Photos by: Taras Bekhta and Arthur Yatsenko
In our previous post about What to do in Budapest on a weekend we already experienced a saturated and fast-paced day in Hungarian capital. The visitors of the city will absolutely stumble upon the famous landmarks and in previous article we wanted to deliver something unusual that one can do in the city.
Today we will focus on the main tourist attractions that can be covered in one day. We hope you might find something interesting for yourself here.
The city as
you might know was formed by joining two agglomerations – Buda and Pest. The “Buda” part is a hilly one, where a Royal Palace
with a National Gallery and other tourist attractions are located, while Pest is a flat surface on the east bank of river. Budapest hosts about 3,3
million inhabitants on a surface of 525 sq. km.
The first Hungarian settlement here was laid in 9th century, but the aforementioned unification of Buda and Pest took place only in 1873.The Hungarian capital has a rich and thrilling history throughout centuries, including being the part of Romanian Empire, invasion of Tatars in 13th century, Ottoman Empire occupation, Austro-Hungarian Empire and communism. One can feel the imprint of the different epochs has left on the city. For instance, famous Rudas Baths were constructed almost 500 years ago under Ottoman occupation and they are still functioning now.
The Buda castle
Completed in 1256, one of the most famous Budapest’s landmarks is located on the Castle Hill. Castle Hill also incorporates a range of other historic landmarks, such as Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion, and National Gallery. The hill can be reached both by funicular and by a passage atop (or 15 min on foot).
Fisherman’s Bastion
A viewing terrace, constructed between 1895 and 1902 is located on the Castle’s Hill, close to Matthias Church. Its seven Towers
are representation 7 Hungarian tribes, which settled here in 896. The Bastion derives its name from the guild of fishermen, who were guarding the city from this side in the middle Ages. A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse, erected in 1906, can be seen between the Bastion and the Matthias Church.
Matthias Church
The original building was erected in 11th century; however there are no any existing remains now. The current church was designed around 14th century, its rooftop features unique Magyar ceramics. The modern name of the church was derived after King Matthias in the 19th Century, who ordered the transformation of its original southern tower.
Hungarian Parliament
The second biggest parliament in Europe is located in Budapest (first one – is the parliament of notorious dictator Ceaușescu in Romania). An enormous amount of money was spent on the construction of this gorgeous building in Neo-gothic style. The interior of highest building in Budapest includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms. Its height is 96 meters, the number which represents nation’s millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary in 896.
St. Stephen’s Basilica (St. Istvan Bazilica)
The Roman catholic basilica, named after Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c 975–1038) is located in the heart of the Pest side of the city. It also has 96 meters of height, and one can ascend there for about 3 EUR. The basilica was completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction and has the largest bell in Hungary, which weights over 9 tons.
Budapest – the city of bridges
Indeed, the Hungarian capital can show off some magnificent bridges, which are even looking more enchanting at night. One of the most famous is the Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest and was opened in 1849. As being designed by an England constructor, the bridge has its twin-brother across Thames in Marlow, England. The bridge was opened in 1849 and became the first permanent bridge in the Hungarian capital. Back then, its center span of 202 meters was one of the largest in the world. The bridge was blasted during WWII, and then reconstructed.
St. Gellert Hill
The highest point in Hungary which has 235 meters and grants a spectacular view over the city. Gellért Hill was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. He was an Italian Benedictine monk from Venice, who served in the Kingdom of Hungary and who later was rolled from the hill in the wooden barrel by pagans, who did not want to take Christianity (at least the legend says so). The hill features the statue of Liberty, Citadella and a cave church on a way to top of the hill. Beneath are the famous Turkish’s Rudas Baths.
It is hard to embrace all the stunning beauty of the city and write about all the landmarks one can find here. We shall provide more photos for your’s inspiration to visit this stunning destination.
