|
Budapest Maps & Attractions Guide
Budapest maps & Attractions - Things to do
in Budapest
|
!
Search & Compare Cheap Budapest Hotels, Holidays
& Deals
|
|
?
More Information & Other Links
|
This map is interactive: Click and drag to view the map of Budapest.
Zoom in using the controls provided.
Budapest
Attractions - Things to do
1. Castle Royal Palace
District I, Budavári Palota, Dísz tér
17
|
What is it? Located at the top of Castle Hill in the
picturesque Castle District of Buda, the Palace was first inhabited
by King Béla in the 13th century who, after the Mongol invasion,
turned it into a fortified stronghold against further attack.
During the next 700 years it was the residence of many royal
figures. The strategic location of Budapest, situated in the heart
of Europe and straddling the Danube, offered whoever controlled the
city a defensive position and potential control of the main
waterway and this led to repeated invasions, followed by rebuilding
in the style of the period. The castle has a mixture of
architectural styles, ranging from Gothic to Baroque. Today it is
the country's most important cultural centre housing numerous
museums and the majority of the buildings are historical monuments.
The Budapest History Museum contains an exhibition explaining the
history of the city as well as archaeological remains of the
palace. Also within the palace complex are the Hungarian National
Gallery, the National Library and the Ludwig
Museum.
Hours of Operation: The Budapest History Museum is open daily from 10am
to 6pm, except on Tuesdays. The Hungarian National Gallery and the
Ludwig Museum are open daily from 10am to 6pm, except on
Mondays
Phone: |
2. Fisherman's Bastion
District I, Szentháromság
tér
|
What is it? Built in 1905 on the medieval castle walls,
the neo-Romanesque ramparts were so named after the city's
fishermen whose duty it was to defend this side of the hill during
the Middle Ages, but the existing bastion never actually served a
defensive purpose. It is solely ornamental with gleaming white
cloisters and stairways connecting seven turrets symbolic of the
Magyar tribes that conquered the Carpathian Basin in the 9th
century. Set back from the ramparts is an equestrian statue of King
Stephen, a memorial to the founder of the Hungarian nation. The
view from Fisherman's Bastion, over the Danube, the Chain Bridge
and the Parliament Buildings with Pest stretching out into the
distance, is outstanding. Floodlit at night, the bastion is a
mesmerising sight from across the river.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
3. Matthias Church
District I, Trinity Square
(Szentháromság tér)
www.matyas-tempom.hu |
What is it? Situated in the centre of the Castle Quarter,
the 700-year-old Church of Our Lady is popularly known as Matthias
Church after the nation's famous ruler, King Matthias (1458-90), a
patron of learning and the arts who reconstructed the Hungarian
state after decades of feudal anarchy. With its distinctive
multicoloured tiled roof and Gothic spire, the church is one of
Budapest's best-known structures, and it was here that the nation's
kings were crowned and King Matthias was married. Today the church
continues to hold High Mass, as well as concerts, organ and choir
recitals owing to its magnificent acoustics. Matthias Church is a
mixture of styles from the various kings, occupations and periods.
When the Turks occupied the Castle in 1541 it was converted into a
mosque, and the interior walls were whitewashed and painted over
with scenes from the Koran. It suffered heavily in the later siege
and was restored again in the 19th century, reconstructed in its
characteristic neo-Gothic style, and remains of the original
medieval frescoes were discovered underneath the whitewash. The
interior is richly decorated with gilded altars, statues, rose
windows and frescoes. Inside is the Church Museum, which gives
access to the crypt, and a small collection of religious treasures
and jewels. A fantastic paradox is visible in the reflection of the
Gothic church in the sleek dark glass sides of the contemporary
Budapest Hilton alongside.
Hours of Operation: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm, Sunday from 1pm
to 5pm
Phone:(01) 355 5657 |
4. Gellért Hill
District XI, Szent Gellért tér 2-6
|
What is it? Gellért Hill offers unrivalled panoramic
views of the city, taking in both Buda and Pest and the meandering
Danube in between. The hill is named for a bishop who was tasked to
convert pagan Magyars to Christianity but, according to legend, he
was killed by being rolled off the hillside in a barrel by militant
heathens. A statue of the martyred Bishop stands at the base of the
hill. On its summit stands the Liberation Monument, a female figure
holding aloft the palm of victory, dedicated to the memory of
Soviet troops who died freeing Hungary in 1945. With the fall of
communism the inscription was changed to honour those who died for
'Hungary's prosperity'. Behind the monument is the Citadella, or
fortress, built after the 1848 revolution to provide military
control against further uprisings. Today it houses a hostel and a
museum. The hill is also home to several historic spas, valued for
their medicinal qualities since the Turkish occupation. The city's
most famous spa, the Gellért Baths, is attached to the grand
establishment of the Art Nouveau Gellért Hotel. Here visitors can
relax in the thermal waters of the Roman-style pool with its
lion-headed spouts, surrounded by columns and mosaic patterns, or
indulge themselves with private therapeutic treatments or a
massage.
