Budapest - the Queen of the Danube
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Attractions
Hungarian State Opera House
The most important and beautiful building in Budapest is the Opera house which was designed by Miklós Ybl in 1884. Located on Budapest’s Champs Elysées Andrássy Avenue in Pest one should take one of the guided tours of the opera house as these usually include a musical performance in their itinerary.
Castle Royal Palace,Budavári Palota, Dísz tér 17
This Palace is located at the top of Castle hill in the historic castle district of Buda. The castle was inhabited by Hungarian Royals for over 700 years. The strategic location of Budapest made it susceptible to invasions over the years for there were constant struggles for the control of the main waterway the River Danube. The Castle was attacked and rebuilt repeatedly hence the Castle in its current form it displays a mish mash of styles ranging from Gothic to Baroque. The Castle has in its environs The Budapest History Museum which catalogues the history of Budapest over the past 2000 years. The exhibits of the museum are spread over three floors. The Castle complex also includes the Hungarian National Gallery which has a collection of Hungarian art dating back to the 10th century. Its numerous exhibits feature works of Gothic art and medieval and Renaissances stone work. The museum showcases also works of contemporary Hungarian art from the 19th and 20th centuries. Artists such as László Mednyánsky and Jósef Rippi Ronai have their works displayed here. The complex also includes the National Library and used to contain the Ludwig Museum which has now moved. The Royal Palace can be explored by undertaking an excursion through the Ferdinand Gate to the Mace tower and the Turkish Cemetery.
Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art,Komor Marcell utca 1
The city’s collection of contemporary art is now housed in the huge Palace of Arts opposite the National Theatre. The collection includes oeuvres of American, Russian, German and French artists from the last fifty years. This collection was originally in the Royal Palace on Castle Hill.
Fisherman’s Bastion Szentháromság tér
This bastion consists of ramparts built in 1905 on the medieval castle walls. These ramparts were named after the fishermen of the city who were expected to guard this section of the hill. The bastion was never used for a defensive purpose though. It was purely ornamental with its cloisters and stairways. This bastion which overlooks the River Danube offers gorgeous views and it is a wonderful site at night as it is lit with floodlights.
Mathais Church, Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér)
Another popular landmark of Budapest is the Matthais Church. This popular church whose patron saint is Our Lady is popularly called Matthais Church after King Matthias who was a great patron of arts and learning and ruled in Hungary from 1458 to 1490. He managed to unite the country after years of anarchy. When the Turks conquered Hungary in 1541 the church was transformed into a mosque and scenes from the Koran were inscribed on its walls.
Gellért Hill District XI, Szent Gellért tér
Gellért Hill is named after a Bishop who was killed while trying to convert the Magyars to Christianity. A statue of the Bishop is located at the base of the hill which is topped by the Liberation Monument depicting a female figure holding up the palm of victory. This monument was built to commemorate the Soviet troops who laid down their lives trying to liberate Hungary during the Second World War. Behind the monument is the Citadella which is a fortress which was built after the 1848 revolution. The Hill contains the Gellért Baths. These historic baths are a thermal spa attached to the Art Nouveau Gellért Hotel. The pools here have a constant temperature of 44°C ( 111°F). These Roman style pools are adorned with lion headed spouts surrounded by mosaic patterns and columns so much so that bathing in these waters are likened to bathing in a Cathedral.
The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum. Dohány utca 2
The Great Synagogue is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world. It is located in Erzsébet Town which is the Jewish settlement of Budapest. The synagogue can accommodate 3000 worshippers at a time and it is thronged with worshippers on Jewish festivals. This synagogue which was completed in 1859 is built in a style which can be described as Byzantine- Moorish. Glided arches and balconies as well as lights adorn the interior which is resplendent with the Stars of David on the ceiling. The floor has tiles with stars on them. The Jewish Museum adjacent to the synagogue has exhibits of Jewish arte facts as well as a Holocaust Memorial room built to commemorate the thousands of Hungarian Jews annihilated during the Nazi occupation of Hungary in the Second World War.
The Chain Bridge Clark Ádám Square
This bridge built by William and Adam Clark who built the equally historic London Bridge is the first bridge to be built over the great River Danube. It was opened in 1849. Today there are nine bridges which span the River Danube and link Buda to Pest but the Chain Bridge which is illuminated at night is most famous of all these bridges.
The Parliament Building
The imposing edifice along the embankment is topped by a red dome and adorned by white stone ornamentation and spires. It is opulently decorated with an interior which is made up of marble and gold. Statues, columns and numerous arte facts add to its magnificence. It stretches for 820 ft along the embankment and this makes it one of the biggest national assemblies in the world.
Hotels
Many of Budapest’s hotels are exponents of Art Nouveau and are a trifle over the top in their grandeur. One of the most opulent hotels which occupies an edifice built in 1906 is the Four Seasons at Gresham Place .Located directly opposite Chain Bridge the Four seasons affords splendid views of the Danube. It also has in its environs the Italian restaurant Pava which is reputed to be the best in Budapest. The hotel can be accessed online at www.fourseasons.com/budapest. The Hilton Budapest is located in the Buda’s historical castle district. The hotel is modern but incorporates within it the ruins of a 13th century Dominican Church and a 17th Century Jesuit college. In recent times it has lost ground to the newer hotels in Budapest but the Hilton can be accessed for rates and availability at www.hilton.com. New boutique hotels such as Art’otel on the Buda waterfront provide visitors a more modern option . Hotel Zara , the Atrium Hotel and Lanchid 19 are other hotels belonging to this genre.
Restaurants
Budapest boasts of some splendid restaurants which have an old world charm and serve exquisite cuisine made up of Hungarian delights such as goose liver and goulash. The most expensive and world renowned is Gundel which opened in 1894 in City Park. Bagolyvár housed in an Art Nouveau building is another exponent of Hungarian fare at more down to earth prices than Gundel. Baraka on Andrassy u is yet another popular restaurant for Hungarian fare. Kadar is a no frills café which serves more hearty local fare.
Shop
Shop at the Gustave Eiffel designed Great Market Hall for Foie Gras and Hungarian Saffron. The City Flea Market held on Sundays at the City Park is a bargain hunters treasure trove for a variety of products such as candles, honey and herbs. Eseri Piac, one of the best known Flea markets of Central Europe is yet another Flea market where one purchase knick knacks as well as antique jewelry and relics from the Soviet era.
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