Excursion
Szentendre
Szentendre is known as the town of living art due to its artist colony of international renown, and its museums and galleries. With its well preserved, distinctive 18th-century townscape, the town centre is a group of heritage buildings unique in Hungary.
In the beginning of the 2nd century the Romans built a defence system in and around Szentendre. Their reinforced military camp was called Ulcisa Castra, the first known name of the town. Later the town was called after the patron saint of the parish church, the apostle St Andrew (Szent Endre).
Recent decades have seen major changes in the life of Szentendre as a result of the rapidly growing tourism industry, thanks to the historical atmosphere of the town's streets, its art life, as well as the Hungarian Open-Air Museum (Szentendrei Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum, Skanzen) which visualises rural life in Hungary.
Szentendre was awarded the Hild Medal in 1980 in recognition of its successes in town development and in preserving its traditions.
Visegrád
In medieval times the residence of the Hungarian kings was here in this town. Today, this site on the Danube Bend (Dunakanyar) is full of listed heritage buildings.
Visegrád first grew in importance at the time of Roman Empire's rule. An entire chain of watch-towers (őrtornyok) was erected along the military road leading to Esztergom. Among the sights which can still be seen are the Citadel, built by Béla IV above Visegrád on the steeply rising 328-metre hill, the Lower Castle (Alsóvár) on the hillock below Castle Hill (Várhegy), and the Water Bastion (Vízibástya) on the Danube bank. Visegrád rose to national, then international fame in the 14th century. Around 1320 King Károly Róbert began construction work on the Royal Palace which was to become the seat of the court within only a few years. In the late 14th century, the Royal Palace was already acknowledged as an outstanding work of Hungarian secular Gothic architecture. With the arrival of steamboat traffic on the Danube in the early 19th century, Visegrád quickly became a popular location for outings. Its current settlement structure developed at that time, while the first holiday villas date from the early 20th century. Nevertheless, there were further difficulties in the late 20th century. The construction of one of a series of dams, known as the Bős-Nagymaros Danube River Barrage project, was planned opposite Visegrád. Fortunately this plan was later abandoned. The area along the Danube bank was given a new lease of life and a large enclosed sports bay was developed near the Lepence Lido.
Royal Palace (Királyi Palota), Visegrád
The excavated and reconstructed parts of the former Palace show both Gothic and Renaissance features. For a while the official seat of the Hungarian sovereign, it later became their summer residence.
The excavated remnants of the 14th- and 15th-century Palace cover an area over 500 metres in length and 150 metres in width at the foot of the hill. The terraced Palace complex consists of three large units: the northern Matthias Palace, the Chapel and the southern Beatrice Palace.
This vast building complex comprised about 350 halls and rooms. This is revealed in a book written by the humanist Antonio Bonfini, a member of King Matthias's inner circle. He recorded the Palace's hanging garden, the colonnades, and the marble fountains. Two of these still ornament the inner courtyards. One, a red marble fountain with a baldachin and lions, is on the 4th level courtyard. The other, a red marble fountain considered to be the most beautiful piece of Hungarian Renaissance sculptural art, stands in the middle of the upper formal courtyard. Excavations brought to light the remnants of the Medieval Palace's most stunning buildings. The museum building and the stonework finds are directly connected to the excavation area.
In the summer, the Palace becomes the location of castle games that conjure up the past. The palace gardens can be accessed by wheelchair.
Kismaros
This settlement on the bank of the Danube and the surrounding Börzsöny Hills are a pleasant hiking and recreational area. On the main street there are several typical buildings dating from the 19th century. The village is known since the 18th century, its area once belonged to the Visegrád crown lands. It was inhabited by settlers from Württemberg (Germany) whose main occupation was forestry, and they were also famous for their excellent wines.
Vác
One of the most attractive Hungarian Baroque cities boasts a past dating back to the Bronze Age. It has been a centre of Catholic faith and a diocesan town for centuries.
The city scape is defined by the cathedral.
The foundation of the diocese of Vác is unanimously attributed by historians to the first Hungarian king, St Stephen I. The completion of the bishop's cathedral is also associated with Géza I and, according to this monarch's wishes he was burried here. The interior decoration of the cathedral dates from the time of King St Ladislaus (László). The cathedral stands next to the bishop's palace together with the canon homes and a military barrack on what is today called King Géza Square (Géza király tér).
The historic central area of Vác developed in the early 18th century when the once segregated German and Hungarian districts began to merge with one another while maintaining the original medieval town plan. Today the city is the cultural and commercial centre of the left bank of the Danube bend and the most visited tourist destination.
Püspöki székesegyház (Nagyboldogasszony), Vác
The construction of the most monumental building in Vác began in 1760 in late Baroque style according to the plans of Pilgram. It was eventually completed between 1761 and 1770 in an early Classicist style, designed by Isidore Canevale.
The high altarpiece was constructed in 1774 and depicts the Visitation of the Virgin Mary with St Elizabeth. It is the work of Maulbertsch as is the fresco in the cupola (1770-71) that depicts the triumph of the Trinity.
Part of a balustrade originating from the former Bishop's Cathedral was incorporated into the Renaissance sanctuary balustrade. The side altars and pews were made in Baroque style around 1775.
Beneath the entire length of the church is a crypt divided into three sections for the tombs of bishops, canons, and lay people.
This house of worship consecrated to Our Lady is the fifth cathedral building since the foundation of the bishopric. The cathedral may be visited upon prior arrangement.