Two Cities become One - Budapest

Most of your river cruises will begin or end in Budapest from the north or the south. Its thermal baths, imperial architecture, and magnificent skyline make it a city for everyone to enjoy. Several UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Budapest – the iconic banks of the Danube River, the Buda Castle Quarter, Heroes’ Square, the Millennium Underground Railway, and Andrássy Avenue, to name a few. Budapest is also a food capital – with goulash, noodles, cold fruit soups, and paprika taking center stage. Be sure to check out The Great Market Hall near Liberty Bridge, originally opened in 1987. It offers some of the city’s best stands for local delicacies, vegetables, fruits, salamis, and meat products. It also offers local souvenirs and locally made items – look for stunning Zsolnay tiles (a uniquely Hungarian art form). Krik Weisz (Harry Houdini), Zsa Gabor, US Congressman Tom Lantos, physicist Leo Szilard, Noble Prize winner George Olah are just a few the claim Budapest as their birthplace. The opulent neo-Renaissance National Opera House has been entertaining Hungarians since its opening in 1884. It is located along Adrássy Avenue.

Budapest is the capital of Hungary with two communities – Royal, the medieval Buda, on the hilly western bank with its majestic architecture, and the modern Pest, on the east lying flat with busy boulevards. In the 19th century, the Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Iánchíd) was built and Budapest, the “Queen of the Danube”, was created linking the green hills of Buda with the flat fields of Pest. Journey along Andrássy Avenue to see the 19th- and 20th-century mansions, National Opera House, Parliament Building, and Chain Bridge. Stop in Heroes’ Square to learn more about Hungarian history, then cross the Danube to Buda’s Castle District. Visit Matthias Church and enjoy brilliant views of the Danube and the beautiful Hungarian Parliament building from Fishermen’s Bastion. One of the best times to see Budapest is at night on the Danube River when you arrive from the north. The city is full of light (keep in mind the lights go out at midnight).

Elizabeth and Chain Bridges are just two of the bridges that blend and connect the two into one modern city. Margaret Island, named after St. Margaret, a medieval nun of royal birth, is located between the riverbanks. Here you will find a haven of beautiful gardens.

One of Budapest’s most iconic sights is the Parliament (pictured in last week's newsletter). It is the 3rd largest Parliament building in the world, built in the neo-Gothic style between 1895-1902. This is where the National Assembly meets to govern the country.

Sights not to miss in Budapest:

Heroes’ Square – as you travel down Andrássy Avenue, at the entrance to the City Park with Heroes’ Square, as well as the Millennium Monument, a landmark of Budapest, is Heroes’ Square. The construction of the monument was started when the 1000th anniversary was celebrated in 1896 when Hungary was part of the Austrian Empire and 5 spaces for statues were left on the colonnade for members of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. The monument was completed in 1900, hence the name Millennium Monument. After the monument was damaged in World War II, it was rebuilt and the Habsburgs were replaced with the current figures. At the center stands a statue of the Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian Holy Crown and apostolic double-cross. At the base of the column are sculptures of leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th-century lead by Prince Arpad. Heroes’ Square is also the main entrance to the grand city park – home of the famed Széchenyi Thermal Bath (open since 1913 and largest medicinal bath in all of Europe). Near the square, you will see the Museum of Fine Arts, the Palace of Arts, the Museums of Agriculture and Transport, the Budapest Zoo (one of the oldest zoos in the world with over 1,000 animals including a Komodo dragon and wombat), Funfair, Municipal Grand Circus, an amusement park with one of the only remaining side friction roller coasters in the world, and Vajdahunyad Castle (built on a mini island). Plus, the historically popular restaurant, Gundel, opened in 1984. At City Park Lake, behind the Square, you can take out a rowboat to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Buda Castle – is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, first completed in 1265. In the past, it was called the Royal Palace and Royal Castle. Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, bounded on the north by the Castle District which is famous for its Medieval Baroque 19th-century houses, churches,and public buildings. It is linked with Clark Ádám Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular. In 1987, the castle became part of the Budapest World Heritage Site. The first castle was built in the 13th century after Mongol tribes had invaded Hungary. King Béla IV built a keep surrounded by thick walls in 1243. No trace of the original castle remains and historians aren’t even sure of its precise location. Today the main structure of the Castle is rather austere compared to its predecessors; the interior is completely devoid of ornamentation and none of the magnificent royal apartments have been reconstructed. Despite its lack of authenticity, the Buda Castle is still an imposing complex, with its more than 300 meters (1000 ft.) long façade facing the Danube. The palace consists of a number of wings (named after the letters A to F) arranged around the Lion Courtyard. The courtyard is bordered by the National Library and two museums, the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.

Fisherman’s Bastion – is one of Budapest's top attractions. It was built in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque styles with sweeping views of the city below – including the Parliament and Danube River. The present-day lovely lookout towers of the Fisherman’s Bastion were built in the 19th century to serve as a lookout tower for the best panoramic views in Budapest. They used to real castle walls but the present-day structure has never served as an actual fortification in Buda.

Quick Facts:

Built from 1895 to 1902

Looks like the logo of Walt Disney films, only nicer and older

Open all year round, day and night

Entrance fee: free balconies combined with fee-paying top turrets

7 turrets to represent the 7 Magyar tribes who founded the present-day country in 895

Café and Restaurant takes up most of the Fisherman’s Bastion Budapest

The Chapel inside the Fisherman’s Bastion Budapest

Protected by the guild of the fishermen during the Middle Ages who defended the city

Matthias Church – officially named the Church of Our Lady, this famous landmark in Budapest’s Castle District is better known as Matthias Church after the much-loved 15th century Renaissance King who contributed the towers and was married there. It is home to several coronations and royal weddings. The Church of Our Lady was built in the mid-13th century, but has been frequently restored, repaired, and remodeled to whatever architectural style at the time. The last two Hungarian Habsburg kings were crowned in the Matthias Church: Franz Joseph in 1867 (Liszt wrote and performed his Coronation Mass for the occasion) and Charles IV in 1916. Most of the exterior of Matthias Church was added around 1896 in a Gothic style. The interior is decorated with works by two outstanding 19th-century Hungarian painters, Karoly Lotz and Bertalan Szekely. The wall left of the entrance represents the Renaissance, while the wall across from the entrance has Eastern motifs to represent Ottoman rule. On the left side of the church is the tomb of St. Imre, son of King S. Istvan, and the heir to the throne (killed by a boar while hunting at the age of 19). The religious highlight of the interior is the Loreto Chapel, with a statue of the Virgin Mary and Christ, made in 1515. When Budapest was under siege from the Turks, locals plastered over the niche that contained the statue. The Ottomans used the church as their primary mosque during the occupation but never noticed the statue. Over a century later, in 1686, an explosion of gunpowder at the castle crumbled the wall around the statue, revealing the Virgin’s shining face. It is said this was the only part of town retaken from the Ottomans without a fight. Pope John Paul II visited the church in 1991.

These are just a few of the sights to see in Budapest. Be sure to check with your travel advisor to arrange a personal in-depth tour of the city.