Stay on Rye Island (Žitný ostrov) for more than a couple of days and sooner or later the idea of crossing the border comes up. Győr is about 25 kilometres from Velky Meder, roughly half an hour’s drive, and it is the nearest larger city you can comfortably see in a single day.
Why Győr
It is not simply the closest city across the border. Győr has a well-preserved baroque old town with pedestrian streets, which is the ideal format for a day trip: park once and spend the rest of the day on foot.
It also offers enough variety to keep both children and adults happy, and on a family outing that is what decides matters.
What to fit in
The baroque old town
The historic centre, with its arcades, cafés and squares, can be walked in a morning. The most frequently mentioned sights include the basilica on Káptalan Hill and the baroque townhouses around it.
If you like cities where you can simply walk and look, Győr is exactly that kind of place.
Xantus Zoo
For families with children, Xantus János Zoo is usually the main reason for the trip. People often mention the animal feeding sessions, and the fact that the grounds can be covered before the children run out of energy.
Do check admission and opening hours in advance on the zoo’s website, as they change with the season.
Rába-Quelle
If the pools in Velky Meder somehow are not enough, Győr has its own thermal baths, Rába-Quelle, with a sauna world. As a comparison with the baths on our doorstep, it makes an interesting outing.
Boat trips
Győr lies at the meeting point of three rivers: the Rába, the Rábca and the Mosoni-Duna. In season, short sightseeing cruises set off from here.
What it costs
The prices come from the official websites, correct as of September 2026; we list them so that you know what to budget for. Check them before you travel, because they change.
Xantus Zoo. Adult 6,200 Ft; child aged 2 to 14, 4,400 Ft; senior and student 4,500 Ft; children under 2 pay 500 Ft. Family tickets from 16,000 Ft. Good news if you have no forints: the zoo accepts payment in euros and by card. It is usually open from April to September 10:00–19:00, shorter in winter; last admission an hour before closing.
Rába-Quelle. Adult 4,900 Ft on weekdays from Monday to Thursday, 6,900 Ft from Friday to Sunday and on public holidays. Under-18s and seniors 3,900 to 4,900 Ft, children under three 700 Ft. The sauna world costs extra and is usually open only from Friday to Sunday.
Parking in the centre. The zones are colour-coded: the most expensive red one around 520 Ft an hour with a two-hour limit, blue 440 Ft, yellow 320 Ft. The multi-storey car park by the Dr Petz hospital costs 200 Ft an hour, with the first hour usually free. Charges normally apply on weekdays from 8:00 to 18:00, and outside those hours it is free. The machines take coins and contactless cards, so a card will do even without forints in cash.
Practical points
Currency. Hungary uses the forint. Some places will take euros, but the exchange rate is usually poor. Paying by card is generally simplest.
Parking. Parking in the centre is charged and tends to be full on weekdays. It is worth parking a little away from the old town and walking in.
Language. In tourist businesses you will manage; in ordinary shops rather less so. On Rye Island Hungarian is an everyday language, so if you are travelling with someone from here there will be no difficulty.
Opening hours. Hungarian shops and museums close on Mondays more often than you might expect. Check ahead so that you do not find locked doors.
Planning the day
It is half an hour from Velky Meder, so you can set off after breakfast and be back for dinner. A typical day looks like this:
- morning the old town and the basilica,
- lunch at one of the restaurants in the pedestrian zone,
- afternoon the zoo or the baths, depending on who you are travelling with,
- early evening the drive back.
If you want to fit in more, turn off towards the border on the way back and have a look around. Rye Island and the Hungarian Szigetköz are linked by cycle routes, which we write about in Rye Island by bike.
With children or without
With children. The zoo is the safe choice and will take up most of the day. Save the old town for the hour before lunch, while the children are still fresh. Baroque façades hold their attention only briefly.
As a couple. The ratio is reversed: the morning in the lanes and over coffee, the afternoon at the baths. The city can be taken slowly, and that is its best quality.
With elderly parents. The pedestrian zone is flat and short, so it is manageable without much effort. Park as close as you can and leave time for sitting down.
What to check before you set off
- opening hours for whichever attraction matters most to you, as some places close on Mondays,
- parking in the centre and how it is paid for,
- the validity of your documents, since this is a border crossing, even within the Schengen area,
- cash in forints for smaller businesses,
- insurance in case you need medical treatment abroad.
What to eat
One of the reasons to cross the border is the food. Hungarian cooking is bolder than ours, and in Győr you can choose anything from a street snack to a restaurant in the pedestrian zone.
The classics you will find almost everywhere include goulash (in Hungary more of a soup than a main course), lángos as a quick bite and kürtőskalács, chimney cake, from the stalls. Cake shops belong to Hungarian towns just as much as coffee houses do.
If you are travelling with children, bear in mind that Hungarian dishes can be spicier. It is worth asking in advance.
How long to stay
Half a day is enough for the old town and lunch. If you are going simply to have a look, that is a sensible format and you will be back early.
A full day makes sense once you add the zoo or the baths. Then count on returning in the early evening, and on tired children in the car.
Two days would be too much for Győr. It is a town for one good day trip, not for a holiday. That is why it works as a change of pace during a stay rather than as the destination itself.
Somewhere to come back to
After a whole day of walking around a city, it is good to return somewhere quiet. We are a baroque manor house with a 35,000 m² park in Velky Meder, 700 metres from the thermal baths.
Home cooking from Rye Island served as half board, free parking in a closed courtyard, and a park where children can finally stretch their legs after a day in the car.
You will find more ideas for outings on the Surroundings page, and an overview of the rooms under Accommodation.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Győr from Velky Meder?
About 25 kilometres, roughly half an hour by car across the border crossing.
Can you pay in euros in Győr?
Hungary uses the forint. Some places accept euros, but the rate is usually poor. You will do better with a card or with cash in forints.
Is Győr suitable for a trip with children?
Yes. Besides the pedestrian streets there is Xantus Zoo and the Rába-Quelle water world, which is enough to fill a whole day.
