Bő combines a local history shaped by the Middle Ages with religious artworks and a cycling connection to Bük and Bükfürdő. The Répce is also closely associated with the town: the river flows right around Bő and offers visitors pleasant surroundings in which to relax.

Cycling Connection and the History of the Répce

Bő is part of the Thermal Cycling Route. A fully developed cycle path connects the town with Bük and Bükfürdő. This connection is a specific point of reference for anyone who wants to take a cycling route into account when planning a trip. There is also a longer history of transport: since ancient times, an important long-distance road ran along the Répce river terrace. In antiquity, it connected to the Roman Amber Road between Scarbantia, present-day Sopron, and Savaria, present-day Szombathely. This historic route is part of the area’s history; the cycling connection to Bük and Bükfürdő is a separate consideration for travel planning.

From the Templar Convent to a Market Town

In the 12th century, Bő came into the possession of the Templars, who established a convent there. It served as a so-called “hiteles hely” (place of authentication) for property transactions. By the middle of the 13th century, a predecessor of the Church of St. Emeric was already standing there. The town’s early history thus includes both the convent and the history of its church buildings.

In 1499, King Vladislaus II granted Bő further privileges, including exemption from tithes and tolls, as well as the right to hold markets. This made Bő a market town. In 1666, the right to hold markets was confirmed. At the height of the town’s prosperity, four nationwide livestock markets were held each year; there were also guilds of shoemakers and weavers. The account distinguishes between the market rights confirmed later and the markets and guilds of the town’s heyday.

Church of St. Emeric and Religious Artworks

A comprehensive archaeological investigation of the Church of St. Emeric in 2008 identified six construction phases. The renovation, completed in 2010, made the earlier construction phases visible on site. Thus, an account of the church’s history includes both its medieval predecessor and the identified construction phases in the building’s development.

Several religious artworks are associated with specific streets and squares in Bő. On Köztársaság Square stands the statue of St. John of Nepomuk, in a chapel-like niche on the road to the Répce crossing. Also on Köztársaság Square, the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows depicts the grieving mother with Christ, who died on the cross, lying in her lap.

Other depictions are located on different streets: the statue of Our Lady of Hungary with the Christ Child stands at the end of Hunyadi Street and was erected in 1917. The statue of the Blessed Virgin with the Christ Child, erected in 1913, is on Széchenyi Street. The crucifix on Petőfi Street depicts Jesus on the cross, with the grieving mother beneath. The subjects thus range from images of Mary with the Christ Child to a depiction of the mother beneath the cross.

Discover More Destinations

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