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Esztergom's Basilica is the biggest church in Hungary, and one of the biggest churches in the world. In fact, at over 100m, it's the tallest building in Hungary too. It's wider than it is tall, however, and it's just plain enormous. Sitting as it does on a rocky outcrop above the Danube, with the tiny houses of Esztergom scattered at its feet, the Basilica looks even bigger than it is. It would be a major attraction in any city in the world, but here it is possibly more important than the town itself.
It's vast size can be appreciated from all over the town, but you only really understand the perspective when you get close up. The doors and arches which appear like they may be human sized from a distance, turn out to be many storeys tall when you get near them. The huge cupola on top also allows in a great deal of light, which shows off the lavish detail of the interior in a fantastic heavenly light.
The interior of the Basilica is divided up into various parts. The central nave underneath the dome is free to enter. To enter the Egyptian style vault where the Archbishops rest costs about two euros to enter, the belltower another euro, and to walk up to the cupola itself is another two euros. There's also the museum by the main entrance which shows off the treasure the church has collected over the years. Leave a Comment
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 View of the Cathedral from the
Danube by aramat
The construction of the building took more than 45 years, from 1822 to 1869. Inside the classicist cathedral, you can visit the 16th century Bakocz Chapel, a beautiful work of renaissance architecture, saved from the original medieval church.
The Hungarian archbishops, among them the martyr Cardinal Mindszenty, are buried in the crypt of the cathedral. Leave a Comment Address: Szent Istvan ter 1., EsztergomPhone: +36 33 402354Directions: In the town centre, on Castle Hill (you can't miss it)Website: http://www.bazilika-esztergom.hu Other Contact: mail@bazilika-esztergom.hu
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For nearly fifty years the two towns of Esztergom and Sturuvo have been separated on either side of the Danube, one Hungarian the other Slovakian. The split happened at the end of World War 2, when retreating German troops blew up the bridge connecting the two communities. It was rebuilt in 2001 with the help of EU funding, as part of the two countries preparations for joining the club. The bridge is now busy again with people and cars, as the two two communities can now easily mingle and work together.
The bridge is a sight in itself, sitting grandly over the Danube, but it's best value to tourists is that it allows you to cross easily to Slovakia. For those wanting to get the perfect view of Esztergom and its Basilica, this best views are from the Slovakian side of the bridge. For those shallow people, like me, who just want to tick another country off their list, then you can add Slovakia with a ten minute walk from Estzergom. Remember that you can cross into Slovakia without a passport, but if you want to exit the bridge and enter Sturovo, you will need one.
I don't know if this is a year long problem, but when I crossed the bridge I found myself being assailed by sticky threads of spider webs dangling from the iron girders above. Thankfully I didn't find any spiders attached to the webs. Leave a Comment
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Next to the Parish Church stands the large Baroque building of the Primate's Palace. This was built in 1882, and is now home to the Christian Museum, which houses a famous collection of religious art, including a Virgin Mary statue from the 11th century. Leave a Comment Address: Berenyi Zsigmond utca 2Directions: Underneath the Basilica by the Danube.
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 The Cathedral in
Esztergom Castle by aramatLeave a Comment Address: Szent Istvan ter 1., EsztergomPhone: +36 33 402354Directions: Inside the Cathedral.Website: http://www.bazilika-esztergom.hu Other Contact: mail@bazilika-esztergom.hu
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A very obvious sight when arriving in the town from the train station is the Classicist St. Anne's Church. The great yellow building, with its grand cupola, can be seen from many parts of the town. It's quite distinctive, and features on much of the town's tourist literature. Leave a Comment Directions: Follow Kossuth Lajos utca out of town, and it is found in between the Tati and Kiss Janos altabornagy utcas, as the street splits in two.
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The river Danube, as it passes by Esztergom, is wide and slow. When I was there the air was warm and a little damp, creating an ethereal haze over the languid waters. This gave the river an almost dreamlike quality, and it was very calming to stand on the water's edge and watch the boats punt out into the middle of the Danube. Leave a Comment
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Watertown (or Vizivaros) is the beautifully quaint ramshackle old part of the town that sits underneath the Basilica along the Danube waterfront. It's two most prominent buildings are the twin spired Parish Church and the Primate's Palace next to it, but the collection of little houses that fill the narrow streets below the Basilica are also very pleasant.
When I was in the town, the was major renovation work being conducted on the streets of Watertown, so everything was dug up. With all the pavement and tarmac removed, it looked like how I imagined it would have done when this part of the town was originally constructed. If it wasn't for the workers, their vehicles, and the drainage tubes lying about, the scene would have been perfect. Leave a Comment Directions: Between the Basilica and the Danube.
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 Serbian Othodox Church by antistarLeave a Comment Address: Kossuth Lajos utca 60
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 Maria Valeria Bridge by aramat
Originally built in 1895, it was named after a Hapsbourg princess, daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph. The bridge was partly destroyed by the retreating Germans in 1944 and it took more than 50 years to have it rebuilt. After the reconstruction, it was opened in 2001 and I think it's also a symbol of a common future for the two countries, especially now that both Slovakia and Hungary are EU members, so the border between the two countries will eventually disappear. Leave a Comment Address: EsztergomDirections: On the River Danube
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