Fertőrákos

Fertőrákos (German: Kroisbach) is a village in the county of Győr-Moson-Sopron in Hungary. In 2001 it had a population of 2,182.

Fertőrákos Kroisbach
Fertőrákos Kroisbach Location of Fertőrákos
Coordinates: 47.72017°N 16.65197°E / 47.72017; 16.65197
Country	Hungary
County	Győr-Moson-Sopron
Area
• Total	21.89 km^2 (8.45 sq mi)
Population  (2001)
• Total	2,182
• Density	99.68/km^2 (258.2/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	9421
Area code(s)	99

Fertőrákos - Palace from above

It is located at 47°43′15″N 16°39′0″E, about 10 km (6 mi) from Sopron, near Lake Fertő (German: Neusiedler See) and the Austrian border. In summer, a border checkpoint for pedestrians and cyclists connects it to the Austrian municipality of Mörbisch am See (Hungarian: Meggyes). The Fertorakos mithraeum is visible near the border. Fertőrákos also features a small port with a border checkpoint, and a sand beach swimming area, access to which prior to 1989 was restricted to the communist elite.

The village was first mentioned in 1199 under the name Racus. In 1457 it was first mentioned in German language as Krewspach, later Kroisbach. Today, it forms part of the Austrian-Hungarian national park and joint World Heritage Site of Lake Fertő.

The Wagner - Liszt Fesztivál is an annual event held at the Fertőrákos cave theater and in Sopron.

Following the occupation of Hungary in 1944, the new extremist pro-nazi regime established a 'transit/labour camp' in a quarry in Fertőrákos, to which Hungarian Jewish and political prisoners were sent, and many thousands died here, with others transported onward to Nazi concentration camps in German occupied Poland and Germany. The site of the transit camp can be visited, and has a memorial plaque.

External links

• Official website (in English, Hungarian, and German)