The town of Szentendre is located 23 km from Budapest. Now Szentendre is famous for its artists' colony, founded here at the beginning of the 20th century. The artistic traditions of the city are strong to this day. This is an open-air museum city, with a population of only 26,000 people (as of 2011), it has 14 officially recognized museums and several unrecognized ones, but this is not the main thing about it.
Szentendre is simply charming, every shop there is worthy of the title of a museum, and in every museum there is a shop, you won’t believe it, but even in the public toilet in Szentendre there is a museum exhibition.
Picturesque street of Szentendre
To get the most pleasure from visiting Szentendre, you just need to walk along the streets and look at the houses, signs, shop windows, be sure to go into the shops, some of them are simply stunningly decorated.
Interesting sign at the confectionery shop The town of Szentendre (St. Andrew) has a Balkan charm that is so rare in Hungary.
How to get to Szentendre from Budapest
We walked back to the station along almost the same road, visiting other shops. At times, you don’t even need to go anywhere; there are counters and display cases next to each store.
Traditional embroidered tablecloths 
Original sign above the glass workshop What I liked the most was the museum-shop New Year's toys. There are several halls hung from ceiling to floor with the most exquisite Christmas tree decorations and Christmas scenes. self made, it’s not for nothing that they wrote the word “museum” at the entrance; the eyes in this store run wild.
In the museum-shop of Christmas decorations Almost all toys and figures can be purchased. In one room there is an exhibition of antique Christmas tree decorations from our Soviet childhood, there are boxes of toys with Russian inscriptions. On the walls hang stands with numerous greeting cards. It is curious that even in Soviet era in Hungary, angels and Christmas scenes were depicted on postcards.
Christmas tree decorations store in the museum 
Ice cream maker in Szentendre Szentendre is located on a hill, some of its streets are stairs and can compete for the title of the narrowest street.
Narrow street, almost a drain And finally, I recommend checking out the public restroom. There is an entrance fee to the toilet, but there is a small exhibition of night vases and jugs with basins. Just a hundred years ago, similar products were in every home; modern conveniences are relatively new.
Museum of night vases in a public toilet Szentendre is a very popular city for a day trip from Budapest. There are a lot of tourists, we had a couple of buses with Russian groups and this was in winter. It’s scary to even think what’s going on in the city in the summer.
Just 3.5 km from Szentendre is the Open Air Ethnographic Museum, often called Skansen, after the famous Swedish ethnographic museum. Rural life and architecture are recreated there. If it were summer, we would have time to go there, but in winter it starts to get dark at 16-00.
I would be interested to know if you liked Szentendre? Would you like to go there? Of course, any additions and clarifications are welcome, maybe you have your own favorite places in Szentendre?
You can find out on my website. You no longer have to browse dozens of websites to find information about: what type of transport to choose (plane, train, bus,), all methods of transfer from Liszt Ferenc Airport, what to do in Budapest, what to see on your own, where you can download an audio guide, which bath to choose , All in one article, all the necessary links.
(2 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)
City of Szentendre(Szentendre) is located just 20 km northwest of Budapest. The city's population is about 24,000 people.
Szentendre was founded in the 11th century as Sanctus Andreas, i.e. Saint Andrew. After the Tatar-Mongol invasion, almost nothing remained of the city. And the Serbian refugees who arrived here in the 14th century began to rebuild the city. In addition to the Serbs, the city was inhabited by Greeks, Hungarians, Romanians and Germans. Of the seven city churches, whose towers dominate the narrow streets and colorful houses of Szentendre, four are Orthodox.
Among the refugees there were many merchants and artisans, which contributed to the prosperity of the city.
Szentendre is called the city of artists. Many artists lived here in the 1900s. Currently, there are not many artists left here, but Szentendre is still famous for its numerous art galleries and museums.
Attractions in Szentendre
– ethnographic open-air museum. Reconstructed peasant houses from all over the country are collected here and the folk architecture of individual regions is presented, as well as the life of village residents.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Sztaravodai út
Open February – March on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 – 16.00
From April to October from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.00 to 17.00
Plague Column(1752) is located on the main square of the city (Fő tér)
Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church 1763
Serbian Church 1756
Temple of Transfiguration
Belgrade Cathedral(Saborna)
Museum public transport Budapest is dedicated to the history of the development of public transport in Hungary. The museum is located in the old suburban depot railway, a large collection of historical vehicles, scale models, ticket collection, etc.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Dózsa Gy. út 3., HÉV terminus
Open from April to October every day except Mondays from 10.00 – 17.00
Adult ticket 270 Ft, for pensioners and students – 220 Ft.
