World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Szentendre: Several waves of 19th-century Serbian refugees defined the character of this historic town on the Danube Bend, 19km (12 miles) from Budapest, with its incense-filled hilltop churches. A group of artists found the Serb-abandoned Szentendre in 1920s, liked what they saw and formed a colony there. Serbian churches include Blagovestenska Church, which looks on to the town’s main square, as well as the spectacular Belgrade Cathedral, next to the Museum of Serbian Church Art (entrance is on Pátriáka utca). The Margit Kovács Museum, Vastagh Gy utca 1, displays the works of Hungary’s best-known ceramist, while the Barcsay Collection, Dumtsa Jeno utca 10, exhibits the abstract paintings of one of the founders of the artistic colony.

The important Hungarian Open-Air Ethnographical Museum (Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum), Svtaravodai út (tel: (26) 502 500; website: www.sznm.hu), charts Hungarian village life over three centuries. The village museum (skanzen) includes houses, mills and towers from all over Hungary. Guided tours in English are available. Hourly buses travel the 3km (2 miles) from Szentendre’s HÉV train terminal at Szabadságforrás út to the museum, taking 20 minutes in the morning and 40 minutes (a different route) in the afternoon.

Szentendre also has a new modern arts centre, a renovated 19th-century sawmill, Muveszet Malom (Art Mill), Bogdanyi utca 32 (tel: (26) 301 701). The exhibition hall displays graphics, paintings, sculptures and pieces of applied arts from local artists and artists connected to Szentendre. Once the investment project is complete, the building will be one of the most important art centres of Eastern-Central-Europe.

Tourinform has offices in Szentendre, Dumtsa Jeno utca 22 (tel: (26) 317 966; website: www.szentendre.hu), and provide a free map and tourist information on request. HÉV trains take 45 minutes from Batthyány tér station to Szentendre. There are also two boats a day, operated by MAHART (tel: (01) 484 4013; website: www.mahartpassnave.hu). Buses also run from Volánbusz take 30 minutes.

For a Whole Day

Lake Balaton: The Lake Balaton region, romantically known as the Hungarian Sea, is possibly the most popular tourist attraction of Central and Western Europe. Its water is only waist height, except for the Tihany Well in the north, where it reaches its deepest point of 13m (43ft). Activities centre on the water and include sailing, windsurfing and fishing for eels or fogas – the perch-pike unique to Lake Balaton, best enjoyed with wine from the nearby Badacsony Hills. The Tihany Peninsula, declared a national park in 1952, is one of the quietest spots in the region. The Baroque Abbey Church, standing on the hill in Tihany village, once housed the first written relic of Hungarian – King András I’s deed for the foundation of the church that originally stood on this site. The major resort in the north is Balatonfüred, known since Roman times for the curative power of its waters. The lakeside resort of Keszthely has a relaxed atmosphere and the large Baroque Festetics Palace, situated in lovely grounds.

Tourinform has offices in Balantonfüred, Petofi Sandor utca 8 (tel: (87) 580 480; website: www.balatonfured.hu), and provides further information. Approximately 120km (75 miles) southwest of Budapest, Balatonfüred can be reached by train from Déli pályaudvar in Budapest or by bus from Budapest’s Erzsébet tér. Useful information is published online (website: www.balaton.net and www.balatonregio.hu).