Komárno, situated at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh at an altitude of 108–115 m, is one of the oldest settlements in the Carpathian Basin and a town with a rich history. Its territory has been continuously inhabited since the Early Bronze Age. Celts lived here, and later Romans settled nearby, building on the right bank of the Danube a military camp and the town of Brigetio, with its fortified bridgehead Celemantia opposite, on the northern bank of the river.
In the Early Middle Ages the Avars stayed for some time in the Komárno area. Komárno received town privileges in 1265 from King Béla IV. The strategic importance of the town grew especially during the Turkish wars, when Komárno became one of the main defensive points of the Habsburg monarchy.