The Danube Bend Attractions
Szentendre main square © Wikimedia Commons
Szentendre
Szentendre, 'The Pearl of the Danube Bend', is a quaint old
market town situated on the slopes of the Pilis range, with a charm
and character of its own. Meandering cobbled lanes, little squares,
red-tiled roofs, brightly painted houses, and awkwardly positioned
Orthodox churches give it an artistically picturesque setting.
Serbian refugees inhabited the town in medieval times and their
style contributed to the charisma of the town's haphazard structure
and Balkan flavour. Numerous Serbian churches add to the collection
of historical buildings. In the 1900s the town became a favourite
retreat for painters and sculptors and ever since it has been known
for its art and artists, resulting in a wealth of museums and art
collections scattered among the tourist souvenir and handicraft
shops. Being close to Budapest, the town has become one of the
hotspots of tourism, and summer weekends can get rather
overcrowded.
Transport: Trains run every 10 to 30 minutes from Batthyány tér in Budapest to Szentendre. Tickets cost 500Ft and the journey takes 45 minutes. Buses to Szentendre leave from Árpád híd bus station in Budapest ever 20 minutes to an hour. Tickets cost 164FT. It is also possible to catch a boat from Vigadó tér in Budapest to Szentendre for 900Ft return
