A Day in Szentendre

It could not have been a more perfect day for wandering the cobblestone streets of the Serbian artists' colony known as Szentendre. For $1.50 oda-vissa (round-trip fare) we traveled 45 minutes into the suburbs of Buda via the HÉV commuter rail line. It was unbelievably easy; soon enough we were enjoying the fresh air and quickly falling in love with this adorable little town.

Located right on the water, Szentendre is a thriving artist colony and tourist trap. However, just a few steps off the beaten path are charming galleries and pastry shops, so it's worth the effort to tuck away the map and get lost for a little bit. Before we did that though, we made sure to find the Margit Kovács Museum- it was part of our Hungarian Culture Class assignment. I have no doubt in my mind that this was the highlight of the day; Margit Kovács is regarded by Hungarians as a "poet of ceramics" and the collection on display was just incredible.

After visiting the National Gallery and Museum of Fine Arts, I loved the change in material. Margit Kovács is known for her moving sculptures of women, and the folk-art influenced pieces depicting village life- all of which I thouroghly enjoyed. In fact, I managed to find a picture of one of the pieces, titled "The Fates" which is shown below. I really wasn't expecting too much from the museum, but I am so glad I went; it was a beautiful and inspiring experience.

We wandered around for a bit more and admired the Serbian Orthodox Church that seemed to punctuate the hub of the town. All of a sudden it was 4 o'clock and time to head back into Budapest. We all agreed that the museum was very much worth the 700 forint entrance fee, and that we shall return to see and experience the open-air museum that is located about 10 minutes away.

All in all, a great day in a great town with great friends. Can't get much better than that!