Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the basilica, you can walk down the slope that descends to the Kisvonat terminus, or
take the steps at the side down to the former primate's wine cellars - now the
Prímás Pince
restaurant - and the monumental
DarkGate
. This imposing tunnel was built in the 1820s as
a short cut between church buildings on either side of the hill.
The Víziváros
At the northern end of the parapet overlooking the Danube is the striking
whitestatue
of the
crowning of St Stephen. Nearby, the stairs of the precipitous
Cat Way
(or Cat Stairs - Mac-
skaút or Macskalépcső) offer a dramatic way down from the heights, and provide a splen-
did view of the river and Štúrovo. At the bottom lies the
Víziváros
, a Baroque enclave of
churches and seminaries - and the most magnificent Turkish relic.
Oziceli Hacci Ibrahim Djami
Ozicseli Hadzsi Ibrahim Dzsami • Berényi utca 18 • Tues-Sun 10am-5pm
To the right at the bottom of the Cat Way, at the northern end of Berényi utca, lies the fas-
cinating
Oziceli Hacci Ibrahim Djami
- a seventeenth-century mosque. Built on what was
then the northern edge of the Ottoman Empire, this is a rare example of a two-storey
djami
- the only other ones are in Bosnia. The mosque was later turned into a granary, and many
of its original features have been very well preserved, including a partly restored minaret.
The lower floor is even more remarkable: squeezed between the city wall and the castle hill,
the
djami
was built over the medieval road that led to the gate in the city walls. You can
walk down the excavated road and out of the gate, on the outside of which stands a tablet
commemorating the victory of Suleiman I: when the Turks besieged Esztergom in 1543 they
broke through this gate and discovered that the well inside supplied water for the castle. With
their water cut off, the Hungarians surrendered.
Christian Museum
Keresztény Múzeum • Mindszenty tér 2 • March-Nov Wed-Sun 10am-5pm • 900Ft • 33 413 880,
chris-
Walking back from the mosque past the Cat Way, you come to the wedge-shaped plaza
named after Cardinal Mindszenty. Next to the Italianate Baroque
Víziváros Parish Church
stands the old Primate's Palace, which now houses the
Christian Museum
. This is Hun-
gary's richest hoard of religious art, featuring the largest collection of Italian prints outside
Italy; Renaissance paintings and woodcarvings by German, Austrian and Hungarian masters;
and some beautiful Orthodox icons from Russia and Serbia. Don't miss, either, the unique
wheeled, gilded catafalque once used in Easter Week processions.
Prímás-sziget
From Mindszenty tér, you can cross a bridge to
Prímás-sziget
(Primate's Island), a popular
recreation spot separated from the mainland by the narrow Kis-Duna (Little Danube). Lined
