Esztergom Basilica

Esztergom Basilica tickets: which one to buy

Esztergom Basilica stands on Castle Hill in the town of Esztergom, on the Danube, about an hour north of Budapest, Hungary, on the border with Slovakia, and entry to the basilica is free, while the treasury, the crypt, the dome and the panorama hall are ticketed. It is the largest church in Hungary and the seat of the Archbishop of Esztergom, the head of the Catholic Church in Hungary. The dome's viewing platform offers views over the Danube and Slovakia.

Esztergom is often visited on a Danube Bend tour from Budapest, combining it with the artists' town of Szentendre and the castle of Visegrád, with a boat trip on the Danube. Trains and buses from Budapest also run to Esztergom. The Mária Valéria Bridge connects Esztergom with Štúrovo in Slovakia. The basilica is active, and visiting pauses during services. Trains from Budapest's Nyugati station to Esztergom take about an hour and a half.

Visiting Esztergom Basilica: what to see

Esztergom was the first capital of Hungary, and King Saint Stephen, the first king of Hungary, was born and crowned here around the year 1000. The present basilica was built between 1822 and 1869 in a neoclassical style, on the site of earlier churches, and it was designed by several architects, including József Hild. Its huge dome, about a hundred metres high, dominates the town and the river. Franz Liszt composed the Esztergom Mass for the consecration of the basilica in 1856. Inside, the basilica has a large altarpiece, one of the largest paintings on a single canvas in the world, showing the Assumption of the Virgin, by Michelangelo Grigoletti.

The Bakócz Chapel, built in the early sixteenth century in red marble, is one of the finest Renaissance works in Hungary, saved from the earlier church. The crypt holds the tombs of archbishops, and the treasury displays medieval goldsmiths' work. The treasury displays the Coronation Cross of Hungarian kings and medieval chalices and reliquaries. The crypt, in an Egyptian style, holds the tombs of archbishops, including Cardinal József Mindszenty, imprisoned by the communists. The dome's panorama hall and viewing platform are reached by stairs. The basilica's organ, one of the largest in Hungary, has more than twelve thousand pipes. The Castle Museum, beside the basilica, holds the remains of the medieval royal palace. The basilica's bell, one of the largest in Hungary, hangs in the tower.

Esztergom Basilica opening hours and the best time to go

The basilica is open daily, and the treasury, crypt and dome have set hours, closed on some days in winter. The Danube Bend is beautiful in spring and autumn, and summer is busy with boat trips. The views from the dome are best on clear days. The feast of Saint Stephen on 20 August, Hungary's national day, brings celebrations. Allow about an hour and a half for the basilica, treasury and dome, and walk down to the Danube and across the bridge to Slovakia. Visegrád's castle, about half an hour's drive, offers views over the Danube Bend and has a medieval royal palace museum.