Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The attractions in this chapter are all within an hour or so of the city. Foremost are
three sites on the picturesque Danube Bend to the north of Budapest. Szentendre is
a historic Serbian settlement and artists' colony with a superb open-air ethnographic
museum. Further north, Visegrád boasts medieval ruins, splendid scenery, “organic”
buildingsandatree-topzip-slide,whileacrosstheDanubefromSlovakia,thecathedral
town of Esztergom is steeped in history. While each site merits a full day (though don't
go on a Monday, when most attractions are closed), you could cram two into one long
day. On the other side of the Danube, Vác has a magnificent Baroque centre and some
fascinatingmuseums,orthere'stheformerHabsburgpalaceatGödöllő,whereclassical
concerts are held all year round.
Szentendre
Szentendre
(St Andrew), 20km north of Budapest, is both the most popular tourist destina-
tion in the vicinity of the capital and the easiest to reach. Despite a rash of souvenir shops, the
centre remains a delightful maze of houses in autumnal colours, with secretive gardens and
lanes winding up to hilltop churches, and plenty of museums and craft stalls; you should also
allow at least a couple of hours for the open-air village museum outside town. Szentendre's
location on the lower slopes of the Pilis Hills is not only beautiful, but ensures that it is one
of the sunniest places in Hungary, making it a perfect spot for painters and artists - indeed, it
was here, in the 1920s, that the town became a working
artists'colony
, and the links are just
as strong today. Otherwise, the town retains a strong Serbian identity, thanks to the waves of
refugees who settled here from the fourteenth century onwards.
