The Hungarian Open Air Museum, known as the Skanzen in Szentendre, is Hungary's largest open-air museum, spread across 75 hectares of rolling countryside. Here, authentic and relocated buildings - farmhouses, windmills, churches and workshops - recreate rural life from the mid-18th to the mid-20th century across the entire Hungarian-speaking region.

Set in the valley of the Sztaravoda stream on the southeastern slopes of the Visegrád Hills, within the Duna-Ipoly National Park, the museum's natural surroundings are as protected and charming as its historic buildings. Wandering through the reconstructed villages feels like stepping back in time, with a different mood in every season - blossoming gardens in spring, harvest festivals in autumn and snow-dusted thatched roofs in winter.

How to get there

• From Budapest via road 11, then onto road 11112 (Sztaravodai út) toward Pilisszentlászló and Visegrád - easy access by car or bus
• From Szentendre town center - short drive or local bus, about 15-20 minutes

Practical information

• Organized into regional sections including the Upper Tisza region, Kisalföld, Western Transdanubia, Bakony and Balaton, Southern Transdanubia, Upper Hungarian market town, Northern Hungarian village and the new Transylvania section (opened 2022)
• Home to the Skanzen Railway - Europe's longest museum railway line (2.1 km), running a restored 1932 Ganz-Jendrassik diesel railcar
• Interactive craft workshops, children's activity zones and seasonal festivals such as Easter, Whitsun and St. Martin's Day

Fun fact: the museum consists of more than 300 original buildings carefully relocated from villages across the Hungarian-speaking world, making it a living encyclopedia of Central European rural architecture.