Museum of Serbian Orthodox Art– icons and a collection of various precious church utensils are presented.
– opened in 1994, displays an exhibition of sweets made from marzipan. Marzipan is very popular in Hungary; the museum displays stunning paintings, exhibits and figures, the details of which you can look at for a long time and admire the master who did it all. The museum has a shop and cafe where you can buy and try marzipan products.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Dumtsa Jenő utca 12
Open every day from 09.00 – 19.00, in summer from 9.00 – 20.00
Adult ticket 450 ft, for students and pensioners 300 Ft
Carriage in the Marzipan Museum
Confectionery Dobosh– a museum of the Hungarian confectioner József Dobos, where you can try a real Dobos cake, which is prepared according to a recipe invented by the author in 1885. It was then that József Dobos, for the Hungarian national exhibition, came up with his own recipe for a cake that was preserved and did not spoil for 10 days, which was very important at that level of development of refrigeration technology.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Bogdányi u. 2
Open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.00 – 18.00
Adult ticket 300 Ft, children under 10 years old – 200 Ft.
Wine Museum– you can find out how famous Hungarian wines are produced, taste them and buy the ones you especially liked.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Bogdányi u. 10
Museum of Ceramics Margit Kovacs— here you can see the works of its founder, ceramics master Margit Kovacs.
Address: 2000 Szentendre, Vastagh György u. 1
Open every day from 10.00 – 18.00
Entrance fee – 1000 Ft.
How to get there
The fastest way to get from Budapest to Szentendre is by commuter bus, which runs from Batthyany ter station approximately every 20 minutes.
Buses run from the bus station (metro station Újpest-Városkapu).
But the most beautiful way is the one that comes from Vigadó tér Square.
Restaurants in Szentendre are located along the tourist routes. What I remember is an Italian restaurant where only pasta is on the menu. Located near Belgrade Cathedral. We wanted to come in, but there were no empty seats. We saw a restaurant serving Greek cuisine in a traditional Greek design.We chose a restaurant for lunch by chance - we saw that there was a free table and went in. It turned out that the restaurant is very famous, operating since the first half of the 18th century. Here we ordered local beer, wine and of course - Hungarian goulash. The goulash was brought in a hanging pot with a ladle. And I gave this goulash 10 out of 10 possible points. I know everything about gluttony, but, I confess, I ordered another portion of this delicacy.
Hungarian goulash always makes you thirsty, water is free, please...
Especially for Alexandra, full-length photo...You can wash your face at the same time...
Marzipan Museum in Szentendre
There are as many as five marzipan museums in Hungary. But in Szentendre he is the most famous. This Museum is listed among the attractions of both Hungary and Szentendre. Here is a photo of the Museum from the street.It is also called the Marzipan Gallery. It was opened relatively recently, in 1994, by a Hungarian confectioner. Even during the war years, this same confectioner emigrated first to Austria, and then to the east, to Lebanon, where he learned to make this sweet. Then the pastry chef returned to Hungary and opened the Marzipan Museum in Szentendre.
Marzipan is, quite simply, a plastic mixture of powdered sugar and nut crumbs. The roots of marzipan are from ancient Persia. And in Italian Venice, marzipan was called bread; they even made sweet pizza from it. The spread of marzipan in the world was so great that even in the world there were traditional recipes for making it. In the museum's exhibition, various figures and even sculptures are made (or molded) from marzipan mass. For example, a royal carriage, busts of Hungarian rulers from different times, fairy-tale characters different sizes, Michael Jackson and Lady Diana in full length. At the entrance to the museum there are small welcome pieces of marzipan, and there is a cafe nearby where you can buy marzipan sweets. By the way, visiting the museum costs a little more than €1.5.
Szentendre is all about museums. Well, here's an example. We had lunch in a restaurant, in an open area. When I went inside and went downstairs to wash my hands, I saw this picture. It turns out that in the basement of the restaurant there was a wine museum.
There is a public transport museum next to the train station. There is a museum of retro cars, displaying exhibits of a bygone era, the legacy of the Soviet Hungarian past.
When we walked around the city we saw the Soviet heritage...
Several Orthodox churches were built in Szentendre. Belgrade Cathedral or Saborna is the temple with the tallest tower in the city, almost fifty meters.
Photo from the water... Best seen...
The Church of St. Michael the Archangel is located across the bridge on the road to the railway station. The Church of the Annunciation was built with the money of Greek settlers; they were successful traders. Refugees from Greece arrived in Szentendre during the Turkish rule, which lasted about four hundred years. The churches in Szentendre somehow incomprehensibly work; one allowed only tourists from a certain group into the church, the other was closed altogether.Here is the entrance next to the artist, we didn’t get into the church, but we looked at the paintings.
