Bazilika (St. Stephen's Church)

Frommer's Review

Although not a basilica in the technical sense of the word, Hungarians like to call St. Stephen's "the Basilica" in honor of its sheer size: It's the largest church in the country. It took over 50 years to build the Bazilika (the collapse of the dome in 1868 caused significant delays); three leading architects, two of whom (József Hild and Miklós Ybl) died before work was finished, presided over its construction. The church was considered so sturdy that important documents and artworks were stored in it during the World War II bombings. In 2003 a full-scale renovation of the church and neighboring square was completed, and now the cleaned-up front of the church graces the colorful and grand Szent István tér (St. Stephen's Sq.), where travelers sip their coffee in open-air cafes. The bust above the main entrance is of King Stephen, Hungary's first Christian king. Inside the church, in the Chapel of the Holy Right (Szent Jobb Kápolna), you can see Hungarian Catholicism's most cherished -- and bizarre -- holy relic: Stephen's preserved right hand. Organ concerts are sometimes held here, although reparations to the organ have made them intermittent. Daily Mass is held at 7am and 8am at the Szent Jobb Chapel, and 5:30 and 6pm in the Basilica; Sunday Mass at 8, 9, and 10am, noon, and 6 and 7:30pm.

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