad Váhom, Trenčín Region, Slovakia- Giv'atayim, Tel Aviv District, Israel- Järvenpää, Southern Finland- Odorheiu Secuiesc, Harghita, Romania- Šahy, Nitra Region, Slovakia