Danube Bend Tour
Danube Bend tour takes 7 hours.
Visiting only Szentendre takes 3 hours.
This region, north of Budapest, has been the scene of important events in the history of Hungary. Breathtaking natural scenery, historical and artistic treasures and thriving folklore are the main attractions of the Danube Bend. Here the river is forced between the hills and turns to the South. From the hilltops magnificent landscape unfolds itself before you. This beautiful land, the center of medieval Hungary, still offers an abundance of historical artifacts and monuments.
The tour includes visiting Szentendre and Visegrad.
Szentendre, with its colorful houses, narrow alleys, and dozens of museums and galleries, is the most frequently visited tourist center along the Danube. This Mediterranean-like town was the home of Serbs who fled from the Turks and settled here in the 14th-17th centuries. For the tourist who is looking for nostalgia, there are: various shops, cozy restaurants, old shop signs, the ancient buildings of the Main Square and a not long ago opened small synagogue. Szentendre is considered an outstanding center of art in Hungary. Besides exploring great art museums, visitors should not miss the unique Marzipan Museum featuring fantasies made of marzipan. Another curiosity is the Open-air Ethnographic Museum – Skanzen, which is 2 miles from the center of the town. It is the largest ethnographic collection in Hungary with 340 buildings in 10 sections. Folk monuments worth preserving have been transported here from all over the country where demonstrations of folk handicrafts are often held on the weekends in the summer.
In the Roman times, there had been a military camp in the present-day territory of Visegrad whose remains were used by the conquering Hungarians to build a fortified castle here in the 13th century. Throughout the medieval centuries, Visegrad developed into a major stronghold of Hungarian kings. The Hungarian coronation jewels were kept in the castle for a long time, and Visegrad became the capital of the country in the 14th century. Today visitors can discover the former royal castle, enjoying the fascinating view over the Danube Valley. It is also worth visiting the nearby the Solomon Tower built in the 13th century, which is among the oldest and most intact Romanesque style dwelling towers of Central Europe.