The Danube Bend to Eger, Hungary

Monday, April 30, 2018

As we drove out of town, the streets of Budapest were quiet this Monday morning, as it seems that many in Hungary are turning their May Day holiday into a four-day weekend.  As the day went on, we probably encountered many  of the city’s residents out and about enjoying the towns along the Danube Bend north of Budapest, just as we were.

Our first stop was in Esztergom, where we drove to its Basilica, the largest church in Hungary. It sits atop Castle Hill, high above the town and the Danube, and is visible from miles away.  Celts and Romans found their way here and the town was the birthplace of Stephen I, the founder of the Hungarian State. He was crowned in the cathedral and the town served as the royal seat for about 250 years from the late tenth century.

We continued along the river to Visegrad, where the remains of a 13^th – century citadel dominate a promontory above the town and the river.  The citadel was drawing in busloads of visitors and all the nearby parking lots were full, so we satisfied our need for panoramic views at a roadside stop.  Across the river, the pretty town of Vac was spread out before us, with red tile roofs strung along the banks and climbing the green hills beyond. 

Szentendre is the most popular of the Danube Bend towns and the closet to Budapest. Its cobbled streets, narrow winding lanes, pastel buildings, and picturesque churches are a big draw in ordinary times; on this warm holiday, there were visitors galore.  With small shops, restaurants, beer stalls and street food galore, the historic center of town was packed from the riverside through the central square and beyond.  We were particularly struck by the lights strung across the main square. The lamp bulbs were decorated with large lampshades of many colors and patterns – wish we could have seen them lit up at night.

Leaving the Danube, we detoured off the highway to have a look at the town of Godollo, the site of a notable Habsburg Palace.  Then, it was on to our destination, Eger.

We had just rendezvoused and were chatting with the owner of our apartment in Eger when we heard sirens and saw flashing lights on the street we’d just crossed.  Suddenly, there loud crashing noises and a car spinning out of control.  The driver had entered the intersection and been hit by a police car that had been speeding to another emergency, along with several other police vehicles and an ambulance. Parts of cars flew everywhere, airbags deployed, tables and chairs in an empty sidewalk café were sideswiped, and the driver in the impacted convertible was immobile. It was a pretty frightening scene, and incredible that first responders were there to act almost before anyone could figure out what had happened.  What we did know, however, is that we were very lucky…

Our two-story apartment is very nice, and after settling in, we headed for Eger’s main square where holiday festivities were underway.  Food, drink and music filled the square and we had dinner in a restaurant with tables outside, so we had a bird’s eye view (and an earful!) of it all.

Tomorrow, we’ll see what Eger has to offer on the actual official holiday.  Everything may be closed, but I expect we’ll figure out something to do with our time here.