Székesfehérvár is one of the most interesting cities tourists could find during a vacation in Hungary when willing to meet a place that is not only attractive but also counts with a very rich historical past. This city is located within the region of Central Transdanubia, at about 65 kilometers from Budapest, and besides Székesfehérvár receives several different names, such as, for example, Bialogrod in Polish, Alba Regia in Latin, Stoni Beograd in Serbian, Belehrad in Slovak, and Stolni Biograd in Croatian.
The city of Székesfehérvár has an area of about 170,9 km2 and a population of approximately 101.500 inhabitants, in such a way that its density is of around 594 inhabitants per km2. It might also be interesting to know that this city is considered to be the main centre of the County of Fejér and one of the most important centers in all Central Transdanubia.
For an important period of time, during the middle Ages, Székesfehérvár was one of the most important cities in the entire Hungary as well as one of the main royal residences. During that époque, this city also was an important commercial centre which would be a junction and meeting point of local and international traders. During the life of the city, more than 35 kings and more than 37 queens were crowned in Székesfehérvár, as well as it is where fifteen of the most famous rulers of Hungary have been buried.
One of the most peculiar things about Székesfehérvár (and as it can be easily noticed), is its name. The name of this city consists on a complex combination of terms and can be translated as “the white castle with the seat”. This name reflects the importance the city had for the Hungarian royalty during the Middle Ages and several other periods of time as well.
Officially, Székesfehérvár is known to have been inhabited since the 5th century BC, although it could have been home of settlers before that as well. It is also known that during the Roman times, this city was known as Gorsium and Hercula subsequently, and during the middle ages as Alba Regia.