Temples and cathedrals of Budapest

You can't get to know a country's culture without getting to know its religious traditions. Budapest is a diverse and cosmopolitan city — so it's no surprise that there are so many different affiliations. We will attempt to acquaint you with as many as possible.

We'll visit both King Matyás Church and the dominant feature of the city, the Basilica of St István and the mysterious cave-like Pauline Church (the Paulines are the only monastic order founded by Hungarians) at the foot of Mount Gellert. The Pauline Church was repeatedly repressed by the country's leadership. Under socialism, the church was closed and literally sealed off with a huge concrete slab. After the change of regime, however, the Paulines returned. Hungarians sometimes say: «If the Paulinas are alive, Hungary is alive; if the Paulinas are bad, the country is bad too».

We will also visit the mausoleum of Gul Baba, the legendary itinerant dervish (Muslim ascetic monk). Gul Baba (meaning 'father of roses', for the dervish's love of those flowers) was revered by both ordinary Turks and high-ranking compatriots (the Turkish Sultan himself is said to have attended his funeral) — after his death a mausoleum was erected in his honour in Buda (which was then under Turkish rule). The mausoleum survives to this day, being one of the most northern shrines of Islam.

The Jewish religion is not left out either. The Great Synagogue (so called for its impressive size) offers an insight into the world of Jews in Hungary — from its establishment as a cultural centre in the 19th century through the Holocaust, when a ghetto was built around the synagogue, to today's commemoration of all the victims. Particularly striking is the Tree of Life, a monument in the Synagogue on whose iron leaves are inscribed the names of the Jews who died in World War II.

Seeing the churches of different denominations is not only an aesthetic experience, but also gives you a better understanding of Budapest and the Hungarian people.