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DANUBE BEND Some call it the "Hungarian Wachau", others say it rivals the Rhine Valley in
terms of beauty, the Danube Bend is the resort area to the north of Budapest
formed as the River Danube turns south. Many significant chapters in medieval
Hungarian history were played out over the estates of the Royal House of Árpád,
while many rich historical, cultural and architectural treasures have been
preserved for posterity in the region.
SZENTENDRE
This is the Danube Bend's most visited tourist centre, a small town sited on the
bank of the Danube with winding streets, church towers, colourful houses, narrow
alleyways, a Mediterranean mood only to be found here, and dozens of museums,
famed restaurants, cafés, confectioneries, small shops, and handicrafts stalls.
Among the many churches established by the Serbian community which settled here
in the 17th century, today four are still Orthodox places of worship. The medieval Parish
Church built atop Castle Hill has a very interesting sun dial. Szentendre always
stands ready to welcome tourists searching for nostalgia: shops, restaurants,
signboards, the monuments in Fö (Main) Square, the house motifs, and the Margit
Kovacs Museum (Vastagh György u. 1.), one of the country's most popular museums.
Szentendre has been a home to many artists colonies, and there are still plenty
of them thriving today. Works by members of the most talented artistic family of
the last century, Károly Ferenczy (1802-1917), his wife and their children Noémi,
Gobelin maker, sculptor Béni and painter Valér, can be seen in the Ferenczy
Museum (Fö tér 6.).
VISEGRAD
"From Visegrád, from an earthly paradise" - thus wrote a papal ambassador, guest
of King Matthias (1458-1490), and a person well used to glitter and pomp.
Completed in 1330, the new royal palace of Visegrád - the largest building
ensemble in medieval Hungary - was declared the capital in the 14th century. The
richly decorated red marble columns and courtyards with superbly carved
fountains gave the place such an air of magnificence that the great Renaissance
ruler's KING MATTHIAS PALACE was considered one of the 15th century's most
splendid royal residences. Today we can only see traces of this past glory in
the KING MATTHIAS MUSEUM (Fö u. 29.). One of Central-Eastern Europe's biggest
and best preserved Romanesque keeps is the 13th century SOLOMON'S TOWER which
formed part of the defence system linking the Danube embankment WATER BASTION
and the Upper Castle with thick walls. The Holy Crown was kept under lock and
key for 200 years in the
UPPER CASTLE, built between 1245-55. There is now an exhibition in the
rearranged rooms covering the history of the castle. NAGYVILLÁM lookout, and
next to it the summer bob-sleigh run on MOGYORO HILL is the biggest excursion
centre close to the capital. APÁTKÚT VALLEY has plenty of rest places, there is
a waterfall and trout-filled lake. The Erdei Strand in LEPENCE VALLEY offers
thermal baths and a swimming pool.
Hotels in Visegrad:
ESZTERGOM
Founder of the state King St. Stephen was born here, and in the 11th century it
was the country's first royal seat and ecclesiastical centre; today the Primate
of the Hungarian Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Esztergom, has his seat
here.
Dominating Castle Hill, the symbol of the city, the BASILICA, rebuilt in the
19th century in neoclassical style is the country's biggest church. It has one
of the largest canvas based altar paintings in the world. The red marble Bakocz
Chapel is a gem of Hungarian Renaissance construction and of unique interest. It
is actually 300 years older than the church. The 400 master-goldsmiths' works
and textiles in the Cathedral Treasury (southwest side chapel) include priceless
drinking horns, Gothic chasubles, the Suky chalice and Calvary of King Matthias.
Close by the Basilica is the former Royal Palace, and in one of the intact rooms
the Castle Museum (Szent István tér 1.) has been established: the 12th century
"St. Stephen's Hall" royal chapel with frescoes and finds from the city's
medieval history. The Christian Museum (Mindszenthy hercegprimás tere 2.) holds
Hungary's most valuable provincial collection. Among the medieval Hungarian art
treasures is the 15th century Calvary Altar and the Lord's Coffin of
Garamszentbenedek, and in the extraordinarily rich foreign material there are
several fine arts masterpieces - from Italian early Renaissance paintings to
modem ecclesiastical paintings. 16th century treasures are preserved in the
Balint Balassa (Pázmány Péter u. 13.), while exhibitions on the history
of the Danube region and water management are staged in the Duna Museum (Kölcsey
Ferenc u. 2.). The 19th century's most important public figures have left their
signatures on the "autograph wall" of the Mihaly Babits Memorial House (Babits
Mihály u. 11.).
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