Szentendere is one of my favourite cities in Hungary. It is situated 20 km away from Budapest on the riverside of Danube. The history of this multicultural and artistic town goes back to ancient times. First the Illyrians and Celts, later the Romans settled down and established a fortress here. In the 9th century, Hungarian tribes arrived here. Ca. 700 years later, during the Ottoman occupation the settlement was destroyed. After the turks have left the town was rebuilt when Serb, Dalmatian and Greek refugees came to live in Szentendre. The new houses were built in the architectural styles of their homelands, creating a Mediterranean atmosphere which is still present in Szentendre today. Later, German and Slovakian citizens also arrived to the town.
The Szentendre Artist Colony was founded in 1929 by the Szentender Artists' Association. Many artists, poets, actors, painters and sculptors moved to Szentendre. The city remained an important centre of arts and many artists have museums and exhibitions here to this day.
Getting to Szentendre
You can reach the town by bicycle, car, commuter train (HÉV) and by water transportation too. I highly recommend walking along the Danube Promenade, where you can observe the beautiful nature and colourful houses of Szentendre.
I love the curvy, cobblestoned streets of Szentendre with it's lovely restaurants and cafés. There are a lot of things to do and see here. You can find several sights, museums, galleries, shops and churches.
Don't miss the Marzipan Museum, the National Wine Museum, the beautiful Serbian Churches, the Serbian Orthodox Ecclesiastic Art Collection or a good Lángos if you got hungry during the walk. Szentendre is waiting for you all year around!
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