Szentendre

Szentendre is located at the right bank of the Danube river, opposite to the Szentendrei-island. The settlement owes its name to the church founded on the Castle Hill (Várdomb) in the honour of Saint Andrew. It can be quickly reached from the capital by car, coach and suburban train, and is also frequented by sightseeing and pleasure cruises. In the eastern part of the settlement lying in fascinating natural surroundings, hills and mountains dominate the landscape. By virtue of its art colonies, museums and galleries, Szentendre is reckoned as the city of living fine arts. Probably nowhere outside Budapest can be found such a great number of museums and exhibition halls then in Szentendre.

The development of the settlement thriving during the middle ages was halted for an extended period by the Turkish thraldom. The inhabitants of the town fled to the Szentendrei-island from the successive battling, thus Szentendre was practically completely abandoned by the late 1500s. At the end of the 17th century, at the time of the expulsion of the Turkish, six thousand Serbs arriving from Nándorfehérvár and the surrounding area were granted residence permit in the settlement. People from the same village held together in the new home as well, building their own churches and naming them after their native villages. Apart from the Serbs, families of Hungarian, Greek, Dalmatian and German origin moved here, thereby creating an extraordinary mosaic settlement where nationalities from the same region settled in groups, mostly around their own church. Commerce, vine-culture and crafts flourished in the 18th century, bringing wealth to village inhabitants. This is when most of the houses of the town centre were built. The development of the town in the 19th century stalled due to the domination of Budapest, but this is how the small-town, mediterranean atmosphere of the settlement with its baroque civil houses and cobblestone streets could be preserved.

The most visited tourist attraction is the Open Air Museum (Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum), which presents folk architecture of Hungary split into regions (e.g. Upper Tisza region (Felső-Tiszavidék, Bakony, Tokaj-hegyalja). The buildings relocated from their original site are equipped with authentic furniture and household utensils, demonstrating the housing conditions, farming and lifestyle of the period from the mid-18th century until the early 20th century. The longest museum train of Europe (2.2 km) can also be found here. The wheelchair accessible train is hauled by a Ganz-Jendrassik locomotive, which is considered an industrial monument.

The Ferenczy Museum located on the Main Square (Fő tér) was founded in 1951. Károly Ferenczy, whose name is borne by the museum, lived a few years in Szentendre at the end of the 19th century and had a great role that the attention of the contemporary artists focused on the town. The museum exhibits the prominent masterpieces of five members of the Ferenczy family. Various collections and exhibition halls are managed by the institution, which are scattered all over the town. To name a few, we can find remembrance fine art exhibitions, public transportation museum, gastronomical museum and Serbian religious museum in the settlement.

The Pap-island can be reached north from the city centre, along route 11. This tiny island is an ancient park, where beach, swimming pool and various sports facilities (e.g. rowing, water-ski, rope course) await the visitors. Accommodation of various comfort levels can be found here from camping to pensions and motels. The island is an excellent starting point of water and land excursions. Further information on other outdoor programs and cultural events available in Szentendre can be obtained in the Tourinform office located in Dumtsa Jenő street.

Sources: Dr. Dénes György: Budapest és a Dunakanyar. Carthographia, Budapest. 2001, http://www.szentendre.hu/, http://hu.wikipedia.org/, http://skanzen.hu/