Veszprém is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies on both sides of the Séd creek, approximately 110 km (68 mi) from Budapest and about 15 km (9 mi) north of the Lake Balaton.
According to local legend, Veszprém was founded on seven hills. It had an important religious role during the struggle to make Christianity the official religion of Hungary - Stephen I of Hungary defeated the armies of his chief opponent, Koppány, near Veszprém.
The historic centre of Veszprém is the castle, which - together with the surrounding town - was one of the significant centre of the country until the Turkish occupation: it was the King’s and Queen’s seat and the first episcopal seat of Hungary since 1009. The medieval castle and town suffered large-scale destruction in the Turkish period.

Veszprém was the favorite city of Queen Gisela, the wife of St. Stephen. For centuries, the queens of Hungary were crowned here by the bishops of Veszprém. That's why the city is still often called "the city of queens".

During the Mongol invasion of Hungary, Veszprém was protected by its castle, which was later demolished on order of the Habsburgs in 1706.
In the castle district, where the royal palace stood between the 11th and 13th centuries, fine urban middle class houses along the 500-m long ridge of Castle Hill evoke the history of the region. The castle district sits in the middle of the city on a large dolomite outcrop.
Veszprém is the town of winds and bells: legend says that if the wind is not blowing, the bells are ringing. As a matter of fact, the wind from the Bakony Hills surrounding this town blows almost always.

There is a story about the construction of the cathedral, which also gives an explanation of the town’s name. Legend sais that the fortune of King Stephen I ebbed away during the building, so Queen Gizella decided to contribute to the expenses herself. She threw away her fur coat ornamented with precious stones and said ‘Vessz prém!’ ("I let fur lose") with which she wished to symbolize her giving up a luxurious way of life for the sake of the completion of the cathedral.