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Eger town in northern Hungary is seat of Heves megye (county). It lies in the valley of the Eger River, which is a tributary of the River Tisza, between the Mátra and the Bükk mountains.

Eger is an old Magyar (Hungarian) tribal city with a bishopric founded in the 11^th century.

The Tatar invasion of the 13^th century levelled most of the town, which was one of the richest in early medieval Hungary.

Whereas the castle, whose construction began in the l3^th century, established Eger's reputation, the town only achieved lasting fame when 2,000 soldiers led by Captain Istvan Dobo withstood a month-long siege, successfully defending the strategically vital fortress from the onslaught of 150,000 Turkish troops and thereby thwarting the Ottoman Empire's advancement towards Western Europe.

The remains of the fortress from which the town was defended from the Turks in 1551 are on the hill to the northeast. The Turks returned to take and occupy the town from 1596 to 1687. It served them as an important outpost, and the 40m-high minaret is one of the town's landmarks.

During the nearly 100 years of Turkish occupation the town’s once burgeoning economy began to decline and prosperity did not return until the 18^th century when Count Károly Eszterházy, the Bishop of Eger launched an ambitious city planning effort resulting in the construction of new churches, monasteries, the "Lyceum" building, the little and big provost palaces and the county hall. The outlines of the present Baroque city centre were established as well.

With its historic monuments, therapeutic baths and a unique school-town charm, the city became one of the most important cultural centres of the country.

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