There are
many places in Europe that are ideal for spending a perfect weekend and
Budapest is definitely one of them. Budapest is the city with the historic
cafes, the yellow trams, the cobbled narrow streets that boast freshly baked
strudel and the oldest metro in Europe.
The Hungarian capital is in fact two cities, Buda and Pest, which are separated by the Danube River and officially became a city in the late 19th century. Buda is tranquil, peaceful and green, with elegant architecture and few tourists, while Pest is vibrant and is the heart of the city, the center of culture and nightlife.
And maybe a
weekend is not enough to see all the beauties of the city, but you will
definitely get a good taste ...
The Parliament
The
Hungarian Parliament is a neo-Gothic building of the 19th century inspired by
the London Parliament located on the banks of the Danube. The Parliament was
built between 1885 and 1902 and at that time it was the largest in the world.
The building consists of 691 halls while the stairs are 20 kilometers long.
Shoes on the Danube
Near the
Parliament building along the Danube you will find a very special sculpture called Danube shoes. This particular monument is inspired by the Jewish
inhabitants of Budapest, who during the Second World War were executed along
the river after they were forced to take off their shoes.
Heroes Square
Heroes
Square (Hősök tere), is a huge and beautiful square surrounded by important
monuments. In the center of the square dominates the Millennium Monument, built
between 1896 and 1900, features the statues of all the famous Hungarian men. In
Hungary, the millennium refers to the year 1896, which marks 1,000 years since
the birth of Hungary when the Hungarian tribes entered and occupied the
Carpathian region.
St. Stephen's
Basilica
It took
over 50 years and 3 different architects to build the largest church in
Hungary. The interior of the church is very impressive, since the most famous
sculptors of Hungary were invited to decorate it, who used 50 different types of
marble. Also the right hand of Saint Stephen is kept here.
Visit a cafe and travel back in time
You do not
need me to tell you to take a break from your tours to enjoy a coffee. But
because we are talking about Budapest, a city with many fine historical cafes,
which travels you back to time, in the atmosphere of "old Budapest",
I want to be sure you will! The most famous café in the city is the New York
Café, which hosted many of the best writers and poets of the 20th-century. The
legend says that the writer Ferenc Molnár wanted to keep the cafe open all day
long, so he threw the key to the Danube.
The Chain Bridge
Undoubtedly,
the chain bridge is the most beautiful and busy bridge in Budapest, with a pair
of stone lions standing guard on every side of the Danube. It is the first
bridge that united Buda and Pest and dates back to 1849. Today's bridge though
is much newer, since the original was exploded during the Second World War.
House of Terror
As its name
suggests, House of Terror is not an ordinary museum. This museum contains
exhibits from 20th century fascist and communist regimes in Hungary and is also
a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those held, interrogated,
tortured or killed in the particular building. One of the most distinctive
features of the museum is the elevator that takes you to the basement where the
detention and torture cells were located.
Széchenyi Baths
The
Széchenyi Baths are Budapest's most famous spa baths. Even if you have never
heard of their name, you have certainly seen pictures of people who relax or
play chess in the blue waters of the baths surrounded by beautiful yellow
buildings. The Széchenyi baths functioned for the first time in 1913 and are
the largest in Europe. There are of course many opinions on whether they are the
best baths in Budapest or not, but surely there are dozens of baths in town, so
you have a lot of choices.
Central Market Hall
Budapest's
central market is close to the Liberty Bridge and is a place that both locals
and tourists love. It is the perfect place to see, taste and buy traditional
Hungarian products such as dried peppers, sausages and paprika. Do not forget
to take a stroll upstairs to buy some souvenirs.
The Buddha Castle
One of the
most important attractions on the Buda side is the castle. It is built on a
hill, which rises 48 meters above the Danube. At that very moment the city of
Budapest was founded. The Castle has 203 rooms and today houses several
museums, the most important of which are the Budapest History Museum as well as
the National Gallery.
Fisherman's Bastion
In the area
of the castle, you will also find Fisherman's Bastion, which seems to have come
out of a fairy tale. It was built in 1905 and consists of 7 towers that
symbolize the 7 tribes of the Magyars who came to Hungary in 1896. It was named
Fisherman's Bastion because in the past in this point was located the fish
market of the city. It is no doubt the point from where you will enjoy the most
beautiful views of Pest.
Margaret Island
Margaret Island is a small paradise, just few minutes away from the city center. It is a tiny island on the Danube, which in the past was called the Island of Rabbits and was the place where the members of the royal family used to hunt. It has now been transformed into a lovely green park with beautiful gardens where you can also find the ruins of an old Franciscan church and a musical fountain.
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