Sopron calls itself the most loyal town, Civitas Fidelissima, because in 1921, when the region was being handed from Hungary to Austria after the First World War, its people voted in a plebiscite to remain Hungarian. The town became a Hungarian peninsula reaching into Austria, and its medieval centre, with the Firewatch Tower rising above the old walls, is one of the best-preserved in the country. The tower offers sweeping views over the rooftops and the surrounding hills.
Sopron has another claim to history. In August 1989, at a meadow near the border, a Pan-European Picnic was organised by opposition groups, and during the event a border gate was opened for a few hours. Hundreds of East Germans, holidaying in Hungary, rushed through to Austria, one of the first cracks in the Iron Curtain, a few months before the Berlin Wall fell. A memorial park marks the spot today.
The high ground around Sopron is the Lővér hills, the foothills of the Alps, covered in forests of oak, beech and chestnut, with walking trails, lookout towers and villas. To the east, the land drops to the Fertő, the Hungarian part of the Neusiedler See, with reed beds and vineyards. The riding is varied, with winding roads through the hills and flat roads across the plain. Traffic can be heavy at the border crossings, and the roads in Hungary may have different speed limits and rules.
Sopron has plenty of fuel stations, shops and restaurants, and fuel is often cheaper than in Austria. Hungarian motorways require an electronic vignette, so plan accordingly. A meal of Hungarian dishes, such as goulash or paprika chicken, with a glass of local Kékfrankos later, rounds off the day.