Gellért Mountain

It is the highest point in Budapest from which you can admire the wonder of the city below but also the Parliament, the Castle and St. Stephen’s Basilica, all of which are mandatory stops in your discovery of the city. Mt. Gellért is actually a hill of lush forests about 235 meters high on the right bank of the Danube. It bears the name of an Italian bishop, Gerard, a martyr sacrificed in 1038 after the death of Stephen I to whom a bronze statue was erected at the very site of his martyrdom because he was highly revered by the Hungarians.
Here we find thermal baths (we find a large number of them throughout Budapest) that also bear the name of the bishop and a small church carved into the rock also dedicated to the martyr.
It can be reached on foot if you are coming from Pest: cross the Elizabeth Bridge and then continue up a flight of steps with paths through nature that are not particularly challenging, however.
From here, still climbing, you reach the Citadel, which deserves special attention for its features.

The Citadel

From here, too, you can enjoy a breathtaking view as you walk around the walkway along the fortress ordered by Emperor Franz Joseph to control the city from mid-nineteenth-century uprisings. Inside, a bunker was built during World War II consisting of three floors in which wax statues depicting war scenes are displayed. And from here you can also admire the view of Margaret Island, a green lung in the middle of the Danube connected to the city by two bridges (the Arpad Bridge and the Margit Bridge).
Towering over the Citadel is the Liberation Monument representing the freedom gained by Red Army soldiers against the Nazis: a bronze statue depicting a woman raising the palm of victory to the sky.

The Fishermen’s Bastion

Continuing along the right bank of the Danube on Buda Hill, you can’t fail to stop at this enchanted place: seven neo-Gothic and neo-Romantic watchtowers built at the turn of the 19th and early 20th centuries that represent the seven Hungarian tribes that conquered the land of Hungary in the ninth century.
In the square behind the Bastion you can admire the statue of Stephen I of Hungary, Hungary’s first king, crowning what is, if you will, a celebration of Hungary’s origins and history.
The belvedere terrace embraces what is another must-see attraction: the Matthias Church, which was restored when the Bastion was built. One of the oldest buildings (it enjoys 700 years of history) that has witnessed royal coronations and weddings, it was turned into a mosque for a time before returning to its former glory after careful restoration in the late 19th century.

Buda Castle

The Castle, not far from the Bastion and Matthias Church, dates in its first construction to the 13th century but has undergone numerous restorations due to as many war events that devastated it in several places.
The castle’s interior has managed to retain the old opulent and ornamental appearance typical of Turkish art, while on the outside the figure has changed profoundly while maintaining a majestic and solemn profile.
The Castle houses the Hungarian National Gallery (4 wings of the palace, where works by various Hungarian artists are displayed), the National Library (where at least one copy of every book published in Hungary can be found), and the Historical Museum of Budapest (where we find the history of the city reproduced, from its earliest days).
To get down from the Castle and into Pest, simply take the funicular north of the Castle at St. George’s Square, which will take you directly to the impressive Chain Bridge over the beautiful blue Danube.

The Chain Bridge and the Parliament

The Chain Bridge is Budapest’s iconic suspension bridge: it joins in one soul two parts of the same city that are on opposite banks: Buda and Pest. The actual name is that of Count István Széchenyi who is the one who most wanted its construction, and it is a source of pride for Hungarians both for its modernity and its splendor. It is indeed evocative to walk through it at night, when the artificial brightness diffused along the chains builds a particularly picturesque unreal magic.
At the base of the two pillars that support the bridge on both banks, two stone lions rest while, at the end, you can admire the coats of arms of Hungary.
Mirrored on the banks of the Danube is the Parliament, another must-see destination and another symbol of the city. It is an imposing English neo-Gothic building (very reminiscent of the image of Westminster in London), with a central dome and several other side turrets all painted red, while inside, a Renaissance and Baroque style embellishes the rooms, giving them a regal and sumptuous appearance.
You can admire, in addition to the architecture that will leave you breathless, the treasures kept in the domed hall (one of the most beautiful): the jewels of the Hungarian kingdom and the holy crown that belonged to Stephen I of Hungary.

