"The Abby of Pannonhalma" a Pannonhalma Travel Page by edinka

The buildings of the thousand-year old abbey in Pannonhalma are situated on a hilltop and there is a fine view over the surrounding countryside from here. The history of the abbey is as old as the history of Hungary itself. The pagan Hungarian tribes arrived in the Carpathian Basin from the east in c. 896. Their leader Géza and his son, the State founder Stephen I, recognised that the Hungarian people could only survive if they created a solid state and adopted Christianity. In order to spread Christian ideas and European culture, Géza invited Benedictine monks into the country. Their first monastery was built in honour of a native of Pannonia, the Later Saint Martin.
The Abbey was founded in 996 and consecrated in 1001 by the first Hungarian king, St. Stephen, who was later canonized. As a guardian of the country's cultural treasures it houses one of Hungary's most valuable libraries and is on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.