We walked around Szentendre for quite a long time, a very beautiful town.
You can also eat burgers, I don’t have any strength left after the goulash
On my first visit to Hungary, I visited a wonderful town near the capital of Hungary, Budapest, Szentendre. This was just a short visit as part of a tour of the Danube Bend. The romantic city of artists fell into my soul and I promised myself to return. 11 years have passed and I have fulfilled my promise. When I was choosing a hotel in Hungary along the route, I remembered Szentendre, dear to my heart. This town is located just 20 km from Budapest and is named after St. Andrew.
The flourishing of the city was ensured by artists who introduced it to the general public at the beginning of the 20th century, opening their workshops and galleries here. You can still find artists on the streets of the city selling their creations or ready to paint your portrait.
There are also many art galleries and museums.
In the evenings there are live music concerts and other interesting events.
How to get to Szentendre
You will most likely arrive in Hungary by plane to Budapest Airport. Cheap tickets Moscow - Budapest.
The easiest way to visit Szentendre is to take one of the most popular excursions from Budapest along the Danube Bend to the cities of Esztergom, Vysehrad and Szentendre.
How to get from Budapest to Szentendre on your own
You can also get from Budapest to Szentendre by train: suburban HEV trains (designated H5) depart from Batthyány tér station on the red line of the capital’s metro. Depending on the time of day, departures occur every 10-30 minutes, travel time to Szentendre is about 40 minutes. That is, you can arrive by metro and, without going outside, go to the platform from which electric trains (green trains) leave. You can plan your trip on the Budapest public transport website.
You can also take a bus that departs from Budapest Újpest-Városkapu bus station (blue metro line), the journey takes 25-30 minutes.
The most beautiful and romantic way to get to Szentendre is to sail here by boat. True, ships ply along the Danube only starting at the end of April. They depart from Vigadó tér Square and make a stop along the way near Batthyány tér. Travel time is 1.5 hours. One way price is 2310 forints, round trip - 3470 forints.
You can get to Sentender by car, as we did. The distance from Budapest to Szentender is 20 km.
By car in Hungary
I chose the very nice Bükkös Hotel & Spa in Szentendre with a spa center almost in the very center of the city, with a nice price of 65 euros per night with breakfast.
Our hotel:
We really liked the room:
In the morning we went to the spa center, where it was just the two of us. Breakfast at the hotel is also very good. The only negative is that the parking offered by the hotel is paid only. So we left the car on the street until the morning, while parking in the city center is free. You can read about this on the parking meter, and local residents confirmed it to us.
Overall, the review of the Bükkös Hotel & Spa in Szentendre is excellent, we recommend it to everyone.
What to see in Szentendre and attractions
Night Szentendre
In order to get to know the city better, I advise you to spend at least a night here. To walk along the Danube embankment in the evening, sit with a glass of wine in a restaurant, or listen to an open-air concert.
Plunge into the magical atmosphere of this cozy city:
Streets of Szentendre
On a summer morning, don’t stay at the hotel and take a cool walk around the city before breakfast, look at the cozy streets of Szentendre without crowds of tourists:
Bright houses:
You will see how local residents open their shops, cafes and restaurants. The guys are carrying a sofa for the summer cafe:
And these guys are probably just fooling around:
And here they are preparing the equipment and stage for the concert:
And, of course, earlier in the morning - best time for photo sessions:
In summer there are a lot of people on the city streets flowering plants, and in winter you can see Christmas decorations.
Interesting composition of keys:
Morning cat:
Unknown animal:
Embankment
It's nice to walk or ride a bike here.
There is such a funny fountain on the Danube embankment:
Ancient building under reconstruction:
Szentendre Museums
But what attracts tourists to this city, besides cozy streets and tiled roofs? There are a lot of interesting museums here.
Marzipan Museum
Back in 2006, we visited this museum with a friend:
Marzipan is a sweet made from almonds and sugar syrup. Hungary is one of the countries that claims to be the birthplace of marzipan. We looked at the luxurious cakes and marzipan figures, watched how this sweet is made and bought ourselves some sweet souvenirs.
Museum address: Dumtsa Jenő u. 12-14. Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 18:00. Entrance fee: 500 forints.
Museum of Ceramics Margit Kovacs
Famous ceramic artist and sculptor Margit Kovacs for a long time lived in Szentendre, since 1973 there has been a museum of her works - Kovács Margit Kerámiamúzeum. Currently, it has 11 exhibition halls. Connoisseurs of art, especially ceramics and avant-garde, will be pleased. Address: Vastagh Gyoergy utca 1. Opening hours: every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Entrance fee: 1000 forints.
