Gorgeous small towns near Budapest

Hungary is full of beautiful small towns with a number of attractions worth visiting. However, most tourists only visit Budapest, which is understandable as the capital has so many sights that a few days are usually not enough to see all of them. But if you travel to Hungary and have a couple more days to spend, here are three small, yet beautiful towns near Budapest that are worth a one-day-trip.

Gödöllő

This beautiful town is located 30 km northeast of Budapest. It can be easily reached by car or local train H8 from Örs Vezér Square. Its main attraction is the Royal Palace or Grassalkovich Palace, but the atmosphere of the town itself is a good reason to spend a day there. The palace was built in the 18th century under the rule of the Grassalkovich family. It was owned by various rich and historically important figures throughout the years. For example, after the compromise between Hungary and Austria in 1867, the palace became a residence of the royal family, while between the two world wars it served as the residence of Regent Horthy. Unfortunately, after 1945 the palace started to decline, as it became partly a barrack for Soviet and Hungarian soldiers and partly a common lodging house. However, the Soviet soldiers left the palace in 1990 and the common lodging house moved, so today the palace serves as a museum and it looks gorgeous once again. People can easily reach it as it is very close to the Main Square.

Gödöllő is also a town caring about nature. It has several parks, one of them is located right next to the Royal Palace. Yet it also has an arboretum worth visiting. It was founded in 1902 and it was totally ready by 1914. Before World War II it was considered to be Hungary’s most significant arboretum. It was expanded in 1960, so its original territory of 190 hectares became 350 hectares. 90 per cent of this territory serves as a place of forestry research, while 10 per cent is a park. It is located outside the town, whereas the Botanical Garden of Szent István University is right in the heart of the town. It is significantly smaller than the arboretum, but its magical atmosphere compensates for its size.

Ráckeve

This town is located on Csepel Island, around 50 km south of Budapest. It can also easily be reached by car or local train H6 from Közvágóhíd. It is truly a town of recreation and tranquility. It is divided by the Danube just like Budapest, though it is much smaller and has only one bridge. Its main square has a unique atmosphere with four towers. One of them belongs to the Serb Orthodox Church, which is located a few streets away providing a calm atmosphere for the visitors, while the other three towers – Firetower, Catholic Church and Calvinist Church – are located in the centre. You can also climb up to the Firetower, which provides a great viewofo the town, the surrounding area and the Danube as well.