Esztergom is a city in northern Hungary, located close to the capital of Budapest. It stands on the bank of the Danube, right on the border with Slovakia.

Known for being home to the largest church in Hungary, Esztergom used to be the capital of Hungary until the mid-13th century. Today, it’s a popular stop on the tourist trail.

We’ve had Esztergom on our radar for a while – because of its basilica and castle – and we decided to take a day trip from Budapest for our sixth wedding anniversary.

How to get to Esztergom

The easiest way to get to Esztergom from Budapest is by train. They leave from Nyugati Pu. (Western Train Station). There are trains every 30 minutes. The ride is about 1h 5 min and the ticket price (as of May 2018) is 1120 huf (4.5 USD) / adult / one way. The updated schedule and prices can be found on the Hungarian Railway Site. Make sure to get the train tickets to Esztergom (the other stop is outside the city).

There are also buses available and even boats.

How to get from the Esztergom train station to the Basilica

In all honesty, I’ve done only a bit of research before planning the trip. I just checked the trains, as well as distance from the train station to the Basilica (an easy 30 min walk).

Because we are so lucky to have been rained on each year for our anniversary, Budapest and Esztergom did not disappoint. We’ve had lunch with a side of heavy rain and had to buy an umbrella (despite wearing my windbreaker). Part of the way to Esztergom it rained, and we were delighted to see it stopped…until it picked up again when we arrived. So, we checked the map.

Our travel companions weren’t too keen to walk, so we looked up the buses. On top of the rain, there was construction going on, so Google Maps decided to take us on a side road. Muddy side road. And when we asked a local about the buses we got a rather weird answer: you can only buy tickets from one particular bus.

What was listed in the bus stop wasn’t what Google transit told us. So we walked in the direction of the Basilica. At the first stop, the bus showed up. And we took it to the Basilica. (well, the stop is a bit further away). The ticket is 220 huf ( 0.80 USD) / adult / one way (as of May 2018).

What to do in Esztergom

The main site is the Basilica. And it is big. Esztergom Basilica is the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary. It is the largest church, as well as the tallest building in Hungary. Its dome is 71.5m high inside and 100 m high from the outside. There are 400 steps going from the crypt to the dome.

The present church is built on the foundation of older churches. The first was built in 1001-1010 by Stephen I of Hungary and it was the first cathedral in Hungary. It was rebuilt and survived the Mongol invasion.

While the inside of the church can be visited for free, the crypt, dom, treasury, panorama, and cupola need a ticket. A combined ticket costs 1500 huf ( 5.5 USD) / adult (as of May 2018).

I’m a sucker for finding the highest possible viewing points so, of course, we got the combined ticket. The only place where you cannot take photos is in the treasury. Elsewhere, it is permitted. And the views are stunning.

There are descriptions in English in the treasury and there are also booklets in English to learn more about the basilica. The crypt is very interesting. It was built in 1831 in Old Egyptian style.

Right near the Basilica is Esztergom Castle. It was built on the same site of the ancient Roman castrum. The construction took place between the 10th and 13th century. After the capital was moved from Esztergom, the king gave the castle to the archbishop. In 1543 it fell under the Ottoman rule. But in 1761 the archbishop regained the castle.

We decided to skip paying the ticket (1600 huf / adult) to visit the castle as we’ve seen quite a few reconstructed castles before. However, it can be a good idea for a follow-up visit (and especially if you have never visited a medieval castle before).

We did walk a bit within the Watertown (Viziváros). And we also took the bus back to the station passing through it. Its walls, bastions, and fortress can be seen if you walk on the bank of the Danube.

Booking.com

Where to eat in Esztergom

We decided to walk towards the train station and find a place to eat. Very close to the Basilica is Csülök Csárda and I was more than stunned to find a vegan burger on the menu (which is not in their online menu). And yes, the server spoke English.
Unfortunately, I didn’t keep the receipt but we paid 6,000 huf / 22 USD for two vegan burgers, a dark beer, and a coffee (the price includes the tip).