Museum of Urban Transport
Városi Tömegközlekedési Múzeum or the museum of urban transport in Szentendre is located right next to the station where trains from Budapest arrive. There are exhibits on display here that once drove along city streets and carried passengers. Bus, trolleybuses and trams, as well as commuter modes of transport. Address: Dozsa Gyoergy ut 3. Opening hours: From April 1 to October 31 - from 10:00 to 17:00. IN winter time the museum is closed. Entrance fee: 350 forints. Permission for photo/video shooting - 500 forints.
Microminiature Museum
The Mikró Csodák Museum displays works of art by Ukrainian craftsman Mykola Syadristy, which are so miniature that they need to be viewed with a microscope. Address: Fő ter 18-19. Opening hours: from 09:00 to 18:00. Entrance fee: 700 forints.
Retro Museum
Retro lovers will definitely enjoy the museum. This is a great place to remember the past. The museum exhibits not only retro cars, including Soviet cars, but also many household items of that time, which until recently was a reality. Address: Rev utca 4. Opening hours: from 10:00 to 17:00. Entrance fee: 1000 forints.
Wine Museum
Nemzeti bormúzeum. We recommend that all lovers of red, white and rosé visit the wine cellar, where for a small fee the sommelier will conduct a tasting of 5-6 types of wine for you. You can then buy what you like. A walk through the cellar is included in the tasting price. There is also a restaurant here, prices are above average, the food is good. Address: Bogdanyi ut 10.
Ethnographic Museum "Skanzen"
It is believed that Skanzen (Szentendrei Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum) is the largest open-air ethnographic museum in Hungary. I noticed that the name is similar to the ethnographic museum in Stockholm Skansen. Once inside, you seem to be transported back in time and find yourself near the houses where Hungarian peasants once lived. Reconstructed not only appearance buildings, but also their interior decoration. I recommend visiting the museum for history buffs and simply curious tourists. In total, there are about 400 buildings on its territory, recreating the rural way of life of the inhabitants of Hungary in the 18th-19th centuries. The museum is so huge that it has its own railway. It was launched so that visitors could get acquainted with all the exhibits at Skanzen. Museum website.
Address: Sztaravodai út, but it’s easier to find the museum on the map by the name Szentendrei Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum. Opening hours: From 15 to 25 March from 10 to 16. During the summer season from 31 March to 4 November from 10 to 17. (closed on Monday). In winter, the museum is closed. Entrance fee: Adult - 2000 forints; students and pensioners - 1000 forints, children under 18 years old - 700 forints. Train travel along Skansen costs 500 forints. Bicycle rental (per day) - 600 forints. Scooter rental (per day) - 600 forints. Parking at the museum costs 800 forints (for the whole day).
Szentendre is a small town, but very cozy and interesting, with old streets and tiled roofs. It was founded back in the 11th century on the site of an ancient Roman fortress.
After the Turkish invasion razed Szentendre to the ground, the city was rebuilt by Serbian refugees, thanks to whom orthodox churches- today they have become one of the main attractions of the city. In addition to Serbs and Hungarians, Greeks and Romanians, as well as Germans, lived here.
The prosperous city attracted many artisans and merchants (some old trading houses still have shops here today), but then somewhat lost its economic importance.
Its new heyday came at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when artists began to settle in the picturesque town - it was they who created Szentendre’s reputation, which still attracts tourists today. Moreover, getting here from Budapest is easy - buses and trains go to the city, travel time is about 30-40 minutes.
This small square is located almost in the very center of the historical part of the city. The Plague Column was installed on it in 1752, which is interesting from an architectural point of view because it is crowned orthodox cross Lazarus.
Near the square is the famous Church of the Annunciation, built in the Rococo style. On the square itself there are several interesting art museums, including the Ferenczi Museum and the Museum of Lajos Vajda, a graphic artist, one of the founders of Hungarian avant-garde art.
This is Serbian Orthodox church, which is literally located on Fe-tyr Square. The church is relatively small, but very beautiful, mainly in the Baroque style. In front of the church there is a beautiful fountain with a sheep, symbolizing the resurrection of Christ.
Belgrade Cathedral (Saborna)
This is the tallest temple in the city, built more than two centuries ago. The height of its tower is 48 meters. It is worth visiting the church for the rich interior decoration.
Location: Alkotmany u.
This is the oldest religious building in the city, which has been rebuilt and reconstructed more than once (most recently in the early 1990s). Opens from the temple walls great view to the city.
