Sopron, the home of composer Franz Liszt, has a well-preserved medieval center. It's conveniently located on the far western border with Austria, only an hour's drive away from Vienna. Sights include the Firewatch Tower, a Benedictine monastery and other 14th- and 15th-century buildings in nearly perfect condition. The Church of St. Mary (also known as the "goat church") is Hungary's finest piece of surviving Gothic architecture. (Sopron was one of the few Hungarian towns not sacked by the Turks in the 16th century.)
If you have up to half a day to spend there, visit the nearby Esterhazy Palace (called the Hungarian Versailles), where Haydn once worked as musical director.
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