Hunglish.orgEstergom is a country town in Hungary not far from Budapest. It is a trip worth seeing with an ancient cathedral and castle and is accessible through the Pilas Mountains.
Written by Scott Savoie
Estergom is a scant 45 kilometers up the Danube from Budapest. The trip either goes around the Danube bend through Visegrad, or through the Pilas Mountains.
The mountain route is more direct; the Danube route is more scenic.
The city was the capital of Hungary from the 10th to 13th centuries, at which point the capital was moved to nearby Visegrad.
The main feature to see in Esztergom is of course the cathedral. It’s hard to miss, as it is the tallest building in the country.
Next to the cathedral lies the castle, which has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times.
Below the castle lies the city which contains many beautiful buildings in Baroque , neo-classical Rococco style. I have no idea which ones are which, but they look nice.
During the Turkish rule, numerous mosques were built in Esztergom. None have survived but according to Wikipedia, examples of Islamic art and architure remain within some of the courtyards.
Esztergom has a newly rebuilt bridge, as the last one was destroyed in World War II. Across the bridge is Slovakia.
Getting there is easy, even if you don’t have a car. Buses leave hourly from Árpád híd bus terminal. Tickets are about 750 forints each way per person.