Hungary is one of the oldest states located in Central Europe. The capital of Hungary - Budapest - is a city of amazing beauty, architecture, style and rich history. It attracts a huge number of tourists all year round - its squares, bridges, old and modern buildings, numerous museums and memorials, cathedrals and churches, castles and palaces, thermal baths and, of course, the national cuisine will not leave indifferent any of the guests of this wonderful cities.
The Danube River divides the city into two parts - the hilly Buddha and the flat Pest. You will need a lot of time to explore the entire city and its attractions, and you can choose what to see and how to spend your time.
Fisherman's Bastion
Fisherman's Bastion is a magnificent architectural structure made of white stone, located on the Fortress Hill. At the top of the hill is the Buda Fortress - the historical residence of the kings of Hungary. In ancient times, at the walls of the fortress, on the square, they traded in fish and during enemy invasions it was the fishermen who stood up to protect it. After the reconstruction of the square, in 1905, the Fisherman's Bastion appeared.
The seven towers of the bastion were erected in honor of the seven Hungarian tribes who united in 896 and founded Hungary. All towers are interconnected by arches with columns. It is from the walls of the Fisherman's Bastion that a magnificent view of the Danube with a cascade of bridges opens, the Parliament building, Margaret Island, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Matthias Church and many other attractions.
Vaidahunyand castle
Vaidahunyand Castle - located in the Varoshliget Park, in the center of Budapest. The castle is just over a hundred years old and was built for the millennium of Hungary as part of a historical exhibition. On the territory of the castle complex you can see a small chapel, a copy of a Romanesque monastery, a tower of the Apostles, a copy of the tower of the Shegeshvara fortress, various structures resembling a knight's citadel, a copy of a baroque palace and a watchtower. You can also visit the museum and walk in the park, on the territory of which there are several picturesque lakes.
Mount Gellert
Mount Gellert is a 235 meter high hill-mountain, one of the most popular attractions in Budapest. Gellert is a huge park in which you will find an ancient fortress - the Citadel, the Freedom Monument with a height of about 40 meters, the 1944 wax museum, an endless variety of restaurants and cafes, as well as a magnificent view of the city and the Danube from the top of the mountain … There is also a health resort with the same name on Gellert Hill, on the territory of which there is a bath with unique springs.
The ancient fortress - the Citadel (on the top of Mount Gellert), was built during the reign of the Habsburgs - one of the most powerful dynasties in Europe during the Middle Ages. The length of the fortress is 220 meters, the height of the walls is about 16 meters. The decision to build the fortress was made in 1850, right after the revolution, when the people stormed the Buda fortress. After the completion of the construction of the Citadel, the Austrian garrison was immediately located there. The main purpose of the fortress was to control Budapest and suppress revolutionary sentiments among the people.
Margaret Island
Margaret Island is a stunning piece of nature in the very center of the capital, connected to it by two bridges: in the northern part by the Arpadi bridge, in the southern part by the Margaret bridge. The length of the island is 2.5 km, and the maximum width is 500 meters. On the island there is the Church of St. Michael, the ruins of a Franciscan cathedral, a female Dominican monastery, a "musical well" playing every hour, an old water tower with an observation deck. On Margaret, you can walk through the Japanese garden, look into the rose garden, see the waterfall and visit the mini-zoo. And if you get hungry, it doesn't matter - there are cafes and restaurants where you can taste Hungarian cuisine.
This is not a complete list of the sights of Budapest - in the next part you will learn about the Basilica of St. Stephen, the "Little Princess" and other beauties of Budapest.
