In one of the most atmospheric parts of Szentendre, on the top of the cobbled castle hill, stands the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, also called the Castle Church.

The listed church is the oldest building in the city, having gained its present form after four periods of construction. The nave was built between 1241 and 1283, but after being completely destroyed, it was rebuilt in the 14th century in a completely Gothic style. The destruction of Turkish times was restored in the 17th century, then in 1710 it was restored in Baroque style, and finally the church still visible today was rebuilt between 1742 and 1751. Among the church towers of Szentendre, the slightly thick tower of the medieval Castle Church with a tent roof stands out.

Looking closely at the church, we can discover a stone sundial under the tower. At a height of about 6 meters, we look for this unique astronomical historical monument from the 1300s on the buttress. The appearance of the church is made unique and very cozy by the Gothic stone frames of the gates and the surrounding stone inlays. In the interior of the church we can admire exalted frescoes made between 1933-38 by the Society of Painters of Szentendre. The interesting thing about the frescoes, the beautiful biblical scenes, is that we can also take a closer look at the wonderful landscape and buildings of Szentendre. On one side of the sanctuary is the altar of the Three Kings and on the other is the altar of St. Andrew.

Next to the altar of the Three Kings is the pulpit with the same great care, with Jesus on top. The main altarpiece of the sanctuary depicts the baptism of Jesus with St. John the Baptist. The church also has three side altars and four bells. It is worth walking up the Temple Mount to relax there in the shade of a girbegurba gnarled tree and looking down at the town’s varied rooftops. Our adventure in the past can only be diverted by the scent of garlic flaming towards us from the alley.

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