"The town of waters" situated half way between the Austrian and the Hungarian capitals at the meeting point of the rivers Danube, Rába and Rábca, is the third most important monumental town in the country. During the course of long, hectic centuries it has been inhabited by Celts and Romans, nominated bishopric see by the first Hungarian king, Stephen I, invaded by the Tartars, mortgaged to the duke of Austria, seized by the Turks and conquered even by Napoleon's troops. It is a significant school town, Jedlik Ányos, inventor of the dynamo, is only one celebrity among many who once taught there. Most of its protected buildings are to be found within the 16th century walls.

The bishopric palace on Chapter hill (Káptalan domb) stands opposite the pompous Baroque cathedral which was founded in 1030, built for centuries, and is about the same age as the Hungarian state. The herma and the reliquary of the head of king Saint Ladislas (Szent László) are exhibited in the Gothic chapel. These masterpieces of medieval jewellery were made on the occasion of the king's canonization. The treasury is the second richest collection in Hungary.

Püspökvár, the residence of Győr's bishops, is easy to identify from afar with its squat tower. A 13th-century dwelling tower and the 15th-century Gothic Dóczy Chapel are the oldest buildings in the city. The Győr Diocese Treasury and Library holds the masterpieces of 1,000 years of ecclesiastical art.

The works of Miklós Borsos (1906-1993), an outstanding representative of 20th-century Hungarian sculpture, are on display at the museum named after him.  Staged in the loft of the Classicist edifice called Kreszta House, an exhibition of charming ceramic figures made by Margit Kovács (1902-1977) is worth a visit. The Iron Rooster proclaiming the surrender of the fortress to the Turks in 1594 is the symbol of the city. It stands at the ornamental well on the Dunakapu tér. The fortress itself was ordered to be demolished by Napoleon. The Vastuskós House is one of the historic buildings on Széchenyi tér. The nail-studded block of wood at the corner of the house used to be the sign of a 19th-century grocer's shop. Apátúr House, a splendid Baroque palace, the former residence of Győr's abbots, now houses the Xantus János Museum exhibiting a rich collection of documents on urban and medical history, works of applied art and postage stamps.

Three important buildings that used to belong to the Benedictine Order also stand on this square. One of them is the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, with its interior styled after the Church of Il Gesù in Rome, furnished with authentic early-Baroque furniture and decorated with fine frescoes. A pleasant stroll around the city could include a visit to the Zichy Palace, a scene of weddings and concerts. The wrought-iron embellishments of the Old City Hall, the impressive Eclectic building of the new one, the Tuscan-columned courtyard of the Hungarian Ispita and the lavishly decorated enclosed balcony of Rozália House, are characteristic features of the city's architecture and are worth seeing. The Váczy Péter Collection of the Municipal Museum includes Greek and Roman decorative objects, Renaissance and Baroque furniture, statues and paintings, Chinese porcelain as well as contemporary graphics. A rich collection of 20th-century Hungarian paintings of the Municipal Gallery is housed at the Esterházy Palace.