Szentendre, Hungary: exploring sights and memorable places

A small cozy town of Szentendre is located in the central part of Hungary. During its history, it has managed to accumulate many memorable historical places. Proximity to the capital and cozy atmosphere have made it a popular holiday destination for tourists and independent travelers. Before the trip, you need to find out what Szentendre, Hungary is famous for – sights, museums, parks and churches.

About the resort city

The city is located near Budapest, 20 km. It belongs to the county of Pest. Its unofficial name is the capital of artists and sculptors of the country. There are many art galleries here, exhibitions and expositions are regularly held. Additionally, tourists are attracted by memorable historical places.

Interesting facts about Szentendra:

• It was founded in the 17th century by refugees fleeing the Turkish invasion.
• At the beginning of the 20th century, the bohemia of Hungary settled here – artists, poets, sculptors.
• The city has many galleries, museums and exhibitions.

You can get to Szentendre by train, car or bus. A railway line passes through the resort, electric trains leave every 20 minutes from the Batthyany Square station, Budapest. Travel time – up to 30 minutes. Buses run from the bus station of the capital. You can order a transfer when making a room at a hotel or inn. For accommodation choose private apartments.

Fetir Square

This is one of the central squares of the resort, in Szentendre, Hungary, this attraction is on the must-see list. Its size is small, in the center stands the Plague Column. Its peculiarity is that in the upper part of the composition there is the cross of Lazarus. It was built in 1752. There are no benches around the monument, but tourists and independent travelers can rest on the pedestal.

The advantage of this place in the city is that there are many museums, open cafes and restaurants nearby. Church of the Annunciation is nearby. Its facade is made in the rococo architectural style. For connoisseurs of modern and classical art, you need to visit the museums of Ferenczi, Lajos Vajda. The latter is the founder and initiator of the avant-garde art movement in Hungary.

Church of the Annunciation

An Orthodox church belonging to the Serbian diocese is located on Fetir Square. This is a small church with a recognizable appearance. It is described in the guidebooks of Szentendre, Hungary as a landmark of the mid-19th century. The cathedral is active, so before visiting you need to choose the right clothes.

The building was built in the Baroque style. It is distinguished by a strict facade, a red tiled roof. There is a fountain in front of the church, the composition is crowned by a small statue of a lamb. This is a reference to the resurrection of Christ. The attraction is revered by local residents, it is protected by the state.

Saborna, Belgrade Cathedral

Another name for this attraction in Szentendre is the Assumption Cathedral. It belongs to the Budim diocese, built in 1690. The 48-meter-high bell tower appeared only in 1777. At that time, the old building was demolished, and a new complex of buildings was erected in its place. The icons and the iconostasis were painted by the famous artist of that time, Vasily Ostich.

Interesting facts about the Assumption Cathedral:

• Moravian style architecture, baroque bell tower.
• On the western façade, stucco was made, combining baroque and European classicism.
• Nearby was the permanent residence of Patriarch Arseniy Chernoevich.

There is a park around the building where you can take a walk, read books or relax in the shade of trees. Entrance to the territory is free.

Church of John the Baptist

Located in the historical part of the city, it is the oldest church in the resort. The building was built in the 16th century, the field of this was repeatedly rebuilt and reconstructed. The last time the works were carried out in 1990. Attraction Szentendre Church of St. John the Baptist rarely sees tourists because of the severity of the facade and small size.

Advantage – there are other historical monuments and memorable places nearby. The central part is decorated with a small bell tower. It offers a unique view of the old city. But you can climb the bell tower after permission. Sightseeing tours are not available.

Marzipan museum

Marzipan products can be attributed to the national dishes of Hungary. They are popular in the country; several museums are devoted to this area of cooking. The most famous attraction in Szentendre is the marzipan museum. Here are collected unique products from this material. Tourists can try them, see the manufacturing process.

