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City explorer routes
On the path of kings
Did you know that in medieval Hungary one could only be the rightful monarch if the Archbishop of Esztergom placed the crown of St. Stephen I on their head in Székesfehérvár? We can follow the footsteps of our kings. Let’s open the history book of our country together!
One of Hungary’s most ancient and historically rich cities was founded by Grand Prince Géza in 972 and during the reign of Stephen I became a royal and cultural centre. The National Memorial Site comprises of the remains of the one-time coronation basilica built by Saint Stephen the King – Our Blessed Lady Basilica. 36 Hungarian kings have been crowned between its walls. As well as St. Stephen and his son Prince Emeric (Imre), another 14 kings also chose the basilica for their resting place. We can find our founding father’s carved stone sarcophagus in the St. Stephen Mausoleum. On the surrounding walls we can follow the story of the Holy Crown and the legend of the Holy Right on Vilmos Aba-Novák’s historic secco. In the town hall a copy of the Holy Crown can be seen. Its base is made of fine silver and it is covered in pure gold. This piece of art weighing 1.5-kilos is decorated with 19 enamel pictures, 8 framed enamel pictures, 80 almandine stones, 4 sapphire stones, 410 pearls, 6 amethyst stones and 1 turquoise stone. It is not only the crown which points to medieval past but also other crowning jewels. According to the inscription on the most emblematic piece of art dominating the main square of the city, the Orb: “Fehérvár is a free city by the grace of St. Stephen”.
It is worth extending our tour by visiting the archaeological exhibition of the St. Stephen Royal Museum where we have a chance to admire the remains of the stone carvings of the royal basilica amongst the treasures of the millennia. Remains of tombstones, sarcophaguses, altars and statues of emperors are exhibited here amongst the stone remains from the 1st to 4th century.
On the path of kings – standard sightseeing programme
Duration: 2 hours
Price of the programme in a foreign language: 18 000 Ft/group
Entrance fee to the National Memorial Site as part of the programme: 700 Ft/adult, 350 Ft/child
The National Memorial Site is open from 1st April to 31st October.
On the path of kings extra package with viewing the copy of the Holy Crown
Extra package with advance booking:
Duration: 2.5 hours
Price of the programme in a foreign language: 21 000 Ft/group
Entrance fee to the National Memorial Site as part of the programme: 700 Ft/adult, 350 Ft/child
The National Memorial Site is open from 1st April to 31st October.
The gems of the city centre
The historic city centre has preserved its medieval street structure ornamented by baroque, rococo and Louis Seize style buildings many of which are paramount examples of national architecture. Walking these quaint streets one stumbles upon romantic inner courts and sweet enclosed corner balconies. Be sure not to miss the real gem in our jewel-box the Hiemer house!
The city centre of Székesfehérvár is not only a paradise for those searching in the past but it also presents many delicacies for those open to art. Over the course of our excursion we will become acquainted with the architectural assets of our city, we will call at the antique buildings of the Vörösmarty Theatre and Magyar Király Hotel(Hungarian King) and we will admire the listed Árpád Spa with its shell decorated dome masterpiece of Ödön Lechner in art nouveau style. The Városháza (Town Hall) square is dominated by the Bishop’s Palace which is one of Hungary’s most remarkable pieces of architecture in Louis Seize style with its splendid proportions, natural and clear-cut distribution and fine details.
In the 17th century, enclosed corner balconies decorating baroque facades became fashionable and a typical element of architecture in Fehérvár. We can admire one of the earliest and most famous examples of this on the Hiemer House on the main square. The centre of our programme is the Hiemer House, winner of the Award of Merit, which is regarded as the baroque gem of the city centre and which regained its former grandeur in 2012 after undergoing multiple stages of renovation. This architectural piece of art formed by the fusion of three buildings tells a story about the history of the city: through its unique medieval merits, baroque and rococo architectural relics and through its modern time alterations the past centuries of Fehérvár come to life. It gives home to the wedding hall, the Hetedhét (behind the beyond) Toy Museum, an elegant restaurant and café, the Fehérvár Gift Shop and the Tourinform Office.
The gems of the city centre – thematic excursion with curiosities from the history of art
The gems of the city centre – thematic excursion
Duration: 1.5 hours
Price of the programme in a foreign language: 15 000 Ft/group
The gems of the city centre extra package with the Hiemer house
Extra package – with advanced booking
Duration: 2 hours
Price of the programme in a foreign language: 18 000 Ft/group
Entrance fee to the Hiemer House as part of the programme: 300 Ft/person