Exploring Esztergom
One of the great towns we visited during our cruise along the Danube was Esztergom. Located approximately 30 miles northwest of Budapest, this incredibly picturesque town is one of the oldest towns in Hungary. It also has a unique and storied history, both politically and religiously. Esztergom was the Hungarian capital before it was moved to Buda during the 13th Century, and Esztergom’s basilica is the largest church in Hungary. The basilica, sitting a top a hill overlooking the Danube, is currently in the middle of a huge renovation, but we were still able to tour much of the interior.
Esztergom Basilica
Officially known as the Primatial Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Adalbert, Esztergom Basilica is a Roman Catholic church that was completed in the mid 19th century. The Basilica was built on the site where influential churches stood before, dating back over a thousand years. The church is not only the largest in Hungary, but the altarpiece depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, painted by Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti, is the largest painting in the world painted on a single piece of canvas.
Another Church on Top of a Hill
The Chapel of Saint Thomas Becket is another church that overlooks Esztergom. Of course it’s not shocking to see a church on top of a hill in Europe, they are literally everywhere. But this quaint chapel, which doesn’t boast the size and enormous scale of Esztergom Basilica, makes up for it with loads of charm. It’s also a nice walk up St Thomas Becket Hill, and the views are absolutely worth it.
Thomas Becket was a 12th century priest who defied King Henry II and was subsequently murdered by the king’s knights in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. Seen as a martyr within the church, and a lighting rod in a power struggle between the church and state, after Becket’s death, the Pope declared him a Saint.
