Budapest Photo Gallery
St. Stephen's Basilica - Panoramic Terrace

St. Stephen's Basilica took over 50 years to build and was completed in 1905. It is named after King St. Stephen, with his mummified right hand being kept on display here. The church has 2 towers and a dome that rises 96m to exactly match the nearby Parliament building.

Budapest's grandest churches charge hefty admission fees. It costs 5000 forints for this observation deck around the dome, or 6800 if you include the church and the treasury as well. While you can get free views of the city along the Danube riverfront or on the Buda hills, it is still worth coming here since you've got the castle district and stunning Parliament all in one frame.

You can take the stairs up to the dome or use 2 lifts that will take you almost all the way to the viewing terrace with just a short staircase at the end. However, you likely will need to wait patiently since the first lift can only take 6 passengers at a time and the next lift can take just 4.

The standard circuit for an all-in ticket is to visit the church first, and as you exit the building, the first lift up is just to the left with staff on hand to scan your ticket.

Morning is the best time to come since the sun will be behind you when you look towards Buda for the grand view.

Facing east, you'll see the opera house along the grand Andrassy Avenue and the city park in the distance. The leafy grand boulevard ends just a short walk away from this church.