Visegrád
Golden age in the 15th c. during
the reign of King Matthias. The excavated parts of the Renaissance
palace are amazing. You get the best view over the Danube Bend from
the Citadel right on top.
Esztergom;
The town, 70 km from Budapest, is the seat of the Hungarian Roman
Catholic Church. It was a royal seat until the 13th century. St.
Stephen was crowned here. The cathedral is Hungary's largest church,
and the Christian Museum is one of the largest such collections.
Gödöllö
The most famous sight of the town, 30 km from Budapest, is the
Grassalkovich Palace, the largest in Hungary. Maria Theresa stayed
here several times, and it was the favourite home of Queen Elisabeth
(Sissy) in the 19th century. Restoration is underway, but several
wings are
already open to the public.
Budapest
The city is divided into two parts, the hilly side of Buda
on the western bank and the flat plain of Pest on the
eastern bank of the river Danube. These two parts of the
city were once separate towns and were merged together with
Ancient Buda (Óbuda) only in 1873.
(Royal
Palace, Castle District, Trinity Square, Matthias Church, Fishermen's
Bastion, Mary Magdalene Tower, Cave system.) The name Buda
Castle covers more than a castle or the Royal Palace in the capital
city; it extends to the historical quarter full of sites. On bright
spring days people invite friends for a "walk in the Castle",
i.e. to wander around the Castle Hill quarter. The most exiting
way of getting to the Castle is by taking the Funicular, a little
cable car up the Castle Hill.
Royal Palace
The Royal Palace is situated on the southern part of Castle Hill.
The medieval palace that stood here was destroyed during the battles
against Turkish invaders, leaving only the fortified walls as
a memento. The site was then filled in to lay the foundations
of the new grandiose Baroque palace started by Maria-Theresa and
expanded on Hungarian initiative in the 19th century. The Palace
itself was gutted during the Second World War. Unfortunately there
is no place in the Palace today that would allow the visitor a
glimpse of the lavish suites and interiors of past royals. Today,
it functions as home to important cultural institutions and museums:
Hungarian National Gallery, the National Széchényi Library, the
Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Budapest History Museum.
Castle District
The Castle District is one of the most romantic pedestrian sections
in Budapest. A medieval little town with atmospheric streets,
picturesque houses, gas lamps and beautiful monuments. The main
street of the district - Tárnok Street - ranges from Dísz Square
to today's district centre, Matthias Church. Colourful little
houses border the square and the neighbouring streets. The winding
streets and narrow houses date back to the Middle Ages, occasionally
decorated with valuable Gothic window and door frames. Elegant
Baroque and Louis XVI-style palaces are relics of the restoration
work after the Turkish occupation.
Trinity Square
This square is the current centrepiece of the Castle District
featuring a monumental Holy Trinity statue, the discreetly reserved
old Buda City Hall, and the world famous Matthias Church. The
best restaurants and shops in the area are also nearby. The cellars
of the Hungarian Culture Foundation accommodate the House of Hungarian
Wines.
Fishermen's Bastion
Completed in 1905 on the site of a former fish market - this is
where the name comes from. It has never served a defensive purpose:
it is an excellent lookout place. The floodlit row of bastions
offer a panoramic view onto the other bank of the Danube. The
cityscape opening up from there, including the Fishermen's Bastion,
has been part of UNESCO's World Heritage since 1988. The crypt
of the ancient St. Michael Cemetery Chapel (the first written
record dates from 1443) was opened to the public in 1997.
Matthias Church
The church bears the name of its biggest Maecenas, King
Matthias, who married twice in this shrine. The cathedral is
almost as old as the Royal Palace and has been the venue of
several coronation ceremonies. Every king and époque left
its mark on the building until the Turks occupied Buda in
1541 and converted the temple into a mosque, whitewashing -
and thus preserving - its medieval frescos. Matthias Church
gained its current form at the turn of the century when a
lot of smaller buildings attached to it earlier were pulled
down and the church was reconstructed in characteristic
neo-Gothic style. In addition to the usual biblical scenes,
its frescos tell of the most important events in Hungary's
history. The magnificent acoustics make it a popular concert
venue. www.matyas-tempom.hu
Mary Magdalene Tower
(I. Kapisztrán tér 6.)
Only the tower of the church of the former Buda garrison, destroyed
in World War II, stands. Behind it a garden of ruins displays
the history of the church from the 13th century. The restoration
of the tower was completed in 1997, and today it is open to the
public as a lookout tower. Of particular interest is the 24-piece
glockenspiel, which rings every 15 minutes daily 8.00-21.00.
Cave system
Another
point of interest of the Castle Hill on the Buda side is that
almost every house in the quarter has cellars several storeys
deep running down into the hill. These cellars were connected
into a several-kilometre-long corridor system in the Middle Ages
and served a useful purpose in times of war. Defenders of the
area used the casemate system to speedily relocate troops to more
threatened points of the district, suggesting far greater numbers
to the enemy than they actually were and thus the area could be
defended with limited troops. One section of the cellar system
was turned into what is known as the Labyrinth of the Buda Castle
with remarkable historical walk-through tableaux.
