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For daytrips to Esztergom, Visegrád, Lake Balaton
and Pannonhalma we recommend you use MÁV's online
system at: www.elvira.hu to
check rail timetables. Fare options
(which are calculated according to the distance travelled in Kilometres) are
also laid down on MÁV's website, along with
telephone
numbers for ticket offices in both Budapest and towns around Hungary.
 A small picturesque town located 20km
(12 miles) north of Budapest which makes a popular daytrip destination for tourists. Travel by the
HÉV suburban train from Batthyány tér. Journey
time is 30 minutes.
Regardless of whether you visit Szentendre at the height of the tourist
season, or during the autumn/winter when an almost surreal air of calmness and serenity is
restored, the town leaves a lasting impression on all those who do. It was Serbian and Greek
refugees who originally established a settlement here during the 14th century after fleeing from
Turkish forces who had swept northward through Europe. Although occupation and upheaval
categorised daily life in Szentendre right up until 1686 (when the town was finally liberated from
Turkish rule) the community still managed to retain its traditionally orthodox religious beliefs by
gathering in simple wooden churches to worship.
 During the Habsburg era, there followed a more liberal attitude towards the
Serbs who became free to worship without restriction. Wooden structures were largely replaced by
Baroque stone buildings, while commerce also flourished in the form of wine and textile trading.
Eventually however, even this changed. A royal decree requiring the Serbs to swear an oath of
allegiance to the Hungarian nation proved to be the last straw for most of the town's population who
eventually moved on. After that, trade dwindled and Szentendre lost much of its importance,
instead becoming a sleeping beauty on the Danube Bend.
Today, as one of the most popular tourist areas in Hungary, the town is also
home to a young and influential community of artists. Their presence here owes much to a pioneering
group who arrived in the early 1920s. Margit Kovács (1907-1977) was without doubt the most
famous name among them. Regarded as a master ceramicist within Hungary, an exhibition of her work
(which depicts various themes such as motherhood, love and destiny) never fails to move those who
visit. The museum, which is located on Vastagh György utca, limits entry to 20 people at
any one time. Therefore you should try to visit either early in the morning or at lunchtime.
 Elsewhere, Fö tér is the town's charming main square. Leading off
in all directions are streets chock full of souvenir shops selling everything from traditional lace
to communist memorabilia and old Russian army surplus gear. In the middle of Fö tér
stands the Memorial Cross, which was erected by townsfolk in gratitude for being spared from the
plague. Nearby, the striking Blagovestenska Church (Andreas Mayerhoffer 1752-54) contains
wonderfully intricate icons of Buda in the last century, while the well-preserved Rococo windows
facing out onto Görög utca also catch the eye. Next door is another small gallery which
features works by Károly Ferenczy - a leading Hungarian impressionist whose paintings are
also displayed in Budapest's National Museum.
 A few kilometres outside of Szentendre is the Open-air Ethnographical Museum
(Skanzen) which attempts to recreate rural life in Hungary between the 18th and 19th centuries.
With different regions of the country represented here, adults and children alike usually find the
museum's various thatched cottages, mills and craft demonstrations interesting. During the summer
months free wine tastings also take place.
 Hungary's most sacred city Esztergom is located 46km (28 miles) north-west of
Budapest. Travel by train from Nyugati pu. or cruiseboat/jetfoil from
vigadó tér (boat 1 April - 23 September, jetfoil 26 May - 3 September only).
It's not surprising that Esztergom is regarded as Hungary's most sacred city.
For it was here that St. István, Hungary's first Christian king was crowned on Christmas Day
1000 AD. The city remained the royal seat for almost 300 years until it was almost completely
destroyed during the Mongol invasion. Having also suffered under Turkish occupation,
Esztergom was
gradually rebuilt during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Today, it's the huge catholic Cathedral that dominates views both from the
Danube and the rest of the city. Commissioned by Archbishop Sándor Rudnay in 1820 and built
over a period of 40 years, this vast domed building incorporates the beautiful red marbled
Bakócz chapel (built in the 16th century by Florentine craftsman) and a Treasury (northern
side) which holds ecclesiastical treasures rescued from the original 12th-century church which
shared the same site.
Budapest aside, Lake Balaton is the principal money earner for Hungary's
buoyant tourist industry. Stretching for nearly 80 km and boasting nearly 200 km of shoreline, the
Balaton is the largest fresh water lake in Western and Central Europe.
Famous as a wine growing region since Roman times, the area is now dominated
by private holiday homes and sprawling tourist resorts such as Balatonfüred and
Siófok
(both are packed in high season and cater mainly for hedonistic, lager swilling Hungarian, German,
Italian and Dutch tourists).
Get off the beaten track, however, and a visit to the Balaton can be both a
rewarding and relaxing experience. Towns such as Tihany and
Keszthely have a pleasant air about
them, while sleepier resorts such as Balatonvilágos and Boglárlelle are ideal for a
short stay, if the Ibiza/Club 18-30 type experience isn't your cup of tea.
For further information on Lake Balaton check out the
excellent www.balaton.hu
website!
 Located 20km south-east of Győr, the Pannonhalma monastery can be
reached by catching a Veszprém bound train to Pannonhalma (the town's railway
station is then approx. 2km from the monastery).
Situated on a hill between the fertile, forest-laden slopes of the Bakony
region and the low-lying Kisalföld (Little Plain), the Pannonhalma monastery is the nation's
oldest and most treasured ecclesiastical seat of learning. Founded by Prince Géza in 969,
the church was consecrated during the reign of his son Stephen I in 1001. Enlarged over the years,
the gothic cloisters of the monastery date back to the early part of the 13th century, while the main
tower (pictured above left) is of neo-classical design.
Today, the building's archives are considered to be among the richest sources
of information on ancient Hungarian history. They include the medieval copy of King Stephen's
charter (which dates back to 1001) and the foundation deed of Tihany Abbey. Although both are
displayed only briefly on August 20 (St. Stephen's Day) other ancient codices are permanently on
exhibition in the wonderfully ornate 19th-century library.
Located 40km (25 miles) north of Budapest. Train service from Nyugati
pu. to Nagymaros (from Nagymaros take the hourly ferry across to Visegrád)
or cruiseboat/jetfoil from Vigadó
tér (boat 1 April - 23 September, jetfoil 26 May - 3 September only).
While Esztergom or Szentendre should be your first choices for a day-trip from
Budapest, the small, sleepy village of Visegrád still makes for an interesting afternoon's
sightseeing if you have time to spare.
The ruins of Visegrád, which date back to the 13th century and the
reign of King Béla IV, comprise of the spectacular mountain-top Citadel (which
arguably overlooks the most beautiful stretch of the Hungarian Danube), the largely reconstructed Royal
Palace, Water Bastion and Salamon Tower.
You can reach the Citadel either by taking the "Cavalry" footpath (an
exhausting 25 minute jaunt) or a bus from the Mátyás Statue in the village.
Also worth checking out are the nostalgia
rail tours that run between Budapest and Visegrád (using 100 year old
steam locomotives). Excellent for adults and children alike!!
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