Szentendre is a small town on the Danube River, 19 kilometers north of Budapest, Hungary. This charming little town, whose name means “Saint Andrew”, is known for its well-preserved houses and churches, many built in a Balkan style as the area was originally settled by Serb refugees. Today the town’s best-known inhabitants are artists and small galleries can be found on every street corner.
Where is Szentendre?
Szentendre is situated north of Budapest on the banks of the Danube River. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Budapest by car and approximately 40 minutes by suburban train. Home to roughly 20,000 residents, the town stretches from the west side of the Danube to the Pilis Mountains. Szentendre is a major tourist destination and is a common day-trip for travellers to Budapest. Its main attraction is the charming, Mediterranean-style architecture of the town centre.
Szentendre’s environment
Being located in the rain shadow of the Pilis Mountains, Szentendre has many sunny days. Hikers take to the Pilis Mountains, which reach 756 metres at Dobogókô. The forested hills and the Danube’s riparian areas are protected by the Duna-Ipoly National Park. Because of the pleasant weather and beautiful landscape, a great number of weekend houses have been built on the hillsides surrounding the town. The population of Szentendre triples during the holiday season due to the large number of vacationers. The vicinity of Szentendre is home to an indigenous, Ice-Age plant species, the Rose of Szentendre (Rosa Sancti Andrae).
This pleasant little town is very popular with both tourists and artists. It was founded in the 14th century by Serbian refugees who fled from the Turks. Although they struggled with invasians, they managed to hold on to their orthodox religion, as is testified by the many small orthodox churches still in Szentendre. After most of the Serbs moved away during the Habsburg era, the town lost it’s commercial importance and became just another quiet little town on the Danube. In the early 20th century, a group of pioneering young artists led the way for the many artist who live and work here until today.
Szentendre offers the visitor a relaxing day out. You can take a walk along the Danube, have something to eat in one of the small restaurants, stock up on your souvenirs, and visit a gallery or museum.
Szentendre, the town of artists
Painter – click to enlargeSzentendre is a town of arts and museums. It is home to the Hungarian open air museum, which exhibits the folklore architecture and culture of the Carpathian basin. The most visited museums of the town include the Margit Kovács Museum (pottery), the Serb Clerical Museum, the ArtMill exhibition centre for modern arts and a public transport train collection (near the HÉV station). There are a further 14 museums and art galleries acquainting visitors with the rich historical past and teeming artistic life of the town. It is not by chance that the quietness of the town and the proximity of the bustling metropolis of Budapest have drawn over one hundred artists here.
The history of Szentendre
Owing to its excellent geographical endowments, the town of Szentendre has been populated since the New Stone Age. It has been home to Illyrians, the Celtic Eraviscus tribe, Romans, Lombards, Avars and, of course, Hungarians. In the 17th Century, Serbian settlers came to the town and gave Szentendre its characteristic, Mediterranean-style architecture. The numerous churches in town reflect the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of Szentendre.
Just outside of Szentendre lies the open air ethnographical museum (Skanzen) which depicts Hungarian rural life in the 17th and 18th century. Various thatched cottages, mills and craft demonstrations can be seen all year through. In summer, you can partake in free wine tastings.
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