Vác, Ger. Waitzen, town (1991 est. pop. 33,858), N central Hungary, on the Danube River. A commercial center producing textiles, footwear, cement, and tools, it is also a favorite summer resort of Budapest residents. Dating from Roman times, Vác was made (1008) a bishopric by St. Stephen. It has an 18th-century cathedral, an episcopal palace, and an 18th-century triumphal arch. The name was formerly spelled Vacz or Vacs.

Vác (approximately "vats"), (Vacov, Waitzen, Vacium) is a city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 33,000 inhabitants. The town is occasionally known in Hungarian by the archaic names Vacz and Vacs.

Location

Vác is located 34 kilometres 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 arch of triumph and for its beautiful baroque city center.

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

• Hungarians : 94.9%
• Gipsies : 1.3%
• Germans : 0.5%
• Romanians : 0.1%
• Slovaks : 0.5%
• Ukrainians : 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%

According to the 1910 census, the religious make-up of the town was the following:

• Roman Catholic: 76.3%
• Jewish: 11.2%
• Calvinist: 8.3%
• Lutheran: 2.8%
• Other denomination: 1.4%

Gallery

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

Sources and external links

• 
• Official website of town
• The newsportal
• Live webcam from the square (The yellow building in the background is the town hall)
• Map of Vác
• Map of the surrounding area
• Tragor Ignác Museum of Vác
• The House of Culture
• Katona Lajos Town Library
• Aerial photographs: Vác