beauty of its architecture. Only the bastion gates have been damaged significantly. The structure of the town remains unaltered. Today Kőszeg is one of the most attractive towns in Hungary and is a tourist destination. Kőszeg was awarded the Hild Prize (Hungarian architecture prize) in 1978 for preserving its architectural heritage. Every year, it hosts the Castle Days at the castle there, commemorating and reenacting the siege by Ottoman Turks on the way to Vienna, in which the defenders were able to hold out. Demographics In 1880 Kőszeg had 7,301 inhabitants with ethnic German majority (in 1495, 1715, and 1784 a German majority existed also). The German citizens mainly were Lutherans, as in Sopron. During Austro-Hungarian times the city population was magyarized. After the Second World War officially, 117 Germans were expelled, but in fact more German-speaking people were deported because the town's population declined from 10,320 (in 1941) to 8,780 (in 1949). During the communist era the remaining Germans assimilated to the Magyars. In 2001 Kőszeg had 11,844 inhabitants, 93.4% Magyars, 3.2% Germans, 1.6% Croats. The distribution of religions were: 72.2% Roman Catholic, 8.6% Lutheran, 2.5% Calvinist, 1.1% others, 5.5% Atheist, 10.1% no answer, unknown (2001 census). Sights of interest Jurisics Castle and Castle Museum Town centre with its medieval atmosphere Sacred Heart Church Steierhäuser Pharmacy Museum Hills around Kőszeg the Geschriebenstein (Írottkő) Seven fountains (Hétforrás) Watchtower (Óház) Sport Although the ski jumping facility is a small one, it is the only still in use in the country. Twin towns – sister cities Kőszeg is a founding member of the Douzelage, a unique town twinning association of towns across the European Union, including United Kingdom. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Other members of Douzelage are: Agros, Cyprus Altea, Spain Asikkala, Finland Bad Kötzting, Germany Bellagio, Italy Bundoran, Ireland Chojna, Poland Granville, France Holstebro, Denmark Houffalize, Belgium Judenburg, Austria Marsaskala, Malta Meerssen, Netherlands Niederanven, Luxembourg Oxelösund, Sweden Preveza, Greece Rokiškis, Lithuania Rovinj, Croatia Sesimbra, Portugal Sherborne, United Kingdom Sigulda, Latvia Siret, Romania Škofja Loka, Slovenia Sušice, Czech Republic Tryavna, Bulgaria Türi, Estonia Zvolen, Slovakia Horgos, Serbia Kőszeg is also twinned with: Mödling, Austria Senec, Slovakia Senj, Croatia Vaihingen an der Enz, Germany Notable people Imre Festetics (1710–1790), geneticist András Hadik (1711–1790), nobleman, military leader Johann Baptiste Horvath (1732–1799), physicist József