Esztergom: Basilica, Museums and City History

For a culturally focused trip, Esztergom offers a range of points of interest: church architecture, exhibitions, archaeological remains and traces of history. Local examples range from the basilica and museums to a walk with a named destination.

Churches and architectural features

The Esztergom Basilica is Hungary’s largest church building. From the crypt level to the finial of the dome, it measures 100 metres. Inside the basilica, the Panorámaterem sequence of rooms hosts exhibitions, discussions, lectures, concerts and children’s programmes. The building and its rooms thus offer different points of interest for visitors interested in architecture or the activities held there.

Another architectural feature is Szent Anna Plébániatemplom, also known as Kerektemplom: its ground plan is completely circular, with a high central dome rising above the nave. The Esztergom Mosque, also known as the Özicseli-Hadzsi-Ibrahim Mosque, is a visible monument to Ottoman architecture on the banks of the Danube and is closely connected with Esztergom’s history. In Víziváros, the Loyolai-Szent-Ignác Church was consecrated in 1738 by Bishop Mihály Althann of Vác.

Collections and archaeological insights

The permanent Vízeum exhibition at the Duna Múzeum explores the past and present of water management. The permanent exhibition at the Balassa Bálint Museum covers a different time span: it deals with the history of Esztergom and its surroundings from prehistoric times to the 20th century. The development of water management and the history of the town and its surroundings thus offer distinct themes for a museum visit.

The Christian Museum’s collection is housed on the second floor of the Primate’s Palace in Esztergom. At the Esztergom Castle Museum, visitors can walk across a glass floor beneath which lie 2,000-year-old archaeological layers. The Castle Museum is a branch of the Hungarian National Museum. The collection in the Primate’s Palace and the glass floor at the Castle Museum thus offer two specific points of interest for visitors interested in collections or archaeological remains.

Walks and historical traces

On Szent Tamás-hegy, a walk along a seven-part Calvary staircase leads from the intersection of Batthyány Lajos utca and Basa utca to the Fájdalmas Szűz-kápolna. The starting point, seven stations and chapel mark the route and its destination. Visitors looking to plan a walk with a clearly named religious destination alongside their museum visits will find a different focus here.

Historical traces can also be grouped by theme. The Einczinger-sütőház was Esztergom’s oldest known bakery and occupied this house for more than 200 years. The history of crossings between Esztergom and Párkány dates back to Roman times. One subject leads to a historic bakery building, the other to a history of crossings linking the two places.

A twelve-metre-high sculpture by Miklós Melocco stands on the northern bastion of the Castle Hill. It depicts the coronation of Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary. A bronze bust of Queen Elisabeth of Hungary is located at the southern end of Erzsébet Park, at the bridgehead of the Kossuth Bridge. The two works represent different forms of depiction: Stephen’s coronation as a tall sculpture and Queen Elisabeth as a bust.

Discover more destinations: Mogyorósbánya, Tát, Dömös, Nyergesújfalu, Pilismarót, Kertvaros, Lábatlan.

Return to the main travel overview: Esztergomi.