PEST SIDE: If you go over from Buda to Pest, on the left bank of the Danube you will find city districts with historic atmosphere, leisure centres and many places of interest. For the crossing, let’s choose the oldest of the nine bridges spanning the Danube, the Szechenyi Chain Bridge built in 1849.
It is worth walking from the Inner City of Pest along Andrassy Avenue, which is as straight as an arrow. Both sides of the avenue are lined by eclectic 19th and 20th century mansions designed with artistic thoughtfulness. The Hungarian State Opera House (22 Andrassy Avenue), the elegant work of the most famous Hungarian architect Miklos Ybl, has been the centre of Hungarian musical life since 1864. The public can see its fresco-decorated interior, its auditorium seating 1,200 spectators and its technical stage equipment in group tours.
Inner CityThe Inner City Parish Church in Marcius 15 Square is the first church of the city. It is exceptionally interesting in that its interior shows examples of all architectural styles from Romanesque to Classicism.
The recently renovated building of the Synagogue in Dohany Street (2 Dohany Street) is the largest synagogue in Europe, and its excellent acoustics also makes it suitable for concerts. The Jewish Museum, set up in its courtyard, has one of the most outstanding Judaic collection of Central Europe. The museum is at the same time the research centre for Jewish culture.
The Hungarian National Museum (14-16 Muzeum Blvd.)is the finest monument of Hungarian Classical architecture. This is the most significant memories of the Hungarian people from ancient times to our own age.
The Grand Marker Hall (“Vasarcsarnok”, 1-3 Vamhaz Blvd.) is outstanding in its architectural features. The most beautiful monuments of Hungarian Art Nouveau are the Museum of Applied Arts (33-37 Ulloi Street) with its rich collection, the dwelling-houses of Szervita Square (Inner City of Pest) and the former Post Office Saving Bank (4 Hold Street).The Parliament (Kossuth L. Square) is the largest and most decorative building in the country. Imre Steindl built the 96-metre high and 118-metre wide edifice between 1885 and 1902. It has 10 courts, 29staircases, 27 gates and the first long distance district heating system in Europe. The Holy Crown and the royal insignia are kept at this seat of the Hungarian Parliament and government office. Group guides tours are available.
The St. Istvan Basilica (Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Street), a neo-Renaissance church, raised to the rank of basilica minor, is the largest church in the capital and the second largest in the country, with the largest bell in Hungary. The Chapel of the Holy Right (“Szent Jobb”) contains a jealously guarded treasure, a relic of the first Hungarian king, St. Stephen (“Istvan”). It is his right hand which has remained intact for a 1000 years. Relics of church history can be seen in the treasury, while the tower balcony offers a wonderful panorama of the city.
BUDA SIDE: Here we can only mention the most important sights of the city. Let’s start in Buda, on the right bank of the Danube. It is one of the features of Budapest that the Buda side is also the capital’s green belt, with memorable places for excursions. The hills Janos-hegy (hegy means hill), Normafa, Szechenyi-hegy, Kis- and Nagy-Hars-hegy, Remete-hegy, Harmashatar-hegy as well as the Budakeszi Game Preserve are all part of the Buda Nature Reserve.The following is a suggested route for visiting them: the cog-railway to Szechenyi-hegy, then by the Children’s Railway to Huvosvolgy. The railway touches the highest peak in Budapest, Janos-hegy (526m), from where you can reach Zugliget by chair lift.
The two Budapest caves which are open to visitors are the Palvolgyi Stalactite Cave which can be walked for 500 meters (entry at 162 Szepvolgyi Street)and the 300-metre long Szemlo Hill Cave (entry at 35 Pusztaszeri Street), this is also a medicinal cave.
ObudaSituated in the northern part of the city are the remains of the Roman civil and military town of Aquincum, which predates Budapest by two thousand years. There are two amphitheatres, mosaic-decorated villas, a military bath and the stone pillars of the water system. The Aquincum Museum (139 Szentendrei Street) forms a coherent area of ruins, the most valuable monuments of which are carved stones, wall-paintings and the ancient organ.
The unique atmosphere of Fo Square in Obuda is created by the old single storey houses, taverns and excellent museums. Nearby you will find the Imre Varga Museum (7 Laktanya Street) exhibiting the works of the well known contemporary sculptor, also the Vasarhely Museum (6 Szentlelek Square)containing the entire life-work of Gyozo Vasarhelyi who became world-famous as the father of op-art. In the Kiscelli Museum (108 Kiscelli Street) works of art relating to the capital and an extraordinarily rich collection of 20th century Hungarian visual art can be seen.
The Buda Castle HillThe Palace (St. Gyorgy Square) erected in the 14th century and rebuilt in Baroque style 400 years later was the residence of Hungarian kings for 700 years. Today it houses the most visited museums and galleries in Budapest.
The Hungarian National Gallery gives a cross-section of Hungarian history of art from the 10th century to our age: it houses exhibits of medieval and Renaissance stonework, Gothic wood-carvings, panel picture, triptychs, Renaissance and Baroque art, 19th and 20th-century painting, sculpture and medals.
In the Budapest Historical Museum restored parts of the medieval Buda Castle, its chapel and Gothic sculptures, as well as permanent and temporary exhibition on the history of Budapest can be seen. In the National Szechenyi Library the largest library in the country, medieval codices from the very rich collection of King Matthias Corvinus are exhibited and there are regular temporary exhibitions.
The Museum of Contemporary Arts-or Ludwig Museum offers visitors outstanding domestic and foreign works of contemporary art.Buda’s basilica, the Matthias Church, (2 Szentharomsag Square), also called the Church of Our Lady, has a tower of stone tracery and used to be the venue for coronations and royal weddings.
The Fishermen’s Bastion (Szentharomsag Square), a neo-Romanesque bulwark with even towers built on medieval walls, offers an excellent view of the city.
A 1,800-metre section of the 12-km cave system under Castle Hill, the Castle Cave (entry at 16 Orszaghaz Street), can be seen with the help of a guide.
Gellert HillIt is rare to see a hill like this, a protected nature reserve, in the middle of a city. The Citadel, built on the top of Gellert Hill in 1851 as a military fortification, is today at the service of tourism. Its terraces offer the most perfect view of the city.
