Whether you want to lose yourself in time among majestic monuments, relax among restorative waters, take romantic walks along the river that inspired one of the world’s most famous waltzes, or simply enjoy irresistible cake in Europe’s most atmospheric cafes, Budapest is really for you.
\nVacation in the place that has collected and preserved historical traces of all times. Because Budapest is like that, it has not erased anything of its past. It has made it a treasure to be welcomed and protected through preservation and sharing. And that is exactly the feeling you get when you walk the streets of this monumental city: you can see, understand, and return home with a wealth of experiences and memories not only of your own, but also of those who lived long before you.
\nI just want to give you a few tips on what to see of this beautiful city, because all you have to do is climb to its highest point and lose yourself with your gaze among that breathtaking panorama to realize that you won’t want to miss a single corner of this open-air treasure.
\nSo let’s get going! Let’s fly high over Budapest starting right at a place with a sublime view and then landing on the city center, the great Paris of the East…<\/p>\n
Gell\u00e9rt Mountain<\/p>\n
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. Gell\u00e9rt 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.
\nHere 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.
\nIt 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.
\nFrom here, still climbing, you reach the Citadel, which deserves special attention for its features.<\/p>\n
The Citadel<\/p>\n
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).
\nTowering 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.<\/p>\n
The Fishermen’s Bastion<\/p>\n
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.
\nIn 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.
\nThe 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.<\/p>\n
Buda Castle<\/p>\n
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.
\nThe 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.
\nThe 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).
\nTo 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.<\/p>\n
The Chain Bridge and the Parliament<\/p>\n
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 Istv\u00e1n Sz\u00e9chenyi 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.
\nAt 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.
\nMirrored 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.
\nYou 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.<\/p>\n
Around Pest<\/p>\n
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.
\nYou 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.
\nHow 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.
\nAnd 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.
\nAs 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Whether you want to lose yourself in time among majestic monuments, relax among restorative waters, take romantic walks along the river that inspired one of the world’s most famous waltzes, or simply enjoy irresistible cake in Europe’s most atmospheric cafes, Budapest is really for you. Vacation in the place that has collected and preserved historical […]<\/p>\n