Interesting Marzipan Museum Facts:

• This is the youngest museum in the country, opened in 1994.
• There is a separate exposition of sweet sculptures – Chocolate Girl, Michael Jackson, Princess Diana, etc.
• From the mixture, copies of the sights of Hungary were made, the largest is the parliament in Budapest.
• A hall where culinary works of art are presented – sweet napkins with lace, openwork fabrics.

For independent travelers and vacationers, there is a shop where you can buy sweets. Prices are higher than in nearby stores, but these products are unique and not sold in other stores.

Museum of Public Transport

The expositions of this museum are devoted to the history of the development of public transport in Hungary. The opening took place in 1992, there are five halls and one outdoor area on the territory. The latter contains large models of public transport – trams, buses, trolleybuses. Models of local and foreign production.

In addition to them, tourists can see rare items – tickets, branded clothes of conductors and conductors. The area of the museum is small, so there are no guided tours. Tourists themselves inspect more than 60 models of transport. The advantage of this approach is that each exhibit can be studied for a long time. The souvenir shop offers copies of tickets and other products.

Ferenczi Museum

The most famous artist and creator of many sights in Szentendre, Hungary is Kara Ferenczi. He lived and worked in the city at the beginning of the 20th century. His paintings are placed in galleries and museums around the world. The artist is the founder of a new movement in painting. Most of his paintings contain elements of national ornaments and decorative compositions.

Karoly Ferenczi is the pride of the Hungarian people. He not only managed to raise his artistic talent to a high level, but also brought up a good portrait painter, his son Beni. The museum was opened in 1951 and houses the works of both artists of the dynasty. Tourists are advised to purchase brochures and copies of the authors’ works.

Museum of Christmas toys

Traditionally, Hungarians have a special attitude towards Christmas. For them, this is a truly family holiday, in which a lot of attention is paid to decorating the Christmas tree. This tradition became the basis for the creation of the Museum of Christmas toys. Its halls contain works of the 18th and 19th centuries. Many miniature toys, art compositions dedicated to the holiday.

Interesting facts about the Museum of Christmas toys:

• Part of the composition is dedicated to products from Russia and the USSR.
• Some toys or their copies can be bought.
• A special place is occupied by a stand with various greeting cards.

The opportunity to buy products is a convenient way to take a souvenir from Hungary. However, the prices of toys are relatively high. Therefore, they buy unique models.

Wine and Palenque Museum

Winemaking and all the work associated with it is a national Hungarian tradition. In every city or small village there are distilleries that make wine according to special recipes. Therefore, the creation of a national museum of wine and palenki became mandatory for Hungary.

Here you can see the famous varieties of the drink, order a tasting. The exposition contains unique exhibits – old bottles, items for winemaking. There are many photographs and engravings dedicated to this case.

Ethnographic Museum Skansen

This is a unique open-air exhibition for Hungary. The ethnographic center is located within the city of Szentendre, 3 km from the historical center. On its territory there are about 240 buildings and houses of different eras of the country. They are built according to old technologies, while maintaining a unique appearance.

Various workshops operate here. Tourists and independent travelers can see the processes of making pottery, fabrics and household items of the Hungarians. Souvenirs – ceramic dishes, national crafts, toys. Feature – a small museum railway operates on the territory. But you need to buy a separate ticket for it.

Other sights of Szentendre in Hungary

The city is full of interesting places. It periodically hosts exhibitions and festivals. It is the cultural center of Hungary, where you can study the history of the country and its present. Tourists are advised to make travel itineraries for each day, for Szentendre, Hungary, attractions need 7-10 days.

Other interesting places in the resort city:

• Museum of Ceramics Margit Kovacs. This is a famous author of sculptures, which has developed a unique technique for their manufacture. For this, the author used a potter’s wheel, forming sculptures of large sizes.
• Museum of microminiatures. The halls feature works by the famous Ukrainian author Mykola Syadristy. He managed to shoe a flea, carve a rose in his hair, and made many other interns of microminiatures.
• Regional Museum. Within its walls are collected exhibits from different times of the city.

Public transport in the city is poorly developed. There are several bus trolleybus m routes. But due to its small size, many sights of Szentendre can be reached on foot, or you can order a taxi.