Things to do in Szentendre, Visegrád, Esztergom & the North

Refugees from the Balkans built the Serbian churches that still stand among the winding cobbled lanes of Szentendre Old Town, where galleries and small museums fill this long-time artists' town, and nearby the Skanzen Hungarian Open Air Museum gathers relocated farmhouses, barns and workshops region by region. Upriver, the medieval Visegrád Royal Palace shows exhibitions such as the royal kitchen, and Esztergom Basilica, Hungary's tallest church, crowns the hill above the Danube with its crypt, treasury and dome viewpoint. East of Budapest, the restored rooms of the Royal Palace of Gödöllő follow the life of Sisi alongside a Baroque Theatre and riding hall, Eger Castle above the old town mixes underground casemate exhibitions with a castle cinema, and in Advent a Christmas market fills Eger's historic centre below it, while the World Heritage village of Hollókő keeps Palóc folk traditions beneath its medieval castle. Further afield, guided tours lead into Baradla Cave in Aggtelek National Park, the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath lets you soak in thermal water flowing through limestone cave passages, and Anna Cave in Lillafüred opens right beside the Szinva waterfall.

Good to knowThe dome of Esztergom Basilica opens only in good weather and the church closes to sightseers during Mass, while in winter the Visegrád Royal Palace is closed on Mondays and nearby Solomon's Tower is closed. Skanzen opens Tuesday to Sunday with some houses temporarily shut for renovation, Hollókő's village-walk ticket is sold every day except Tuesday, and the mine-watch corridors of Eger Castle can be visited only on a guided tour. Bring a jacket for Baradla Cave even in summer and for Anna Cave (about 10°C, only one tour a day in winter, no flash photography), and pack your own swimwear for the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath.