Introduction

Location of our city

Göd located in the North of Budapest next to the main road number 2, on the left bank of the Danube, between Budapest and Vác, approximately 24 kilometers of the capital.

Accessibility: From Budapest on the main road number 2 through Dunakeszi and the new M2 motorway that was paved in the recent past, as well as on the Budapest-Szob electrified international railway line at Alsógöd, Göd and Felsőgöd MÁV stations. On waterway it’s accessible on the Danube by the ferry between Szigetmonostor and Göd. The Cycle path that links Budapest with the Danube Bend passes through the city.

Regional cue

Considering the past of Göd, it is a beloved holiday resort thanks to its natural facilities, from the 20th centuries until nowadays, in the recent past both its living and resort area structure improved by a tremendous amount.

Structure of the town

The structure of the town is featured by the fact that it is cut in northern-southern direction by the main road number 2 and the Budapest-Vác railway line. The town’s inner area lies on the western zone, next to the Danube. It has two main parts: Felsőgöd and Alsógöd. These town parts are different not only because of their geographical features but also because of the different subdivision. Göd-Újtelep (Bócsa) with its 300 residents, rustic housing, horse sport, and the nearby SAMSUNG SDI plant that produces picture tubes also should be mentioned as an independent part of the town.

The township of Göd is 2223 hectare/s, 855 hectare/s is inner area from this.

History

According to the archeological finding the area of Göd was populated in the ancient eras. In the border-line of the settlement several –mainly article for personal use- were find from the Neolithic, the Copper-age, the Iron-age and the Bronze-age. At Present day’s Bócsa-Újtelep (Ilkamajor) remains of a huge military post (Contra Constantinum) that was built in the reign of King Constantine II together with a corner and a bastion tower were discovered.

The name of the settlement (Gud, Gwd) –that probably comes from a German proper name- was first mentioned in a charter that was dated in 1255. Although written relieves don’t mention but according to archeological finding in the 12th-13th centuries Göd was an ecclesiastical place. The mediaeval church of the village was on the Templom-domb (Church-hill) in the southern part of Felsőgöd.

Due to its favorable transport facilities (the railway line between Pest and Vác was opened in 1846) and the closeness of the capital, around 1890 intensive subdivision was begun in Felsőgöd and then in Alsógöd.

On 1st July 1970 Felsőgöd that was mainly populated by the working class and Alsógöd that was earlier populated by wealthy villa-owners melted into a town. In 1999 the town has received the title of „City”. It has approximately 17.000 inhabitants nowadays. Most of them are a daily commuter who works mainly in Budapest and the neighboring Vác.

 

 

Relief

The western part of Göd’s township is a floodplain that lies at 110-120 meters above the sea level, the eastern part is a distributed plain featured by terraces that progressively rises while departing the Danube.

Its highest point lies at 171 meters above the sea level, next to the Jancsi-hegy. The Gödi-sziget (Göd-island) is an almost 1 kilometer long sand-dune that is in line with the central part of the town.

Hydrogeology

The site of the town belongs to the Danube’s catchment basin. The lack of water all over the country is compensated here by the closeness of the river. The flood of the Danube during the summer is usual. Ilka-brook and channel with its smaller lines flows in the Felsőgöd part. The Széchenyi and 72 greater-and-smaller other springs origin at the Danube bank in Alsógöd as well as two artificial lakes: the Horgásztó (Fishing Lake) and the Feneketlen-tó (Bottomless Lake). Intensive aquatic sport activities take place on the Danube.

Architectural values

The city next to its several lovely villas from the 20th century has a national monument: the so-called Nemeskéri Mansion. At the moment the St. Hubertus restaurant operates in the building. Several social events, concerts also take place also in the Mansion.

The oldest building of the town is the so-called Kincsem stable.  The building was most likely built in the 17th century and functioned as a post-house until the railway line between Budapest and Vác has been finished (in the middle of the 19th century). At the end of the 19th century it functioned as a racehorse stable. It has gotten its name from the world most successful horse, Kincsem. The building is ruinous, empty and it’s under local protection. In the longer view of the municipal it would be used for cultural purpose.

In front of the building there is the statue of László Iván-Kovács, a famous revolutionist of Göd who was executed because of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

Natural values

In the town, the bank of the Danube (6 kilometers) has outstanding natural values. The three Danubian plages give refresh in the summer season.

The Gödi-Sziget (Göd-island) and its surrounding are under national protection and belong to the Danube-Ipoly National Park.

In the border-line of the town there is a medicinal thermal water spring. It operates as a local bath next to the golf course.  The thermal bath of Göd is opened all of the year. The thermal water of Göd was qualified as medicinal water as well as mineral water by the specialized authority.

The Gödi Láprét (Marshland of Göd) is also under national protection.