Szentendre Attractions

This small town on the hilly right bank of the Danube about 20km (12mi.) north of Budapest is one of the most popular destinations for people from the capital. The individual character of this lovingly restored Old Town with its narrow streets and picturesque views of the Danube was shaped in the 18th C by the immigrant Serbs whose culture, religion, traditions and above all building methods left their mark on the town. At the beginning of the 20th C numerous artists were attracted to this charming little town by the river and many still are today. Small museums and galleries invite the visitor to inspect their work and there is no shortage of souvenir shops selling folk art. During the summer months the town is full of countless tourists.

Transport

Szentendre is linked to Budapest by the suburban train HÉV. In summer boats operate between the Budapest mooring post Vigadó tér and Szentendre. The center of the town is closed to traffic and the sights can easily be reached on foot.

History

The origins of this settlement go back to the 4th C when the Celts were present here. The Romans established a military camp on the banks of the Bükkös stream in the 1st C and called it Ulcisia Castra (Wolfsburg). The conquering Magyars were also taken with the location and settled here. The settlement was first officially documented as "Sanctus Andreas" in 1146 under possession of the bishop of Veszprém. From the 14th C several waves of Greek Orthodox Serbs came to Szentendre, fleeing to escape the Turks. For Szentendre Turkish rule was also synonymous with population losses, migration and devastation. As the Turks had withdrawn from Hungary, but not from the Balkans, at the end of the 17th C many Serbs, who had fought on the side of the Habsburgs, fled to the Hungarian lands. In Szentendre 6000 refugees alone settled, most of them craftsmen and merchants. Through their busy trade the town flourished in the 18th C. Outward signs of this prosperity are the Baroque churches (seven in total), instead of wooden ones, dominating the skyline with their silhouettes. The town became the religious and cultural center of the Hungarian Serbs and seat of the Greek Orthodox bishopric. Epidemics, including the devastating vine pest in 1880, and floods retarded the development of Szentendre in the 19th C. At the beginning of the 20th C painters, sculptors and designers discovered this small town, untouched by industrialization, thereby encouraging tourist development in Szentendre.