Iseum Savariense

Szombathely stands on Savaria, a Roman colony founded under Claudius on the Amber Road, and in the 1950s excavation in the city uncovered the foundations and carved stones of a sanctuary of Isis, the Egyptian goddess whose cult spread widely through the empire. It is among the few Isis sanctuaries known north of the Alps. What stands now is a full-scale reconstruction completed in 2011 on the original footprint, rebuilding the temple front with its carved reliefs incorporated, over a museum that displays the excavated material and explains both the cult and Roman Savaria. The reconstruction is frank about being one, and the site is used for concerts and events.

What you actually see

• A rebuilt Isis temple front - reconstruction on the excavated footprint.
• Original carved reliefs - the stones recovered in the 1950s.
• The Savaria collection - Roman material from the colony beneath the city.
• The sanctuary courtyard - the space used for concerts and events.

When to go

Year round. Two hours. Closed Mondays. Events in the courtyard can restrict access, so check the calendar.

Honest expectations

Most of what you see is modern reconstruction rather than Roman fabric, and visitors expecting ruins are sometimes disappointed. The surrounding city is plain. Interpretation is dense and partly in Hungarian only.

Nearby

Jak abbey is south; Koszeg lies north.