St. Stephen Basilica in Budapest

Hungary is home to Szent István-bazilika or in English, St. Stephen's Basilica. It is a famous landmark in the inner city of Budapest, in District V (Belváros-Lipótváros).

I have been blessed to have set my foot inside this famous, and beautiful Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest. I must say, beautiful is even an understatement. It's just very breath-taking, from the outside to the interior of the basilica. Everything is beautiful.

The basilica is named in honour of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary.  It has a neo-classical architectural design with 2 bell towers and a grand dome, following a Greek-cross style layout plan. Most of the stone carvings are intricate and edges of the church's dome and inner ceilings have gold foil. It is truly a magnificent architecture for many people to behold.

In the left side of the main altar, houses the relic of St. Stephen's right hand. It said to be miraculous so many church visitors and tourists take their time to visit the smaller altar and view the relic.

I went there to see it for myself but cannot come any closer for the relic's security and protection. It was housed inside an elaborate glass and metal container and you have to drop some Euro to activate the lights on for few minutes to have a better view of the right hand.

Getting inside the basilica is free. You can go up to the dome's observatory to get a better view of Budapest but with a minimal fee. My friend and I didn't go up since it was already noon and too hot and humid.

Aside from having an observatory, it also houses a big and smaller pipe organs. St. Stephen's Basilica also functions as a concert house for musical events as it take active participation in the promotion of music in the country. 

It is truly a remarkable experience to step inside the magnificent St. Stephen Basilica in Budapest. I only see it in travel magazines and travel sites. The feeling is ethereal especially when you realise that you're actually ticking another item off your bucket list.

So, if you are planning a trip in Budapest, include St. Stephen's Basilica in your itinerary or in your must-see places. I am very glad that the apartment I booked in was just 5 minutes walk from St. Stephen's Basilica. And waking up in the morning on the sight of the grandiose beauty of St. Stephen Basilica from our room is something I can only dream of. And it has happened...