The legend of the name of Vác

Have you ever wondered how a city with so much to offer got its name? There are many theories about the origin of the name Vác. 

The most interesting theory has to do with a hermit named Wach, whose statue you can see on Kossuth Square. The statue, which should be a must-see on any sightseeing tour of Vác, was sculpted by local artist Sándor Kapás.

According to legend, the hermit lived in the forest where the town once stood in the 11th century, and is famous for having prophesied to Prince Géza that King Solomon would be defeated. After the battle of 1074, which determined the succession to the Hungarian throne, Prince Géza named the town he founded Vác after the hermit. The town celebrates its namesake on 26 November.

Más elmélet szerint magyar törzsi névből (Vath) származik a név, de felmerült a „vác” szó, mint fontosabb települést, központot jelentő szláv eredetű kifejezés is. Annyi bizonyos, hogy a remete története és szobra a helyi lakosok és a kirándulók számára is fontos váci mérföldkő.