szentendre

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The Town of Szentendre

Where is Szentendre?
Szentendre is situated north of Budapest on the banks of the Danube River. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Budapest by car and approximately 40 minutes by suburban train. Home to roughly 20,000 residents, the town stretches from the west side of the Danube to the Pilis Mountains. Szentendre is a major tourist destination and is a common day-trip for travellers to Budapest. Its main attraction is the charming, Mediterranean-style architecture of the town centre

Szentendre's environment
Being located in the rain shadow of the Pilis Mountains, Szentendre has many sunny days. Hikers take to the Pilis Mountains, which reach 756 metres at Dobogókô. The forested hills and the Danube's riparian areas are protected by the Duna-Ipoly National Park. Because of the pleasant weather and beautiful landscape, a great number of weekend houses have been built on the hillsides surrounding the town. The population of Szentendre triples during the holiday season due to the large number of vacationers. The vicinity of Szentendre is home to an indigenous, Ice-Age plant species, the Rose of Szentendre (Rosa Sancti Andrae).

Szentendre, the town of artists
Szentendre is a town of arts and museums. It is home to the Hungarian open air museum, which exhibits the folklore architecture and culture of the Carpathian basin. The most visited museums of the town include the Margit Kovács Museum (pottery), the Serb Clerical Museum, the ArtMill exhibition centre for modern arts and a public transport train collection (near the HÉV station). There are a further 14 museums and art galleries acquainting visitors with the rich historical past and teeming artistic life of the town. It is not by chance that the quietness of the town and the proximity of the bustling metropolis of Budapest have drawn over one hundred artists here.

The history of Szentendre
Owing to its excellent geographical endowments, the town of Szentendre has been populated since the New Stone Age. It has been home to Illyrians, the Celtic Eraviscus tribe, Romans, Lombards, Avars and, of course, Hungarians. In the 17th Century, Serbian settlers came to the town and gave Szentendre its characteristic, Mediterranean-style architecture. The numerous churches in town reflect the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of Szentendre.

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SZENTENDRE