Magyar Posta is issuing a pair of special stamps with different denominations and a numbered souvenir sheet with a surcharge to celebrate the 97th Stamp Day, which will be held at the Sárvár Aréna in Sárvár between 20 and 22 September 2024. The new products were designed by the graphic artist Balázs Hajnal and printed by the banknote printing company Pénzjegynyomda, and can be purchased from Filaposta, philately specialist services, certain post offices and www.posta.hu from 20 September 2024. Magyar Posta devotes the HUF 300 surcharge on each souvenir sheet to supporting organised stamp collecting in Hungary. Sárvár is located in Vas county, to the south of the mouth of the Gyöngyös stream, on the two banks of the Rába river. The settlement that grew up around the fortress built in the Árpádian era was surrounded by marshes and water, hence it came to be known as Sárvár, sár meaning “mud” and vár meaning “castle”. In the nearly one and a half centuries from 1534 to 1671 when the town was part of the Nádasdy family’s estate, Sárvár became one of the cultural centres of Hungary. It was in this period that the castle acquired its late Renaissance form, which is still recognisable today. Tourism in Sárvár began to develop in 1968, when the first thermal spa was built. In 2002, a new spa, funded by the Széchenyi Plan, started operating in the town. This investment paved the way for a series of major developments. Sárvár Spa obtained certification in 2012, which indicates its prominent role in tourism. Over the past thirty years, apart from the spa and the renovation of the infrastructure systems, several public-sector investments have been made that have greatly contributed to placing tourism on new foundations in Sárvár. The flagship of these investments is the Sárvár Arena, which opened on 10 February 2020. (Source: sarvarvaros.hu) One of the pair of special stamps with different denominations issued in honour of the 97th Stamp Day features the façade of the Sárvár Spa, while the other stamp shows Kossuth Square in Sárvár with the Town Hall in the background. The Banqueting Hall of the Nádasdy Castle in Sárvár appears in the stamp design of the souvenir sheet, while the frame of the sheet shows the exterior of the castle. Hild Park in Sárvár can be seen on the first day cover of the souvenir sheet, and the Boating Lake is featured on the cover for the stamp pair. The imprint of the special postmark on the first day covers shows the coat of arms of the town of Sárvár.