Alba Regia was established in 972 it was the first Hungarian capital. Székesfehérvár was first mentioned in a document by the Bishopric of Veszprém.

Székesfehérvár was the capital of Hungary and a royal town up to the early Middle Ages. Later its importance diminished and the city began to prosper again only in the 18th century.Baroque features of the downtown developed at that time and this is still retained by several historical monuments as a tourists value. Székesfehérvár became one of the prime destinations for multinational companies setting up shop in Hungary.

Here 37 kings were crowned and 17 sovereigns buried. The most important building in the country between the 11th and 16th centuries was Saint Stephen's Basilica: the king's throne, the symbol of his rule, was here. The Basilica, used for coronations, was blown up by the Turks in 1612 and only the foundations can be seen today. In the medieval Ruin Garden a group of important monuments of the Hungarian history can be visited.

In the old town centre there are many sights in Baroque style from the XVIII-XIX. century.

Today Székesfehérvár is the industrial centre of Transdanubia.