This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Szentendre.
Szentendre, Hungary, is the perfect idea for a day trip from Budapest. Located only twenty-two kilometers from the Hungarian capital, Szentendre is in easy reach both by bus and suburban trains; for those who are hoping for a more active holiday, there is a straight bicycle path connecting the two places with the terrain mostly flat and paths easy to follow.
Szentendre's history goes back to the ninth history, when the country's founding Magyars arrived and settled down here. Since then, the middle-sized town has undergone a lot of changes, but has remained one of the most important cultural hubs near the capital. As it's known for its museums and folkloric art, visitors to Szentendre can get a glimpse into what Hungary used to be like centuries ago while walking through its historic streets. Furthermore, for a more thorough examination of the Hungarian traditional village life, tourists can visit the Outdoor Museum of Ethnography, where the everyday life of the Hungarian farmers from eighteenth to mid-twentieth century comes to life in front of their eyes. Visitors can enter the carefully preserved family houses, try out traditional crafts, or make bread and butter from scratch with the help of some old ladies dressed in the Hungarian folk costume.
Szentendre is an ideal place for museum hopping, too, as the small town offers numerous tiny galleries, museums, and exhibitions. Besides the many paintings and artifact collections, Szentendre hosts the museum of the Szamos marzipan factory as well, where various village scenes, toys, and famous Hungarian paintings are on display -- of course, made of marzipan!
Szentendre does not abound with budget accommodation, and the Szentendre, Hungary hostels you do find are normally very old style and packed with Hungarian school classes going on class excursions, so it's not the real deal. Your best bet is sleeping in one of the many outstanding hostels of Budapest and getting the HÉV to Szentendre for the day. Once the sun goes down and the museums close, there is not much to do here anymore anyway.
Written by local enthusiast for Szentendre hostels
JudyM
