Budapest’s neoclassical cathedral was built over half a century and completed in 1905. Much of the interruption had to do with a fiasco in 1868 when the dome collapsed during a storm, and the structure had to be demolished and then rebuilt from the ground up. The basilica is rather dark and gloomy inside, but take a trip to the top of the dome for incredible views.
To the right as you enter the basilica is a lift to the 2nd-floor treasury of ecclesiastical objects. Behind the main altar and to the left is the basilica’s major drawcard: the Holy Right Chapel, containing the Holy Right (also known as the Holy Dexter) – the mummified right hand of St Stephen and an object of great devotion. It was restored to Hungary by Habsburg empress Maria Theresa in 1771 after being discovered in a monastery in Bosnia. Like the Crown of St Stephen, it was snatched by the bad guys after WWII but was soon returned home.
