Great Hungarian Basilicas Tour & Folk Music Performance

In this full-day trip we will explore Hungary's two most significant churches: the magnificent St. Stephen's Basilica, the head church of Budapest, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert in Esztergom which is the largest church in Hungary.

You will get deep insight into the history of Hungary while learning about the story of the construction of these great basilicas, the life of the residents of the former Hungarian capital in the 19th and 20th century, and the 'happy peaceful times' during which Budapest evolved to a new, modern metropolis.

First I will give you a detailed architectural description of St Stephen's Basilica while talking about the construction of this great monument, then I will guide you through its marvellous interior which is decorated with amazing statues and paintings of the greatest Hungarian masters of the 19th and 20th century.
We will admire one of the national relics of Hungary which had quite an adventurous story till it got to its final keeping place in the basilica's Holy Right Chapel in 1987.
I will take you to the treasury of the church where you can admire a number of valuable liturgical and religious objects: beautiful church vestments, chasubles, monstrances and the personal items of the most famous Hungarian archbishop of the 20th century.
We will also visit the panorama terrace of the basilica from where you can have splendid views all around Budapest from bird's eye view.

After this we will get on a train at Budapest's most beautiful railway station and travel to the countryside to Hungary's largest Catholic church which lies on the top of a hill along the river Danube in beautiful natural surroundings. I will tell you how the head church of Hungary was constructed and we will visit its splendid interior where you can admire the world's biggest altar painting painted on just one canvas, beautiful sculptures and paintings of Hungarian and foreign masters and a unique Renaissance chapel - the only one of this kind in the world outside Italy - which remained here from the beginning of the 16th century.
We will admire the most valuable Hungarian church objects in the treasury of the basilica: an extraordinary collection of marvellous chalices, stunning monstrances, amazing chasubles, brilliant crosiers and special ceremonial articles of coronation.
We will also visit the crypt of the basilica which is the rest place of Hungarian archbishops since 1824.
We will have a pleasant walk near the basilica from where you can have breathtaking views on the Hungarian-Slovakian border, the Danube and the charming city of Esztergom.

You will get all this 'flavoured' by legends related to Hungarian kings and saints, interesting stories about renowned Hungarians to whom we can thank today's cityscape of Budapest and interesting facts about Hungarian traditions.

At the end of the tour, I will let you have a real taste of the Hungarian culture through a unique Hungarian folk music performance.