Esztergom is the sacred city of Hungary, located only 46 kilometers northwest from Budapest. Tourists can get here by train, departing from Nyugati palyaudvar (the west train station of Budapest) or by the mini-cruises / hydrofoils from Vigado ter. Boat trips are, however, available only between April the 1st and September the 23rd, whereas hydrofoils operate from May the 26th to September the 2nd.

The reason why the Hungarian people prizes the city to this extent is Saint Istvan was crowned here, Saint Itsvan being the first Christian king of Hungary, crowned in the year 1000. The city continued to be a royal seat for yet other 300 years, after which it was completely destroyed by the mongol invasions. Esztergom was rebuilt during the 18th and the 19th centuries, after the completion of the Ottoman occupation.

At present, the view of the Danube from Esztergom is overlooked by the huge Catholic Cathedral. The construction of the cathedral started under the Hungarian archbishop Sandor Rudnay in 1820, but it was completed after 40 years. Inside the cathedral, visitors can see the Bakocz chapel, built of red marble (designed by Florentine masters during the 16th century) and the Treasury (on the north part of the cathedral) which shelters the church’s assets that were salvaged from the original 12th century church, formerly built on the same site.

In order to get a deeper insight into what Esztergom means on the tourist map of Hungary, visit www.esztergom.hu

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