Esztergom Basilica
Esztergomi bazilika
The largest church in Hungary and a centre of Catholicism. It stands on a hill above the Danube, and from the dome you can see across the river to Slovakia.
Esztergom lies about 50 kilometres northwest of Budapest. It was the coronation site of St. Stephen, Hungary's first king, and has been the seat of the Hungarian Catholic archdiocese for a thousand years. The basilica was completed in 1869 and is the largest church in the country. Its giant dome rises about 100 metres high. Inside is one of the largest single canvas altarpieces in the world, along with the Renaissance Bakócz Chapel. For a fee, you can visit the treasury and the crypt, and climb to the dome terrace for views over the Danube and the Maria Valeria Bridge. Slovakia lies on the other side of the bridge. From Budapest, the journey by train or bus takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. It is often combined with Visegrád and Szentendre on a “Danube Bend” day trip.
Opening hours
About 08:00–18:00 (Dome and Treasury 09:00–17:00)
Nearby sights
- Visegrád Upper Castle
- Szentendre
- Aquincum
- Margaret Island
- Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum
- Fisherman's Bastion / Matthias Church
- Hungarian Parliament Building
- Shoes on the Danube Bank