Location: Templom ter.
Many tourists are most attracted not by art museums, but by the marzipan museum. There are five of them in Hungary, but the one that opened in Szentendre in 1994 is considered the best. There are many marzipan sculptures on display here - a large figure of the Chocolate Lady from the famous painting, sculptures depicting Princess Dianra and Michael Jackson, a model of the Parliament building in Budapest.
There is a room where lace and openwork napkins are made from marzipan. The museum itself is not very big, but interesting. Here you can watch the marzipan making process. The museum has a company store where you can buy these sweets.
Location: Dumtsa Jenő utsa 12.
As the name suggests, the museum is dedicated to the history of public transport in Hungary. It was opened in July 1992, and since then it has been popular with both residents of the capital and tourists. It has five halls and an open area. Here you can meet the most different types historic vehicles including vintage trams and trains.
In total, about 60 such vehicles are presented, as well as many of their models, collections of tickets, tools and infrastructure elements like various types rails Unfortunately, there is no excursion as such; you will have to get acquainted with all the exhibits on your own.
Location: Dozsa Gyoergy ut 3.
Szentendre is often called the city of craftsmen and artists. And in many ways this is true. At one time, many famous Hungarian artists lived and worked here, including Károly Ferenczi. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, he became one of the founders of a new movement in Hungarian painting, in which much attention was paid to decorative motifs.
In Szentendre, Károly Ferenczi had a son, Beni, who also became a famous artist. The Ferenczi Museum, opened in 1951, has a very rich exhibition, including works by both artists.
Location: Fő ter 2-5.
The Christmas Toy Museum and Shop is a holiday atmosphere that you can enjoy throughout the year. The museum is relatively small, it only has a few halls, but it has a fairly rich collection of Christmas tree decorations, Christmas scenes and handmade miniatures.
The toys, from a collector's point of view, are perhaps not very valuable - mostly from the mid-19th century, and jewelry made in the 20th century is widely represented. There is even a small exhibition of Soviet Christmas tree decorations. On the walls there are stands with Christmas greeting cards from different years. The advantage of the museum-shop is that most of The toys displayed here can be purchased.
Location: Fiastyuk utca - 9.
Hungary is a country of winemakers, and, of course, it is interesting to visit the National Museum of Wine and Palenque, where visitors are introduced to elite varieties of wine collected from all regions of the country.
Since even in such a relatively small country, each region has unique landscape and climatic features, the exhibition in the museum is very diverse. The price of a ticket to the museum also includes the price of a tasting. Here you can buy a bottle of wine - then the excursion will be free.
Location: Bogdanyi ut 10.
The Mikró Csodák Museum presents a stunning collection of works by Ukrainian artist Nikolai Syadristy, who, like the legendary Lefty, managed to shoe a flea, or, more precisely, creates works so miniature that they can only be seen through a microscope.
The works of this master are exhibited in several museums around the world - part of the collection is in the artist’s homeland, in Kiev, part in Moscow, another part in Andorra, but a significant part of the works are exhibited in this unique museum in Szentendre (and there are only a few museums in the world microminiatures).
Location: Fő ter 18-19.
Margit Kovács is a famous Hungarian ceramic artist and sculptor who became famous for her then-revolutionary use of the potter's wheel to create large-scale sculptural compositions.
She lived and worked in Szentendre, and a museum of her work was opened here in 1973, which invariably attracts the attention of avant-garde lovers. A very rich collection is presented in 11 exhibition halls.
Location: Vastagh Gyoergy utca - 1.
Ethnographic open-air museum "Skansen"
This is a very interesting ethnographic museum, the largest in the country. Many people believe that it is located somewhere far outside the city, but in fact it is only a few kilometers from the historical center, while administratively it is still within the city limits. Museum visitors can see more than 240 various buildings, studying various utensils and household items.
In the museum you can observe the processes of making ceramic dishes, traditional carpets and even soap. The museum area is large, and it is worth using the museum railway, although you will have to pay for the ticket separately.
Location: Sztaravjdai ut.
What else can you see in Szentendre?
It's amazing how many museums and interesting antique shops there actually are in such a small town! For example, those with a sweet tooth should also visit the Dobos Museum-Confectionery, where they prepare this famous Hungarian cake with chocolate cream according to the recipe of its creator József Dobos. You can stop by the fabric store Kovács Kékfestő - a company specializing in the production of blue printed fabrics that made Szentendre famous two centuries ago. It's almost as interesting as being in an art museum. However, museums in Szentendre are literally at every turn. Even in the public toilet there is an exhibition of antique night vases.
