Transdanubia today refers to the area bordered by the Danube River in the north and east, the river Drava in the south, and the border of Hungary to the west. In the Middle Ages it included land east of the Danube, until the Mongol invasion of 1240 destroyed hundreds of settlements on the Great Plain of Central Hungary. Transdanubia had a higher proportion of ecclesiastical estates than other areas of medieval Hungary; in some counties such as Veszprém, the ratio was as high as 40%. The towns we visited varied greatly with respect to medieval fortifications, royal privileges and self-government.

For more information and photographs on castles and other historic landmarks, see Transdanubia.