Esztergom's massive basilica, sitting high above the town and Danube River, is an incredible sight, rising out of what seems like nowhere in a rural stretch of country. But Esztergom’s attraction goes deeper than the domed structure: the nation's first king, St Stephen, was born here in 975. It was a royal seat from the late 10th to the mid-13th centuries and has been the seat of Roman Catholicism in Hungary for more than a thousand years. A picturesque town, packed with historic attractions, Esztergom makes a great day trip from Budapest and amply rewards those who linger longer.