Around Pest

Just as Buda represents the historical soul of the city, Pest is its opposite: a pulsating, living, but still distinctive modernity distinguishes this part of the left bank of the Danube.
You will find restaurants and open-air bars where you can enjoy local delicacies, but also special settings that will enchant you with their uniqueness and importance to Hungarians.
How not to mention Vorosmarty Square, where you can taste the world-famous Dobos cake, or be enchanted by the art galleries or luxury stores that are the symbol of the city’s shopping. Or, still nearby, you can lose yourself in Europe’s largest market, Vasarcsarnok, where you’ll find bistros, food stalls or artisan stores of all kinds.
And don’t forget the Jewish Quarter and the Great Synagogue, a church converted by the Turks into a mosque and preserving a “prayer niche” that is one of the last remaining legacies of Ottoman rule.
As you can see, you are spoiled for choice because Budapest is a city that will offer you an endless array of possibilities: all to see and experience.

The city of Budapest is one of the most beautiful in the world and in it one can admire several UNESCO World Heritage sites; it is a city that, although it has undergone renovations, still retains its strong identity.

Those who are fortunate enough to visit it get to admire a striking Danube River that runs through it, buildings such as the old Art Nouveau palace, and can stroll along streets full of decadent or trendy restaurants and pubs. Last but not least, one of the city’s major attractions are the ancient and beautiful Budapest Thermal Baths with more than 100 springs that bubble up under the city and provide the well-known baths, where many tourists go to find relief-even after running a challenging marathon such as the Budapest Marathon, which is part of a very important festival.

The well-known Budapest Marathon, in fact, is an annual sporting event that takes place between late September and early October in the city of the same name in Hungary.
Established in 1961, the Hungarian marathon has undergone various changes although, the current one has been the same since 1984.
Runners come from all over the world: in 2017 alone they came from as many as 84 countries, mostly from Germany, France and Britain, but also from places as far away as Vietnam, Thailand and Ghana.

About the Budapest Marathon

The Budapest Marathon is part of a well-known two-day festival, and while Saturday is dedicated to novice runners running less than ten kilometers, the actual marathon takes place on Sunday.

The official start and finish of the running race, which has an impressive 42.195 total kilometers, takes place at the Lágymányosi Campus of Eötvös Loránd University.The competition begins at the beautiful Heroes’ Square in Hősök Tere and continues inside in the Vàerosliget City Park.

Each year, however, the race has changed its route and starting and finishing locations although, as mentioned, it has been the same for several years now.

Participants can run for more than 42 km, for 30, participate in the race in teams consisting of two to four people or finally, in the 10 km race that is certainly within the reach of many. It should be pointed out, in fact, that the minimum distances are 400 meters and the maximum distance is 42 km, so participation in the event is truly open to anyone who wishes.

Registration takes place en masse, and just to cope with the large number of people from so many different places, the start is divided by zones: each one starts slightly later than the previous one, and the last runners start about 15 minutes later than the first.

The Budapest Marathon passes through two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as on two kilometer-long banks of the Danube, through the Tunnel and Margaret Island, so much so that along the entire route it is possible to notice many street performers playing music accompanying the runners.

During the run it is possible to encounter refreshment places more or less every three to four kilometers and there is medical service.

The race is also popular with supporters and fans who can take advantage of easy support points located mainly along subway stations; they are very well organized and allow them to move around to support runners in different areas.

Participating in the Budapest Marathon

As mentioned, anyone and according to their abilities can participate in the marathon and admire the entire city of Budapest as the race takes place; during the course, in fact, one passes through bridges, monuments, squares and city places that are very special and enchanting due to their uniqueness.
Runners, for example, pass in front of the third largest city building, namely the Buda Palace, home of the Parliament of Europe on the banks of the Danube, admire the panorama of Pest, pass through Andrassy Castle Avenue, Buda and over the Chain Bridge.
Participants wear a technical T-shirt with a logo that changes from year to year, and winners receive a medal.
Regular Spar Budapest Marathon race registration is required to participate in the event.
The start, as mentioned, takes place on Sunday morning at Heroes’ Square and it is possible to run distances of 42, 30 and 10 kilometers.

After the Budapest Marathon

Participating in the Budapest Marathon is also a way to visit the city, and those who flock from all areas of the world are aware of this.
Another cognition of runners is to end this experience -which many repeat several times in their lives- at the infamous Budapest Thermal Baths, where they find relief and rest following the not inconsiderable physical fatigue. After running, it is indeed possible to rest the legs in the thermal baths dating back to the 16th-17th centuries or in the Szechenyl Bath built in the neo-Baroque style.
Relief is also provided by the numerous pubs built in old buildings that are close to demolition but have been saved and made popular places for marathon participants both before and after the race.