Pilgrims
Vác is a major diocesan centre, and its sacral sites and pilgrimage sites tell visitors about the history of the city's construction and its mysterious legends.
Vác is a bishop's town, the centre of the Diocese of Vác, and one of the oldest inhabited settlements in Hungary. The interweaving of secular and sacral life has shaped the image of the town over the centuries.
After the destruction of the Turks, the activities of Vác's city-building bishops led to the city's rise, and on a tour of Vác you will see the traces of Archbishop-Bishop Kristóf Migazzi's sacrificial work. For this one emblematic symbol the Cathedral and the Bishop's Palacewhich is the ecclesiastical centre of the city.
During the time of Kristóf Migazzi, the Bishop's Palace, the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady of Vác, the Theresianum, the present Town Hall, the Arch of Triumph, the Hospital of the Merciful, and the Seven Chapels were completed.
Famous statues in Vác
Vác is the city of towers, but before you tour the city's famous churches, start your Vác walking tour in the Baroque main square. The statue of St Hedvig is placed next to the Church of the Whites, interestingly enough, St Hedvig is the patron saint of the Danube Bend.
In 2009, the statue of St Elisabeth of the House of Árpád was unveiled on the Danube bank of Vác, on the St Elisabeth promenade, while the statue of St John of Nepomuk is located at the beginning of the Liszt Ferenc promenade. He is the patron saint of rivers, bridges, sailors, watermen and fishermen.
Located opposite the Piarist Church Holy Trinity Column is one of the most prestigious monuments in Vác. The statue group, which depicts St John of Nepomuk, St Sebastian and St Rocesus, among others, was erected by the survivors in gratitude for the end of the plague epidemic of 1740-41.
A On the Kőszentes Bridge there are six statues, which are worth visiting, as they depict the Apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Camilla, Saint Borbala, Saint Thaddeus and Saint Venancel. The bridge was an important site of the battle of April 1849.
Churches and exhibition sites in Vaci
The most famous church in Vác is the Vác Assumption Cathedralwhich is the fourth largest basilica in the country. The cathedral, built in the 18th century, is the third major church in the city, To see the altarpiece has a rather fascinating history.
In the main square of Vác, you can see the ruins of the former church of St Michael, nowadays the as an exhibition space now a museum with valuable artefacts.
Also in the main square is the Church of the Whites, named after the white habit of the Dominican monks. The discovery of the legendary Vác mummies is linked to the church, and part of the artefacts can be seen in the Memento Mori exhibition at the Ignác Tragor Museum.
As the centre of the Diocese of Vaci, the Palace of the Great Prefecture the Treasury and Diocesan Collection of the Cathedral of Vaci, which displays the treasures of the churches and churchwardens of the diocese. The museum offers an insight into the diocese's thousand-year history, with important sacral monuments and original wall frescoes.
A Holy Cross Franciscan Church and monastery was built on the site of the fortress of Vác. The Baroque church is richly furnished, the main jewel being the early Rococo wooden high altar. It is interesting to note that the monastery once housed one of the largest rural ecclesiastical printing presses of the time.
Collection of Sacred Art of the Church of Vaci
The permanent exhibition of the Collection of Sacred Art of the Church of Vaci, entitled "OUR OWNERSHIP", presents valuable works of art, such as jewellery, liturgical tools, paintings, sculptures, engravings and furniture, which are related to the activities of great ancestors, bishops and archpriests. Its collection of liturgical textiles is particularly rich.
Opening hours: tuesday-friday: 11.00 - 16.00
On Fridays at 11 and 14 hrsthere will be a guaranteed guided tourof the exhibition. Guided tours are also available for individual guests and groups at other times on request. Groups of less than 10 people will be charged a guide fee of HUF 5000.
For group visits and guided tours, please register via the email below:
Email: muzeum@vaciegyhazmegye.hu
Phone (during working hours): 0630 716-5701
Tickets:
Adult/Full price 1200 Ft/person
Seniors/students 600 Ft/person
Diocesan/pilgrim groups 600 Ft/person
A diocesan or pilgrimage ticket can only be purchased if the group arrives with a pastoral leader, parish priest or pilgrim from the Diocese of Vaci and has a pilgrim's book or a parish certificate. Tickets can be purchased on the spot, currently only cash payment is possible. Please be patient until a credit card payment method is available! The Collection building also hosts thematic temporary exhibitions, workshops and the garden and rooms are available for hire.
Visit to the Bishop's Palace and Garden of Vaci
Every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. there is a guided visit for individual guests.
Entrance ticket (the ticket price includes the guided tour in Hungarian)
- Adult/full price: 1900 Ft
- Pensioner/student: 1500 Ft
To book a group visit at another time, please contact:
- email: latogatas@vaciegyhazmegye.hu
- telephone (during working hours): 06 30 716 5722
On the last Saturday of every month, the guaranteed guided tour of the residents of Vác can visit the Palace free of charge, courtesy of Bishop Father Zsolt Marton, on presentation of their address card.
Pilgrimage sites in Vaci
Our city is part of and a stop on the international Route of Mary, the pilgrimage route of Central Europe. Besides the pilgrimage, the Way of Mary is also the venue of several international events, the most famous being the Mary Marathon, the 1Úton International Pilgrimage Day, or the 40-day pilgrimage to Csíksomlyó. The pilgrimage sites in Vác can be reached via the Nézsa-Vác and the Márianosztra-Vác-Veresegyház pilgrim routes.
A 15-20 minute walk from the city centre, you will find the Calvary Hill, the oldest Calvary is the oldest monumental ensemble in the city. Inside the fortress-like structure is the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, from where you can see the stations of Christ's Passion through 14 stations.
The Vác The Seven Chapels, and the associated legends, and the healing waters of the spring, make the area a popular place of excursion and pilgrimage in the city. The church Virgin Mary, the Feast of the Seven Chapels is celebrated every year on the Feast of the For Mary's Day (12 September) the Sunday closest to the feast of St. Mary.
Several Holy Masses are celebrated during the Easter period, and late in the evening there is a candlelight rosary along the stations. The procession always takes place on Sundays, with the faithful departing from the Cathedral to the Liget, where they attend Mass in the shade of the chestnut trees at the outdoor altar.
Would you like to visit the renowned sacral sites, sculptures and churches of Vác? Visit us in any season, the city always welcomes pilgrims with open arms.