Having stayed in Belgrade from 1983 to 1985, and then in Vienna from 1985 to 1989, Budapest was not far off from where I lived, and I visited the city several times during those 6 years. More recently, I again visited Budapest in 2009 and spent a few days there. I was delighted by this beautiful city, divided in two by the Danube River (Buda is the castle district up on a hill to the western side
of the river; the lower town lies in Pest, to the east of the river). I found it to be one of the grandest and most delightful cities in Eastern Europe, matched perhaps only by Prague.
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| View of Budapest with the Parliament and the Danube River |
The Hungarian capital has a population of over 1.7 million. It has had an eventful history. The Magyars migrated to the region that is now Budapest in the 9th century from the Urals. In the 11th century, St Stephen (local name – St Istvan) accepted Christianity as
the religion and was the first Hungarian Christian king. In 1247, Bela IV
moved the capital to Buda. Matyas Cornivus was
the dynasty’s best known ruler & he reigned in the 15th century. The Turks then took over
the city and were overthrown 150 years later by the Habsburgs from Austria.
There was an uprising in 1848, but that was crushed by Emperor Franz Josef I.
The city became an important centre of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In 1873,
the two parts of the city – Buda and Pest – were united to form Budapest. After
World War I, the Habsburg rule came to an end and Hungary lost a lot of its
territory. It sided with Germany in World War II but was occupied by the Soviet
Union in 1945. In 1956, the Soviets crushed an uprising against communism. The
communists continued to be in power until 1990, when free elections were held
for the first time. In 2004, Hungary joined the European Union.
The Parliament is a grand building
which is Budapest’s main landmark. It was completed in 1896. There was a
competition to choose the designer, and the winner was the Hungarian architect Imre Steindl. The building was
inspired by London’s Houses of Parliament. Every corner of the building has
gables with pinnacles, and the centre piece is the grand dome.
The complex has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, St Stephen's Crown, and figures symbolizing different occupations of the Hungarian population.
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| Parliament |
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| Parliament - Interior of dome |
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| Parliament - Old Upper House Hall |
The Royal
Palace dates back to the 13th century. King Matyas rebuilt it in the 15th century. The Habsburgs under Queen Maria
Theresa expanded it in the 18th century. The present structure dates back to post World War
II, when the palace had to be rebuilt due to extensive damage. The palace has
an impressive neo classical dome.
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| Royal Palace |
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| Royal Palace - Matyas Fountain |
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| Royal Palace - Sculpture of Prince Eugene of Savoy |
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| Royal Palace, with the Chain Bridge in the Foreground |
The Hungarian
National Gallery
was established in 1957 and lies in the Royal Palace complex and has a fine
collection of art from Hungarian artists from the medieval period to the 20th century. The museum has fine altarpieces and beautiful Hungarian impressionist
art.
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Paal's Depth of the Forest,
Hungarian National Gallery |
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| Paal's Haystacks, Hungarian National Gallery |
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Merse's The Skylark,
Hungarian National Gallery |
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| Merse's Picnic in May, Hungarian National Gallery |
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Munkacsy's In the Park,
Hungarian National Gallery |
Holy Trinity Square lies close to the Royal Palace. The Holy Trinity Column was erected in 1713 and commemorates the
dead from two plague epidemics in 1691 and 1709. The base shows the suffering of the town’s
citizen, and the summit shows the Holy Trinity. Nearby is the Old Town Hall, dating back to the
early 18th century.
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| Holy Trinity Square |
Heroes Square is a major city landmark
that commemorates heroes from Hungary’s rich history. Hungary’s millennium
celebrations opened here in 1896. The Millennium Monument dominates the square.
Fine buildings like the Museum of Fine Arts, the Szechenyi Baths and the Vajdahunyad Castle surround it.
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| Heroes' Square |
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| Heroes' Square - Statues at the base of the column |
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Millennium Monument with the Sculptures
of Peace and Hope, Heroes Square |
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Millennium Monument with the Sculptures
of War and Labour, Heroes Square |
The Hungarian
National Museum dates
back to 1802. Count Ferenc Szechenyi gave his collection
of works of art to the nation, and
that’s what started off the museum. The museum’s highlights include sections on
archaeology, funeral decorations, crowns, and exhibits depicting Hungary’s
modern history.
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| Hungarian National Museum |
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Crown of Monomachus,
Hungarian National Museum |
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Golden Stag,
Hungarian National Museum |
The Matyas Church had its origins in the 13th century. It was
converted into the Great Mosque by the Turks in the 16th century. The present structure dates back to 1896. The impressive main portal
has a relief of the Madonna and Child.
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| Matyas Church - Mary Portal |
Fisherman’s
Bastion lies just behind the Matyas Church. It was
completed in 1895. The bastion is a viewing platform that has beautiful views
of the town below. St Stephen’s equestrian statue lies in front of the
structure.
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| Fisherman's Bastion with St Stephen's Statue |
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| Fisherman's Bastion |
The Statue of St Gellert stands on Gellert Hill, overlooking
Elizabeth Bridge, and has Bishop Gellert
holding a cross and blessing the city. The statue was erected in 1904. St Gellert was a bishop who was
murdered in the 11th century by those opposed to the adoption of Christianity.
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| Statue of St Gellert |
The Liberation Monument on Gellert Hill is dedicated to
the liberation of Budapest by the Soviet army in 1945. The central figure is
that of a woman holding a palm leaf. This sculpture is 14 meters high. At the
base, there are allegorical sculptures.
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| Liberation Monument |
The State
Opera House was completed in
1884. Highlights include the grand foyer, the chandeliers, the main staircase and the three storied auditorium.
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| State Opera House |
The Chain Bridge was completed in 1849
and is 380 meters long. It is supported by two towers. The bridge is guarded by
two large lion statues.
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| Chain Bridge - Seen from Royal Palace |
Completed in 1935, St Stephen’s Basilica is dedicated to St Stephen, the first Hungarian Christian
king, who died in 1038. The king’s mummified forearm is kept in the church, in
the Chapel of the Holy Right Hand. The dome is 96 meters high, and has two bell
towers, one on either side.
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| St Stephen's Basilica |
The Calvinist Church is renowned for its
tiled roof, and dates back to 1896.
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| Calvinist Church |
Empress Elisabeth, the wife of the Habsburg Emperor, Fran Josef I, was liked by the local population in Budapest, and there is a Statue of Elisabeth that is popular with visitors.
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| Statue of Elisabeth (Sissy) |
The Szechenyi Baths are
the largest baths in Europe and the water here reaches the surface at a
temperature of 75 degrees Celsius. The building was
completed in 1913. The springs are said to have healing properties that can
cure rheumatism and other ailments.
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| Szechenyi Baths |
The Vajdahunyad Castle
has various buildings with different architectural styles. The complex was
originally designed for the 1896 Millennium Celebrations, but given its immense
popularity, a decision was taken in 1906 to make it permanent.
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| Vajdahunyad Castle |
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| Museum, Vajdahunyad Castle |
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| Statue of Anonymous, Vajdahunyad Castle |
I found Budapest nothing short of spectacular. The Parliament was simply awe inspiring, and the various churches, the museums and the charming Danube River running through the heart of the city all made it a truly memorable visit.
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