Just a half hour north of Budapest is a special area where the Danube changes course, known as the Dunakanyar, or Danube Bend.

The Danube Bend offers some of the country's finest landscapes, where the river passes between the hills and turns south. Formerly the property of the Crown, this land was the scene of major historic events in Medieval Hungary.

Situated here is the lovely town of Szentendre, impeccably preserved in vivid Baroque architecture and colors. The town is so much a visual delight, that many painters, sculptors and writers have chosen to live here.

Further upriver is contrasting Visegrád. Once a royal seat of medieval Hungary, its atmosphere is maintained with the partially restored palace of the Anjou kings. Even more tempting is the fortress ruin overlooking the vast expanse of hills rushing to meet the Danube.

As if Szentendre and Visegrád are not enough to entice your fantasy, there is still Esztergom. The center of Hungary's Catholic Church, Esztergom is crowned by the grand 19th century Basilica, whose gold religious items dating back 1,000 years form the richest treasury in the country.

This reach of Hungarys most beautiful rivervalley, this magnificent creation of Nature cannot be found on the maps under this name, although it is not an exaggeration to say that the landscape is enchanting. As it has been for centuries. The archaeologists' spades turn up ancient findings, relics of Roman settlements out of the soil. It couldn't have been by chance either that the region of the Danube and the Pilis forest became the dwelling places of Árpád the conquering Hungarians' reigning prince and later the central territory of the first Hungarian kings.

lt's a royal region! - admits a great English traveller of the 19th century about the Danube Bend. And, indeed: Esztergom, Visegrád, Szentendre and Vác, Dömös and all the other settlements preserve the relics of Hungarian Medieval culture.

Nature has thrown its gifts on this land generously and Man who has lived here for centuries, added to it his edifices which radiate a special atmosphere. The descendants of Italian, French, German masons, the Christian soldiers who settled down here after the fights against the Turks, the Swabian, Bavarian, Slovak settlers and their descendants have created a special atmosphere on this scenery. This uniquely varied landscape shows a different face to everybody - so everybody can find their own satisfaction at the end of the journey saying: This was worth coming here!

Let's explore this fabulous scenery together ...