String up the church towers of our archdiocese on a tour and head in the direction of the bell ringing. Take a close glance at the largest bells in Hungary with the most unique history and the one whose sound we have heard every noon on the Kossuth Radio for decades.
Church of the Assumption of the Buda Castle (Matthias Church)
The interesting thing about its bell tower is that the coat of arms of King Matthias which was made in 1470 was found only at the end of the 19th century during the renovation. Only since then the common language calls the building Matthias Church. Information for visiting the tower can be found here.
St. Stephen's Basilica
The right tower of the church accommodates the largest bell of Hungary. Its astonishing weight is 9,250 kilograms and it is called the great bell of St. Stephan, which we can hear on feast and holidays. You can find out about visitor ticket prices here.
Budapest's Inner-City Parish Church
The baroque-styled church has two 52-meter-high towers where four bells are calling the faithful to mass. The bells can be reached from the south tower by elevator or a spiral staircase. Between the two towers a visitors’ promenade is to be found on the second observation deck, from where the artistic carpentry work of the roof structure can also be seen. Visit the institution's website before visiting.
Budapest University Church
Of its two towers only one hides bells, but it hides four at a time. Its biggest bell was heard in the media for decades: between 1st of April 1928 and 10th of June 2000 the sound of this very bell was heard every noon on the Hungarian Radio. Although its towers cannot be visited, the baroque splendor of the church and the monastery garden gives its visitors a special experience. Visit the institution's website before visiting.
Basilica of Esztergom
Its bell tower has three bells, including the fourth largest bell in Hungary. On the way to the bells you can also see the tower clock structure that served the basilica for decades. Make sure to visit the Panorama Room as well where you can also find out what’s hidden inside the recently found 176-year-old time capsule. Ticket prices for the visit can be found here.
