Budapest Excursions
Szentendre: Several waves of 19th-century Serbian refugees defined the character of this historic town, with its incense-filled hilltop churches, on the Danube Bend, 19km (12 miles) from Budapest. A group of artists found the Serb-abandoned Szentendre in the 1920s, liked what they saw and formed a colony there. Serbian churches include Blagovestenska Church, which looks on to the town's main square, as well as the spectacular Belgrade Cathedral, next to the Museum of Serbian Church Art (entrance is on Pátriáka utca; tel: (26) 312 339). Szentendre also has a modern arts centre, a renovated 19th-century sawmill, Muveszet Malom (Art Mill), Bogdányi utca 32 (tel: (26) 301 701). The exhibition hall displays graphics, paintings, sculptures and pieces of applied arts from local artists and artists connected to Szentendre. Tourinform has an office in Szentendre, Dumtsa Jenő utca 22 (tel: (26) 317 966; website: www.szentendre.hu), and provides a free map and tourist information on request. HÉV trains take 40 minutes from Batthyány tér station to Szentendre. There are also up to three boats a day June to mid September, operated by MAHART (tel: (01) 484 4013; website: www.mahartpassnave.hu). Buses also run from Volánbusz.
For a Whole Day
Lake Balaton: The hugely popular Lake Balaton region is romantically known as the Hungarian Sea. Its water is largely only waist deep, except for the Tihany Well in the north, where it reaches its deepest point of 13m (43ft). Activities centre on the water and include sailing, windsurfing and fishing for eels or fogas - the perch-pike unique to Lake Balaton, best enjoyed with wine from the nearby Badacsony Hills. The Tihany Peninsula, declared a national park in 1952, is one of the quietest spots in the region. The major resort in the north is Balatonfüred, known since Roman times for the curative power of its waters. Tourinform has an office in Balantonfüred, Petőfi Sándor utca 8 (tel: (87) 580 480; website: www.balatonfured.hu), which provides further information. Approximately 120km (75 miles) southwest of Budapest, Balatonfüred can be reached by train from Déli pályaudvar in Budapest or by bus from Budapest's Erzsébet tér.
Tours of Budapest
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