2022
Once the first capital of Hungary (XIX century), today the town of Esztergom, located on the Great Turn, is the residence of the archbishop who heads the Hungarian Catholic Church.
Symbol of the city is the Archbishop's Cathedral, which is the largest in Hungary with a length of 117 m and a width of 47 meters. She is also called "Head, Mother, and Teacher of the Hungarian Church".
The temple was built on the Palace Hill (Varhegi), where the tall 72-meter-high central dome is visible a few kilometers away.
Inside you will find a unique chapel of filigree-carved red marble. The chapel is the only one in the world that is 300 years older than the temple itself built in the 16th century.
According to a legend, during the Turkish invasion of Hungary, local residents cut the chalice over 1600 pieces and buried it in the ground. The invaders destroyed the temple, and when a century later the locals built a new temple, the old chapel, which was completely preserved, was also built into it.
Here is one of the largest organs in the world and the third largest in Europe, which has 3530 tubes, the dimensions of which range from 10 m to 7 mm. It is this instrument that the Hungarian composer and musician Ferenc Liszt played at the dedication of the basilica in 1856.
The name Visegrad is Slavic and means "High Fortress". A curious fact is that the exact same name occurs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Prague, and also in Bulgaria. It is located in the area of Pest, on the right bank of the Danube River, about 40 km from Budapest.
Visegrad has a long and rich history. In the 4th century, the Romans built a military camp at a strategic location around the Danube. At the same place in the 9th century are Slavs who call the fortress Visegrad.
After the Mongol invasion, King Bela IV built two strongholds to protect his territories. The Lower Castle (now Solomon's Tower), which was connected to the Upper Castle, was built.
The Royal Palace (Visegrad Castle), dating back to the 14th century, is the first royal palace built in the city. The palace was the official residence of the Hungarian kings until the beginning of the 15th century when it was used as a summer residence.
With the entry of the Turkish troops, the castle was destroyed, and in the 18th century, it collapsed. Archaeological excavations, which began only in the 20th century, continue to this day.
The symbol of the city is the Solomon's Tower, dating back to the 13th century. Its shape is hexagonal and is called the Upper Castle. The Tower is connected with a grim story - Vlad Tepes, known as Count Dracula, was once exiled. After 12 years of exile with his wife, he rests.
On a high hill over Solomon's Tower is the Citadel, dating back to the 13th century. It was built on the orders of King Bela IV after the Mongol invasion. Built almost a century ago, it is the most preserved medieval monument.
Vishegrad attracts not only its historical sights.
Each year, during the second weekend of July, a Royal Palace Festival is held. People dress up in medieval costumes and the whole city is transformed.
Then you can indulge in dances, music, performances, delicious food and wine.
Szentendre is a town in northwestern Hungary, Pest county. It is located near the capital Budapest. The population is about 20,000 people.
Szentendre became in 895 the possession of Kurshan, the brother of Prince Arpad, with the establishment of the Maghreb tribes on the territory of present-day Hungary.
It was first mentioned as a town in 1009. On a hill is the church of St. Andrew, from where comes the name of the city.
Around the church hill, the houses of the residents of Szentendre are also grouped together. In the 14th century, the importance of the small town grew because of its strategic location, the Medusa Centers Buda, and Visegrad. In 1541 the Turks conquered the nearby Buddha fortress as the whole country passed into their possession, and the settlement was almost depopulated. When Turks again conquered Belgrade once again in 1690, about 6,000 Serbs moved to Szentendre, enjoying special privileges granted by Emperor Leopold I.
In the coming years, many emigrants are settled here - from Dalmatia, Greece, Bosnia. Despite the industrial revolution in the 19th century and the rapidly developing technologies in the 20th and 21st century, Szentendre retains itself as a small picturesque city with a Mediterranean atmosphere, architectural and religious multicolor and stylistic diversity brought to it by various emigration waves.
In 1926 Szentendre became a colony of art, culture, and crafts, and since 1990 the city has been open to tourism development and has become an especially preferred tourist destination.
Szentendre has been the home of generations of Hungarian artists since the early twentieth century. Many museums and galleries today show the modern trends and rich traditions of visual art.
Szentendre is known as a cultural center with its many galleries, artists, and museums - the museums of Margit Anna, Bela Shebel, the founder of Hungarian modernism Karol Ferenc, Janos Kmeti, Layos Wajda and others, as well as the gallery of the colony of artists, Palmete Design and Muheli and Layosh Wajda's studio.
