Thursday, 17 September 2009

Hungary trip, June 2009 - The rest of Budapest

It has been a while since I have updated my travel writing.

So here is an attempt to finish off the Budapest trip in June:

The famous Széchenyi chain bridge. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest, and was opened in 1849.


The chain bridge and the Buda Castle in the background


Statue of St Stephen (the first king of Hungary) on Castle Hill. He carries the apostolic cross with two crossbars – a symbol granted him by the Pope.


View of the Parliament House (from Castle Hill)


Fishermen's Bastion on Castle Hill. The bastion's name was taken from the guild of fishermen responsible for defending this stretch of the wall in the Middle Age. The seven white turrets represent the Magyar tribes that entered the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th Century.


The Old Town on the Castle Hill. This is where commoners lived in the Middle Ages


The Hillebrandt-façade of the cour d'honneur

Statue of Prince Eugène of Savoy, one of the greatest commander in military history. Even Napoleon said so.


Budapest State Opera House


The statue of Liszt. Look at his giant right hand!

Buda Castle during the day


The Millennium Memorial on Hősök tere (Heroes' Square) with statues of the leaders of the seven Magyar tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th Century. The colonnade contains other outstanding figures of Hungarian history.


The Metro train. If you are after the main sites, you probably won't need to travel on the Metro. We used it because we wanted to go to Gundel (the restaurant).