Buda Castle (Budai Vár)
(Royal Palace, Castle District, Trinity Square, Matthias Church,
Fishermen's Bastion, Mary Magdalene Tower, Cave system.)
The name Buda Castle covers more than a castle or the Royal Palace
in the capital city; it extends to the historical quarter full
of sites. On bright spring days people invite friends for a "walk
in the Castle", i.e. to wander around the Castle Hill quarter.
The most exiting way of getting to the Castle is by taking the
Funicular, a little cable car up the Castle Hill.
Chain Bridge
The first permanent bridge over the Danube. Budapest owes its
construction to Count István Széchenyi who had to wait a week
before he could cross the river to bury his father. This is when
he decided to build a permanent crossing for the city. Architect
William Clark and namesake Adam Clark supervised construction
works; the bridge was finally completed in 1849. It has since
rightly become a symbol of Budapest city, a magnificent sight
when illuminated at night. In 1999 a monumental ceremony and the
installation of new floodlights marked the 150th anniversary of
the bridge.
Elisabeth Bridge
The bridge bears the name of Queen Elisabeth. (A statue on
the Buda side of the bridge stands in memory of Elisabeth,
the queen very much liked by the Hungarians.) Originally
built in Eclectic style, the bridge was blown up by
retreating German troops in 1945 and was so badly damaged
that reconstruction was out of the question. A new bridge
was thus constructed in its place with the same span as the
original.
Liberty Bridge
The bridge was inaugurated in 1896 as part of the monumental series
of ceremonies organized to commemorate the 1000th anniversary
of the arrival of the Magyars in the Carpathian Basin. The third
bridge on the river, it was originally named after Francis Joseph:
the Emperor himself ceremonially fixed the last rivet on the bridge.
Unable to escape its fate, this bridge was also blown up during
the war, but was later rebuilt.
Margaret Bridge
The second permanent bridge in Budapest built between 1872
and 1876 based on the plans of a French architect. There is
an embranchment from the middle pillar onto Margaret Island
- the only section of the bridge still maintaining the
original structure.
St. Stephen's Basilica
Construction of the largest church of the capital (seating
8,500 persons) was beset by vicissitudes. No sooner did the groundwork
begin when the War of Independence broke out in 1848, then construction
was resumed in 1851, followed by the immediate death of the two
architects, and even the dome collapsed during the works. The
church with a Greek cross plan was finally consecrated in 1905.
With the river Danube in the vicinity, huge foundations and three
underground levels had to be laid under the church, resulting
in an underground "house" almost as large as on the
surface. It took 60 years and two architectural époques - Classicism
and Eclecticism - to build the Basilica. Special works of art
present the life of King St. Stephen - in whose name the basilica
was dedicated - founder of the Hungarian State and Christian Church
in Hungary.
A grandiose cupola dominates the edifice offering visitors a good
view of the city from its rim. From the unique 360-degree circular
lookout you can admire Budapest from a height of 65 meters. A
modern and secure elevator will take you most of the way up, from
where you climb to the circular lookout on a spiral staircase.
Liberty Square
At the time the Basilica was built, a huge prison facility
still dominated this square built to "tame rebellious Hungarians".
Government offices, banks and splendid apartment houses were later
built on its ruins on Liberty Square. The former Stock Exchange
is now the premises of Hungarian Television and a symbol of the
square. The National Bank of Hungary is a much more reserved building,
mostly with classic ornamentation. A war memorial in the middle
of the square stands in memory of the fallen heroes of World War
Two. After the political changes of the early 90s, all communist
and Soviet-style public sculptures were removed to a Statue Park
outside Budapest. An irony of fate, however, is that the only
survivor is this Russian memorial standing face-to-face with the
Stars and Stripes of the American Embassy building. Hungary signed
an agreement to keep this memorial intact to pay tribute to the
Russian soldiers buried underneath the monument.
Parliament
Built at the turn of the century, the building of the
Parliament quickly became a dominant sight and symbol of
Budapest and the Danube panorama. A typically Eclectic
edifice with a lot of small spikes and stone lace
ornamentation, it is one of the most decorative structures
of the capital. It also ranks as one of the biggest national
assemblies in the world.
Majestic stone lions flank the VIP entrance taking visitors
to the magnificent staircase leading to the cupola room,
home of the most elegant state receptions. Two symmetric
wings open up from here, for what used to be the Lower and
the Upper House of the pre-communist parliament. The rich
interior and gorgeous decoration of the Parliament building
are well worth seeing as part of a guided tour.
Kossuth Square
Two monumental buildings stand opposite Parliament. The less pompous
Classicist one on the right-hand side of the square is the building
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The one
that draws the eye is the Museum of Ethnography, originally built
as the Central Court.
Two monumental buildings stand opposite Parliament. The less pompous
Classicist one on the right-hand side of the square is the building
of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The one
that draws the eye is the Museum of Ethnography, originally built
as the Central Court.
