Things to do in Szentendre, Central Hungary: The Best Art Museums

The former home of a famous artist couple, Imre Ámos and Margit Anna, now features a collection of their work representing the beginning of Expressionist painting in Hungary.

The 19th-century building of the former sawmill is one of the most interesting and special exhibition venues in Hungary. Based on a idea of painters Dezso Korniss and Pal Deim, the gallery was opened to the general public on the initiative of For Szentendre’s Art Foundation in cooperation with the Szentendre Architects’ Club in June 1999. The aim of the founders was to establish a modern artists’

An extensive collection of Margit Kovacs' ceramic works featuring a unique synthesis of folk and Byzantine motifs.

Established as the local history collection of the town in 1951 and named after artist Károly Ferenczy, the museum was relocated to a historic monument building, the 18th-century Pajor Mansion in Kossuth Lajos Street in 2013. In 2016 the museum changed its name to Ferenczy Museum Centre, and today it owns a uniquely rich collection of Szentendre’s painting, graphic art, sculpture, and numismatic art. On the second floor of the building’s old wing one may get a taste of the works of The Eight, founders of the old artists’ settlement in 1926. The exhibition is currently being rearranged. There are two temporary exhibition halls on the first floor. The works of contemporary Szentendre artists are exhibited in Szentendre Hall, whereas in Barcsay Hall projects of national and international artists can be viewed.

The permanent exhibition featuring Janos Kmetty’s lifework was opened in 1981 in a former 18th-century Dalmatian trading house on the southern part of square. It holds primarily graphics, atelier sketches, oil paintings from the ’60s, glass window designs and stained glass windows as well as some exceptionally valuable contemporary paintings. The renovated Kmetty Museum re-opened on 11th December 2018 with the opening of the János Kmetty – An Unceasing Search exhibition.

Extensive collection of 16th- through 19th-century icons, liturgical vessels, Arabic scrolls from the Ottoman period and a variety of other church treasures.

Jenő Barcsay is a decisive artist of 20th-century Hungarian painting and graphic art. A representative of figurative constructivism, creator of mosaics and tapestries, and author of Anatomy for the Artist, Barcsay lived and worked in Szentendre throughout his long life. In addition to the smaller-sized color compositions of intimate tone—including paintings inspired by Szentendre motifs—there are delicately drawn studies, two mosaics, and three monumental pieces of woven upholstery displayed in the Greek Revival bourgeois apartment located in Jenő Dumtsa Street which hosts the collection. During the Art Capital festival, the Museum houses temporary exhibitions; the permanent collection will be returned to the Museum following its full-scale renovation.