St Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest
The largest church in Budapest rises over the streets of Pest, its dome as high as the Parliament building, 96 metres. St Stephen’s Basilica took over half a century to build and holds Hungary’s most famous relic, the mummified right hand of its first king. Inside it glows with marble, gilding and mosaics; outside, a terrace round the dome has one of the best views of the city.
Fifty-four years in the building
After the Danube flood of 1838, people who had found refuge on this slight rise raised money for a new parish church. Work began in 1851 to the Classical design of Józef Hild, but in 1868, a year after Hild’s death, the dome collapsed. Miklós Ybl corrected the faults and reworked the design with Renaissance elements, and after his death in 1891 Józef Kauser completed the church and its decoration, using only Hungarian artists. In 1897 the dedication changed from St Leopold to St Stephen, the king who brought Christianity to Hungary around the year 1000, and the basilica was consecrated in 1905. A full restoration ran from 1983 to 2003.
The visitor’s cheat sheet
| Opening hours | Church Mon–Sat 9am–5.45pm, Sun 1pm–5.45pm (last tickets 5.15pm); Panorama Terrace and Treasury daily 9am–7pm |
|---|---|
| Admission | Church 2,600 HUF; terrace and treasury 5,000 HUF; all three 6,800 HUF. Reduced 2,000/4,000/5,500 HUF; under-6s free |
| Tickets | Compulsory for visitors; student, senior and disabled tickets only at the ticket office beside the basilica, with ID. Without a ticket, entry is for worship only |
| Organ | Monday 4.30pm concert included in the church ticket; Wednesday 10am “Face to Face with the Great Organ” in English |
| Dress | Shoulders covered; skirts and trousers to the knee; bags may be checked |
| Access | A ramp is reported at the main entrance (ask staff); lifts to the terrace, then a short stair |
| Getting there | Metro M3 to Arany János utca or M1 to Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, both a few minutes’ walk |
| How long | About an hour; two with the dome |
Hours and admission checked against the official site in November 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.
What to see
The church
The basilica is built on a Greek-cross plan under its great dome. At the east end, the high altar holds Alajos Stróbl’s marble statue of St Stephen, with bronze reliefs of his life behind it and mosaics by Gyula Benczúr in the half-dome above. Look up into the dome itself, decorated with mosaics designed by Károly Lotz. Side altars carry paintings by Hungarian artists of the 1890s and 1900s, among them Árpád Feszty’s triptych at the altar of St Joseph.
The Holy Right
St Stephen died on 15 August 1038, and his right hand, the Szent Jobb, has been venerated ever since. It lies in a small neo-Gothic reliquary shaped like a chapel, made in Vienna in 1862. Since 2018 it has been shown in the main church, at the altar of Our Lady with Gyula Benczúr’s painting of Stephen offering his crown to the Virgin. Every year on 20 August, St Stephen’s Day, it is carried in procession round the streets after an open-air evening Mass in front of the basilica.
The organ
The great organ in the west gallery, built by Angster in 1905 and rebuilt in 1992–2004, has more than 7,500 pipes. Hear it at the Monday afternoon concert, which comes with the church ticket, or go up to the gallery for the Wednesday morning session.
The Panorama Terrace and the Treasury
A separate ticket gives access to the terrace that runs round the base of the dome, 65 metres up, with a view in every direction over Pest, the Danube and the Buda hills. Lifts take you most of the way; a short stair remains. The same ticket covers the Treasury, with models from the building of the church and a copy of the Holy Crown in Herend porcelain.
Getting there
The basilica faces west onto Szent István tér in District V, the heart of Pest. Metro M3 stops at Arany János utca, a block to the north, and M1 at Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, just behind it; Deák Ferenc tér, where three metro lines meet, is five to seven minutes’ walk away. From the airport, the 100E bus runs to Deák Ferenc tér. Zrínyi utca leads straight from the front of the basilica to the Chain Bridge and the Danube.
Tours and where to stay
Tickets are sold at the basilica and on its official ticket site. Many walking tours of Pest stop here.
These links go to GetYourGuide and Booking.com. This site earns nothing from them at present — they are here because they are the quickest way to check what is actually available.
Don’t miss
- The Holy Right At the altar of Our Lady.
- The dome mosaics Stand under the dome and look up.
- The Panorama Terrace Open until 7pm.
- The Monday organ concert At 4.30pm, included in the ticket.
Insider tips
Climb late. The terrace stays open until 7pm, well after the church closes, and the evening light over the Buda hills is the best of the day.
Go on a weekday if you can. Weddings can limit visits at weekends, and on Sunday the church opens to visitors only at 1pm.
Christmas. From 13 November 2026 to 1 January 2027 the square in front holds one of Budapest’s best Christmas markets, with a light show on the basilica’s front every evening from 5.30pm.
Common questions
How much does it cost to visit St Stephen's Basilica?
A ticket is now required to visit: 2,600 HUF for the church, 5,000 HUF for the Panorama Terrace and Treasury together, or 6,800 HUF for all three, with reduced prices for under-18s, students and over-65s. Under-6s go free. Without a ticket you may come in only for worship.
What are the opening hours?
The church is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5.45pm and on Sunday from 1pm to 5.45pm; tickets are sold until 5.15pm. The Panorama Terrace and Treasury are open every day from 9am to 7pm. Weddings can limit visits at weekends, and times can change for services.
Where is the Holy Right?
The mummified right hand of St Stephen, Hungary’s first king, is kept in an ornate reliquary in the main church, at the altar of Our Lady with Gyula Benczúr’s painting of Stephen offering his crown to the Virgin. Older guides place it in a side chapel; it moved in 2018.
Is there a lift to the dome?
Yes, lifts take you most of the way up to the Panorama Terrace round the dome, but a short flight of stairs remains at the top. The climb on foot is over 300 steps.
Are there organ concerts?
Yes. A Monday 4.30pm organ concert is included in the church ticket, and on Wednesdays at 10am there is an English-language session on the organ gallery. Evening concerts on other days are run by outside organisers, with their own tickets.
More churches in Budapest
- Matthias Church — the tiled roof and painted interior on Castle Hill.