The Hungarian capital lies on the banks of the Danube, dividing the city into two parts - hilly, wooded Buda and flat Pest. Until 1873 Buda, Obuda and Pest remained independent cities, but after the unification, having received the status of districts of the capital of Hungary, they did not lose their identity. The appearance of Budapest harmoniously combines the narrow streets of Buda, spacious avenues and monumental buildings of Pest, the delicate bridges of the Danube embankment and the greenery of Margaret Island.
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sights
In addition, the Hungarian capital stands out among other large European cities for its healing waters. In the first centuries AD Hungary (Pannonia) was the eastern province of the Roman Empire. On the banks of the Danube, within the boundaries of modern Obuda, there was the city of Aquincum ("abundant waters"), on the site of which an archaeological park has survived - the ruins of amphitheaters, public buildings, private mansions and Roman baths of the 2nd century. Today, there are 130 thermal springs in Budapest and 26 old Turkish and modern baths. How pleasant it is - after a day full of excursions, immerse yourself in the bubbling warm water of the pool!
Hungarian parliament building
Quiet and cozy medieval Buda
The western bank of the Danube is occupied by Buda and Obuda, a fortress hill on which the main sights of Budapest are concentrated. You can walk to Buda, take public transport or climb to the top of the hill from the Chain Bridge using the funicular. The Szechenyi Bridge (Budapest Chain Bridge) connecting Buda and Pest is one of the symbols of Hungary. It was built in 1849, and in 1852, stone lions were added to each of the entrances of this structure. The bridge is especially beautiful in the night illumination.
Sightseeing tours around Budapest include visiting at least three objects of Buda - this is the Fisherman's Bastion, from which a magnificent panorama of Pest opens up, the Gothic Matthias Cathedral and the majestic Royal Palace.
The fishermen's bastion never had a defensive value and only served an aesthetic function. It was built in the form of a fortress, surrounded by a carved wall 140 m long and 8 m wide. The bastion is surrounded by patterned columns and arches, and its seven cone-shaped towers symbolize the seven tribes that laid the foundation for the history of the Hungarian state. Initially, the white-stone fortress served as an architectural background for the Church of St. Matthias - the most famous Catholic cathedral in the Hungarian capital. People come to Matthias Church to admire the colored stained glass windows and wall paintings, listen to the organ, visit the museum in the underground part, where old tombstones, bowls and church clothes are kept, and just tune in to a philosophical mood.
Basilica of St. Stephen
On the southern part of the Buda castle hill, the Royal Palace rises - a wonderful example of the Baroque architectural style. It was erected in the Middle Ages, destroyed during the Second World War and completely rebuilt again. Today, the walls of the palace house the National Gallery with over 100,000 works of art, the Museum of the History of Budapest and the State Library.
Another attraction of the Buda Fortress - the House of Hungarian Wines - is located on the Holy Trinity Square. The collection includes more than 700 varieties of wines, 70 of which guests can taste during the tour.
Pest - an elegant, vibrant European city
If Buda has a medieval atmosphere, then Pest resembles a representative European city. Elegant ceremonial avenues and tall buildings coexist here with spacious squares decorated with monuments.
The most famous square in Budapest - Heroes' Square - is crowned with two monuments. The first is dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of Hungary and is a column on top of which the figure of the Archangel Gabriel is installed. Behind the sculpture, in the niches of the colonnades, there are statues of the heroes of Hungary, the most revered kings of the country.
Church of St. Matthias
The square is flanked by two neoclassical buildings - the Museum of Fine Arts and the Mucharnok Exhibition Hall. The art museum displays the works of such outstanding painters as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Rubens, Rodin and others. The Mucharnok gallery hosts exhibitions of contemporary Hungarian and foreign art. The parade Andrassy Avenue leads to the Heroes' Square, and behind the square is the Varoshliget Park - a favorite walking place for townspeople and tourists.
The pearl of the park - Vajdahunyad Castle - was built in 1896 in honor of the 1000th anniversary of Hungary. It was conceived as an exposition of plywood and papier-mâché, which included reduced copies of the famous Hungarian temples, towers and knightly castles, therefore various architectural styles intertwined in the Vaidahunyad ensemble - Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque. But the inhabitants liked the castle so much that they decided to immortalize it in stone.
In the courtyard of the castle there is a restaurant "Gundel", where live music is played in the evenings, and a terrace is open during the warm season. This is one of the most famous European restaurants, dating back over 150 years. Within a few minutes walk from the castle you can reach the Szechenyi baths. They are filled with water from hot thermal springs with temperatures of 74 ° C and 77 ° C.
Vaidahunyad Castle
Also in Pest is the grandiose Hungarian Parliament Building (the length of the structure is 268 m). This "giant" was built in the neo-Gothic style on the model of the British Parliament, its facades are decorated with 88 sculptures of Hungarian kings, and the halls are richly decorated with frescoes and stained-glass windows.
Along with the parliament building, a visit to the Basilica of St. Stephen is a must. The church is 96 meters high and offers wonderful views of the Hungarian capital from its observation deck. The interior of the basilica is decorated with marble and stained-glass windows made by the best Hungarian craftsmen. The basilica is also famous for the fact that it contains a gilded shrine with the relics of Istvan himself, the patron saint of Hungary.
Unlike the fortress of Buda, Pest is the noisier part of the city. Many shops and restaurants are concentrated here, and the Danube embankment is as crowded as on weekends in Moscow on Red Square.
Chain bridge
Margaret Island - an oasis of silence in the center of the capital
Between Buda and Pest there is Margaret Island - a balneological resort, where thermal springs gush out from under the ground. Local hotels are aimed at wealthy clients and are equipped with modern medical equipment. Margaret Island has everything you need for recreation - a park, a Japanese garden, Palatinus beach, waterfalls and fountains, swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurants, a summer theater.