Andrássy Avenue
Budapest's first elegant metropolitan avenue artificially
constructed late 19th century after the unification of Buda
and Pest. The avenue sets off as a typical downtown main
road with high-rise apartment houses and continues as a
wider, spacious, greener tree-lined avenue bordered with
majestic villas. The Millennium Underground stretching under
Andrássy út was put into service in 1896 as the first
underground train system on the Continent, carrying
passengers over the four kilometres in less than ten minutes.
Today, the subway transports passengers in modern carriages
but through authentically refurbished tunnels. Visitors are
invited to stop off at the stations every now and then to
look at the little exhibitions at each station.
The Hungarian State Opera House and the Pest Broadway are
other precious treasures of Andrássy Avenue.
Hungarian State Opera House
Budapest is proud of possessing one of the most beautiful
opera houses in the world. The opening performance of the Opera
House was held in the neo-Renaissance building, the jewel of the
avenue, in 1884 after nine years of construction. The staircase
and the auditorium of the palace, designed by one of the best
architects of those days Miklós Ybl, are decorated with frescos
of eminent Hungarian painters such as Bertalan Székely, Mór Thán
and Károly Lotz. The first director was Ferenc Erkel, Gustav Mahler
held this post for several years, and Puccini directed the premiere
of two of his operas here. Renowned guest conductors include Otto
Klemperer, Sergio Failoni and Lamberto Gardelli. It is still one
of the best opera houses in Europe. Well worth a visit, even for
those who do not especially like operas. www.opera.hu
Millennium Monument - Heroes' Square
Budapest's grandest square closes off Andrássy út, with City Park
right behind. Marking the end of stylish Andrássy út, this monumental
edifice is a majestic memorial of the thousand-year history of
Hungarians in Europe. Each part of the monument represents an
important section of Hungarian history. In the focus of the semicircular
colonnade stands the bronze statue of Archangel Gabriel on a 36-meter-high
column, which was awarded a Grand Prix at the Paris World Exposition
in 1900. According to an old Hungarian legend, the angel appeared
in the dreams of first Hungarian king Saint Stephen and gave him
the holy crown. The equestrian statues of the seven legendary
chieftains who lead migrating Hungarians to the Carpathian Basin
stand on the pedestal of the obelisk. The two circular peristyles
present statues of famous kings, emperors and personalities of
Hungarian history. The solemnity and pomp of the statue park is
further heightened by the two old museum buildings on either side:
the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art.
Museum
of Fine Arts
The exhibition features an outstanding collection of Ancient
Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, along with a selection of European
masterpieces including one of the largest collections of Spanish
art outside Spain.
Sound, view and vision show on the river.
You are invited for an hour's showboat cruise at night. Glass
in hand you will be able to experience how the legends of Budapest
come to life. You will be able to look behind the walls and the
Royal Palace, Parliament, Margaret Island, the bridges, and other
splendid sights, all bathed in light, will tell you their story.
DANUBE LEGEND is an evening sightseeing cruise on the river,
combined with a sound and vision show. The boat departs from the
center of Budapest and makes an hour round trip in the city. While
you are enchanted by the illuminated sights, famous Hungarian
historical personalities , kings, queens poets, inventors and
even the Danube tells you legendary stories about the town. Throught
TV screens - hanged every where on board - you be able to look
behind the walls of the buildings passing by, to admire the hidden
interiors. The programm ends with the Blue Danube Waltz which
whispers in your ears any time you remember the tour.
Duration: 1 hour
Included: 2 drinks champain,
wine, beer, soft drinks,
Languages: selection of 30
languages
Departure: From the camping
Pap-sziget by minibus or Budapest, 5th district, Vigadó
tér - Boat Station Pier 7.
Duna Bella Sightseeing Cruises
in Budapest
A pleasant hour on a ship, sailing between the splendid
visions of Buda and Pest & an hour walk on Margaret
Island. A sparkling cocktail and a choice of wine, beer or
soft drink.
DUNA BELLA is a daytime sightseeing cruise on the
Danube. The boat tour departs from the center of Budapest.
During the trip you are guided by the two parts of the city
as "Buda" and "Pest" are telling you
their fabulous stories about the charming curiosities along
the river. This dialogue ends at the Margaret Island, where
you have the possibility to participate in an hour walking
tour. ( To skip the Margaret Island tour: stay on board! The
ship stops only for 5 minutes. Those are walking, will
return with the next boat.) Following the island break the
boat turns towards the town again, but the show is not over
yet. The final 15 minutes is full of suprises!
Duration: 1 or 2 hours.
ˇ 2 hours: 1 h cruise + 1 h walk on Margarete Island
ˇ 1 hour: skiping the island walk
Included: 2 drinks wine, beer, soft drinks, "Duna
Bella" cocktail
Languages: On the boat: selection of 30 languages. On
the island: English, German, Hungarian (French, Spanish,
Italian on request)
Departure: From the camping Pap-sziget by minibus or
Budapest, 5th district, Vigadó tér - Boat Station Pier 6
and 7.
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