Why You Should Visit Szentendre (Hungary)

Europe is most certainly full of quaint and picturesque cities. That said, Szentendre is beyond charming. So much so, it attracts artists whose works are freely installed outside for public viewing, and young people who like strolling throughout the twisty cobbled streets, taking in a café or an ice cream at a parlor. 

Let's explore why Szentendre deserves to be seen if you're planning to stay for a bit in Budapest. 

Where is Szentendre? 

Source: Google Maps

Szentendre is roughly 40 minutes north by train or car from Budapest. It is situated along the Danube river. There are a variety of ways to get there, the cheapest being the bus which costs approximately $1 CAD (Rome2Rio, n.d.). Other, possibly more fun options from Budapest to Szentendre include: 

• the suburban HEV train on the Metro red line from Batthyány tér station, or 
• boarding a boat at either Vigadó square or Batthyány square (Szentendre: Wikitravel, 2019). 

Szentendre's small population of less than 30,000 also makes it safe, ideal for cycling or walking around, and something that can be completed as a day trip from Budapest. 

More About Szentendre

Meaning Saint Andrew (Szentendre, 2019), the town was settled by Serbians who fled Turkish occupation in the 17th century (Tripadvisor, 2021). Szentendre rests along the Danube river, has several Orthodox Serbian churches in baroque style, museums (both indoor & outdoor), artist colonies, and has been described as 'Mediterranean-like' due to its colorful shop fronts and its hilly lanes (Szentendre, 2019).

City map of Szentendre with points of interest listed (click to expand).

 

What Should I Do in Szentendre?

Walking or cycling the town is recommended, as the small layout makes it ideal for slow tourism. It's best to start from the main street or square, and then venture outwards. For those looking for more ideas, travel writer Orfhlaith Kearney of Culture Trip (2017) has compiled a very nice top 10 list of places to check out in Szentendre. 

Main square in Szentendre. 

How I Spent a Half Day in Szentendre

One activity I booked in advance of my arrival to Szentendre was a cooking demonstration and lunch. While waiting for the chef to begin, we were treated to a glass of lemon squash. 

 

My refreshing glass of lemon squash.

I'm not much of a cook, but I enjoy sampling all kinds of different foods and am curious to see how things are made. This cooking demonstration was of Hungary's most famous dish - goulash. Goulash is similar to beef stew; ingredients include onions, paprika, sweet peppers and tomatoes. It can be served with bread, pasta or potatoes (The Bossy Kitchen, 2021).

During my trip, I ate quite a bit of goulash with bread or potatoes and some pickles on the side. If you're curious and want to make it yourself, you can find an authentic recipe for Hungarian Goulash on the blog, The Bossy Kitchen. 

I think the chef and translator were totally flirting with each other. 

During the demonstration, the smell was tantalizing and my mouth was watering by the end. Finally, lunch was served of the aforementioned goulash, along with bread and a small pastry. 

The freshly prepared goulash. 

Cannot recall what was inside pasty due to eating it so quickly. 

With lunch complete, I was now free to venture off and explore more of Szentendre. I gathered my things and took off on foot, stopping only when I found something of interest, or in the case below, rather funny.

The Holy Cow Burger restaurant entrance board. Eating here is a...blessing? LOL 

Passing by one outdoor café, I spied an unusual customer - and one who likely skipped out on his bill - a ginger cat, curled up in a patch of sunshine. 

Hungarian cats strikingly similar to Canadian cats - lazy AF. 

Moving along the cobbled streets, I spied a path going up in a spiral. I followed it up to a rooftop/hilltop park which offered a good view of the church in the main square.

How it started (climbing) ...

... How it ended (with a beautiful view). 

I also came across an alleyway that looked remarkedly similar to alleys one might see in Kyoto or Matsumoto (Japan). I set up my camera on the ground and took a self portrait.

Self portrait.

I finally made my way to the Danube river where there was a wonderful walking/cycling pathway along its edge. This was perhaps my favorite view from the day; I noticed a lot more people strolling along the river taking in the fine weather. It seemed to me that Szentendre made a great spot for those wanting to get away from the busier pace of Budapest. 

I had to return to the meeting point to catch a bus back to the city. The waiting spot was situated along a path next to a more modern church. The narrow concrete tower (below) made quite an interesting contrast to the red tiled house next door. It would be my final photo before heading back to Budapest for the evening.

I hope you enjoyed photos and stories from Szentendre Hungary. The next blog post will feature more sights within Budapest. I hope you'll return next week. 

All photos by Cutenekko taken on a Huawei P10 Lite. 

Travel Information:

Szentendre, Hungary - Tourism site from Budapest.com.

When to Visit:

Spring and Fall are ideal times due to being off-peak season and milder temperatures. During summer, avoiding weekends may be best to avoid crowds of locals from the city.  

 

Resources Cited:  

• Explore Szentendre. (2021). Tripadvisor. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from URL. 
• Kearney, O. (2017, April 12). The top 10 things to see and do in Szentendre, Hungary. Culture Trip. URL. 
• Hungarian goulash. (2021, March 11). The Bossy Kitchen. Retrieved October 24, 2021 from URL.
• Rome2Rio.com. (n.d.). Budapest to Szentendre. URL. 
• Szentendre. (2019, April 24). In Wikitravel. URL. 

Been to Szentendre? Got info you'd like to share? Please drop a comment below. I would love to hear from you.