HUNGARY 359The magnificent ruins of the citadel, towering over Visegrádviews. Halfway down the hill,
in the Solomon Tower, is the
fascinating Mátyás Király
Museum, a collection of items
exca vated from the ruins of
the Royal Palace.
Built by King Béla IV
at the same time as
the citadel, this
lovely palace was
reno vated two
cen turies later
by King Mátyás
Corvinus (r. 1458–90),
in mag nificent
Renaissance style. It
fell into derelict ion
in the 16th century
after the Turkish inva-
sion and was then
buried in a mud
slide. The ruins
were not rediscov-
ered until 1934,
when excava tions took place.E Mátyás Király Museum
Salamon-Torony utca. Tel (026)
597 010. # May–Oct: 9am–5pm
Tue–Sun. &
E Royal Palace
Fő utca 23. Tel (026) 398 026.
# 9am–5pm Tue–Sun. & 8Nagybörzsöny
and Duna-Ipoly
National Park 672 km (45 miles) N of Budapest.
@ from Szob (to Nagybörzsöny).
http://www.dinpi.huHome to the fine 14th-century
stone Romanesque Church of
St Stephen, a working mid-
19th-century water mill (open
to the public) and a mining
museum, Nagybörzsöny is
best known as the gateway
to the Duna-Ipoly National
Park, one of the largest in the
country. The Buda Hill caves
and the Sas-hegy nature trail
outside Budapest are also
within the park’s borders.
The park is home to
more than 70 protected
plants and more than half of
Hungary’s native bird species,
including black and white-
backed woodpeckers.
A narrow-gauge railway
runs at week ends from
Nagybörzsöny to
Nagyirtás across the
Börzsöny Hills, from
where well-marked
hiking trails fan
out across the
park. There is also
a long trail starting
from the town of
Nagybörzsöny itself,
leading up to Nagy
Hideg Hegy peak,
which offers views
across to Slovakia.
A second narrow-gauge
railway, from Kismaros to
Királyrét, opens up the
southern part of the park.
There are hiking trails from
Királyrét across the hills,
and on to Nógrád, where
there is a spectacular castle
in ruins.Signpost in Duna-Ipoly
National ParkVác 4
40 km (25 miles) N of Budapest.
- 33,000. £ from Budapest.
@ from Budapest. n Tourinform,
Március 15 tér 17, (027) 316 160.
( daily, behind Március 15 tér.
Founded in the year 1000,
Vác is situated on the eastern
bank of the Danube river.
The town was rebuilt in the
late 17th century after being
destroyed by war. Its central
square, around Március 15 tér,
dates from the 18th century
and was a thriving market-
place until 1951. The market
itself survives, although it is
now hidden behind the Town
Hall, a Baroque master piece
from 1680. The superb
façade, with two Corinthian
half-columns guarding the
entrance, is adorned with an
intricate wrought-iron
balcony. The Sisters of Charity
Chapel and Hospital, built in
the 17th century and still a
func tioning hospital to this
day, is located next door.
On the southern side of the
square stands the Domi^ nican
Church of Our Lady of Victory,
the construction of which
began in 1699. Due to the War
of Independence, however,
work on the interior only
began in 1755. As a result the
façade is sober, while the inte-
rior is rich in Rococo art work.
At the northernmost end of
the Old Town, on Köztársaság
út, stands the only triumphal
arch in Hungary. This was
built in 1764, ostensibly to
honour Queen Maria Theresa.
The Dominican Church in Vác, with
its rich Rococo ornamentationVisegrád 5
40 km (25 miles) N of Budapest.
- 1,700. £ from Budapest. @
from Budapest. 4 from Budapest,
Esztergom; from Szentendre (summer
only). http://www.visegrad.hu
Set on the narrowest stretch
of the Danube, the village of
Visegrád is a popular tourist
destination that is dominated
by its spectacular ruined cita-
del. Built in the 13th century
by King Béla IV (1206–70),
this was once one of the finest
royal palaces in Hungary.
The massive outer walls are
still intact, and offer superb