What to see in Budapest, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including Parliament, St. Stephen's Basilica, Heroes' Square and Royal Palace.
Tourist information
The name derives from the unification of the cities of Buda, Pest and Obuda, which took place in 1873.
Budapest is a city very rich in history, fully considered as the pearl of the Danube for its immense artistic treasures and landscapes of undoubted beauty visible from various points of view.
In the architecture of Budapest it is possible to admire the best of the integration between styles and cultures of different eras, Pest is the modern part on the eastern bank of the river, where shops, restaurants, hotels and night clubs abound, while Buda is the old city, dating back at the first Roman settlement, where the medieval citadel towers high, there are also the Royal Palace and the Matthias Church.
What see
Parliament: built between 1885 and 1902 in neo-Gothic style, this palace is located along the Danube, in the flat part of Pest, group tours with a guide are available, it is one of the symbolic monuments of the Hungarian capital.
Basilica of Santo Stefano, built from 1851 to 1905 in a classical style, it is the largest church in the city and houses an important relic of Saint Stephen, the first King of Hungary, to whom the Church is dedicated. As high as the Parliament building symbolized equality between church and state. Inside you can admire precious marbles, mosaics and precious works of art by Hungarian artists of the time.
Heroes square, with statues depicting characters from Hungarian history.
Buda it is located on the hill on the other side of the Danube, it includes the citadel and the Royal Palace. It is the most interesting part from the tourist point of view.
Citadel it is a fortress at the top of the Buda hill, from which you can enjoy an excellent panoramic view of the city, including the 8 bridges over the Danube.
Royal Palace: ancient residence of the Hungarian Sovereigns, it contains the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest Historical Museum, the Szechenyi National Library and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Of medieval origin, it reached its maximum splendor under the reign of Matthias Corvinus, was completely destroyed by the Turks in the 16th century. Rebuilt by the Habsburgs, it was devastated again during the Second World War. Today it represents the cultural center of the country, where styles and testimonies of different eras coexist.
Fishermen's Bastion, built in the years 1901-1903, is made up of 7 turrets, the same number as the Magiare tribe who entered the Carpathian basin in the 9th century. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the city and nearby is the Matthias church.
Recommended readings- Budapest (Hungary): what to see in the capital
- Hungary: useful information
Matthias Church it is the most beautiful and famous of Budapest, built between the XIII-XV centuries.
Chain bridge, whose construction dates back to 1842. It took seven years to complete it but it is still considered one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. It was the first stable bridge to connect Buda and Pest characterized by two large lions placed at its ends and by decorative elements in cast iron, placed along its length as an ornament. Destroyed in 1945 during the Second World War, it was rebuilt identical to the original.
Walk of shoes: this stretch of Danube, in Pest near Parliament, recalls the tragic moment in which the Nazis, during the Second World War, ordered the Jews to take off their shoes before being shot and brutally thrown into the river water.
Terme Széchenyi: spa dating back to the late 1800s, restored in the early 2000s. The pools for invigorating baths are outdoors, one of them always gives off steam and is also known as the chess players' pool, as it is used by some to play chess immersed in warm water at a temperature of about 38 °.
National Opera Theater: it is one of the most important monuments in Budapest where performances of operas, classical music concerts and ballets are held. Dating from the late 1800s, it is considered one of the best expressions of the neo-Renaissance style, expertly enriched with statues and frescoes of the Hungarian Baroque.
Nagyvásárcsarnok is the covered market developed on two floors: on the ground floor there are a shortage of food, fruit and vegetables, while on the first floor there are restaurants and bars as well as small shops where you can buy souvenirs. The structure of the building is in Art Nouveau style, with a particular and characteristic ceramic roof.
Margaret Island: in the middle of the Danube, it is an ideal place to take walks in the open air, try some sports or try relaxing in the thermal baths.