Hours of Operation: Citadella: Monday to Friday from 6am to 6pm, Saturday
and Sunday from 6am to 4pm
Phone:(01) 385 2200 |
5. Chain Bridge
Clark Ádám square
|
What is it? The Chain Bridge was the first stone bridge
to be built over the Danube and is the most famous with its lion
statues. Today nine bridges span the river linking Buda to Pest,
but Chain Bridge takes pride of place as the city's symbol, a
magnificent sight when floodlit at night. It owes its construction
to Count István Széchenyi who decided to build a
permanent crossing after having to wait a week to cross the river
to bury his father. The Chain Bridge was built by William and Adam
Clark who also constructed London Bridge. It was considered an
amazing feat of engineering when it was opened in 1849. At the foot
of the bridge is Kilometre Zero, the point in Budapest from where
all distances are measured.
Hours of Operation:
Phone: |
6. The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum
District VII, Dohány utca 2
|
What is it? Situated within Erzsébet Town, the charming
old Jewish quarter and former ghetto, the Great or Central
Synagogue is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the
world, able to seat 3,000 people. Completed in 1859 the style is
typically Byzantine-Moorish, with exquisitely patterned brickwork
in the red, blue and yellow colours of the city's coat of arms.
Gilded domed towers, archways and beautiful window designs are just
some of the features that make this one of Budapest's landmarks.
The splendid interior glitters with lights; gilded arches and
balconies line the walls, the ceiling is covered in Stars of David,
and the floor is tiled in decorative stars. On Jewish festivals it
is packed with Jews from all over Hungary who come to celebrate
within its splendour. Next door is the Jewish Museum containing
relics from the Hungarian Jewish Community, including religious
objects from festivals, and the Holocaust Memorial room. In the
courtyard is the Holocaust Memorial in the shape of a weeping
willow tree, each metal leaf engraved with the names of Nazi
victims.
Hours of Operation: Synagogue: Monday to Thursday from 10am to 5pm,
Friday from 10am to 3pm, Sunday from 10am to 2pm. Museum: Monday to
Friday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Closed Jewish
holidays
Phone:(01) 342 1335 |
7. Parliament Buildings
District V, Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3
www.parlament.hu |
What is it? On the banks of the Danube stands one of the
world's most beautiful parliament buildings, an imposing sight and
a prominent feature of the city's panorama. With its red dome and
white stone lace ornamentation and spires it is the city's most
decorative structure. Stone lions flank the entrance guarding a
rich interior of marble and gold, statues and columns, and
magnificent artefacts, including the 1,000-year-old crown of the
first Hungarian King, all of which can be viewed on a guided tour.
The grand edifice, stretching for 820 ft (250m) along the
embankment, is one of the biggest national assemblies in the
world.
Hours of Operation: Guided tours on the hour (or half hour during peak
season) between the following times: Monday 8am to 11am; Tuesday to
Saturday 8am to 4pm; Sunday 8am to 2pm
Phone:(01) 441 4904 (for bookings) |
8. Statue Park
District XXII, corner of Balatoni út and Szabadkai
út
www.szoborpark.hu |
What is it? One of the city's popular but more bizarre
attractions is Statue Park, containing the giant figures of the
Communist era that once filled the streets of Budapest. After the
change in the political system the monuments glorifying Communism
were banished into the exile of this outdoor museum and among the
statues, busts and monuments are the forms of Lenin, Marx and
Engels, as well as memorials to the Soviet Soldier and the
Communist Martyrs. This is the only collection in the world from
the time of Communist politics. Some of the interesting souvenirs
sold at the park are cans of air from the 'last breath of
socialism' and Stalin and Lenin shaped
candles.
Hours of Operation: Daily from 10am until sunset
Phone:(01) 424 7500 |
Budapest Holidays guide
|
Transport -Budapest has an extensive, inexpensive and
efficient public transport system that includes the metro, trams,
buses, trolley buses and trains.
More information at the |
|
|
! Bookmark
Page
| Travel Alerts FREE newsletter - cheap flight alerts + more!
Subscribe now. |
|
