Sightseeing in Budapest

The Royal Palace is situated on the southern part of Castle Hill. The medieval palace that stood here was destroyed during the battles against Turkish invaders, leaving only the fortified walls as a memento. The site was then filled in to lay the foundations of the new grandiose Baroque palace started by Maria-Theresa and expanded on Hungarian initiative in the 19th century. The Palace itself was gutted during the Second World War. Unfortunately there is no place in the Palace today that would allow the visitor a glimpse of the lavish suites and interiors of past royals. Today, it functions as home to important cultural institutions and museums: Hungarian National Gallery, the National Szechenyi Library, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Budapest History Museum.

The name Buda Castle covers more than a castle or the Royal Palace in the capital city; it extends to the historical quarter full of sites. On bright spring days people invite friends for a "walk in the Castle", i.e. to wander around the Castle Hill quarter. The most exciting way of getting to the Castle is by taking the Funicular, a little cable car up the Castle Hill.

The Castle District is one of the most romantic pedestrian sections in Budapest. A medieval little town with atmospheric streets, picturesque houses, gas lamps and beautiful monuments. The main street of the district - Tarnok Street - ranges from Dísz Square to today's district centre, Matthias Church. Colourful little houses border the square and the neighbouring streets.

The winding streets and narrow houses date back to the Middle Ages, occasionally decorated with valuable Gothic window and door frames. Elegant Baroque and Louis XVI-style palaces are relics of the restoration work after the Turkish occupation. Castle District houses are famous for their medieval doorway sedilia. During reconstruction work after the Turks were driven from Hungary these sedilia were walled up and quickly forgotten, only to be rediscovered during the bombing of the Second World War. Sedilia ornamented with Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance stone arches were probably used as a rest place for visitors' escorts. Today, they serve as a "speciality" of Buda that distinguish it from other cities of the world.

The first permanent bridge over the Danube. Budapest owes its construction to Count Istvan Szechenyi who had to wait a week before he could cross the river to bury his father. This is when he decided to build a permanent crossing for the city. Architect William Clark and namesake Adam Clark supervised construction works; the bridge was finally completed in 1849. It has since rightly become a symbol of Budapest city, a magnificent sight when illuminated at night. In 1999 a monumental ceremony and the installation of new floodlights marked the 150th anniversary of the bridge.

The bridge bears the name of Queen Elisabeth. (A statue on the Buda side of the bridge stands in memory of Elisabeth, the queen very much liked by the Hungarians.) Originally built in Eclectic style, the bridge was blown up by retreating German troops in 1945 and was so badly damaged that reconstruction was out of the question. A new bridge was thus constructed in its place with the same span as the original.

The historical site of Visegrad was used by regional kings for meetings with a secure location on the heights of the Solomon Tower and Castle overlooking the River Danube.The Maria Valeria Bridge at Esztergom has recently reopened a link with Slovakia across the Danube.

This square (flanked by Matyas Church, in the Castle District) is the focal point of the Old Town. The name derives from the Baroque Holy Trinity column (sculpted in 1710) in the centre, which commemorates the dead of two plague outbreaks. On the northern side of the square is the Old Town Hall, built at the beginning of the eighteenth century. There are several coffee houses and restaurants located nearby, as well as the Hilton Hotel.

This building was constructed at a time when Hungary was three times the size it is now (it became smaller as a result of having been shared out after the First World War - when Hungary was on the losing side). Today, the government is housed in only a small portion of the building. The inspiration for this building is said to have been the Palace of Westminster in London. Like so much along the Pest bank of the Danube, the best view are actually from across the river (especially from Batthyany ter). Guided tours are available when parliament is not in session (go to Gate X to the right of the main entrance).

The statue of the Turul hovers menacingly near the top of the funicular leading up to Castle Hill. In ravaging the grandmother of Arpad, so the legend goes, the Turul was established as the progenitor of Hungary's first reigning dynasty. His symbol was a nationalist representation of a distinct Magyar identity. This particular Turul was cast by Gyula Donath in 1905. Other manifestations of the bird may be found atop the Szabadsag bridge and on the gates of Parliament.

The Danube - Europe's most celebrated river - runs majestically through the centre of Budapest. The city has taken full advantage of this and it now offers some of the finest panoramas to be found anywhere on the continent. Starting far away in Germany (where the Breg and Brigach rivers meet), the Danube runs some 2859 kilometres before spilling into the Black Sea. On its journey, it passes through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Incidentally, contrary to the name of the famous waltz, it is not blue.Budapest is often refered to as the "Pearl of the Danube". There are seven bridges joining Buda to Pest. The river is Europe's busiest commercial waterway but also the best entertainment venue on river cruisers. The city can be viewed in a leisurely way from the River Danube.

This is believed by many to be Budapest's finest Baroque church. It graces Batthyany ter with its presence and is well worth a look inside, especially for those who feel they've seen every type of interior: this one, with its blue, gilded pulpit is strikingly original. Believe it or not, the church is the work of an unknown architect. Building work began on it in 1740 but it was only consecrated some 65 years later.

This busy and bustling square is an important transport hub and a good location to become familiar with. The red metro line (line 2) passes through here on its way to Deli station, the Castle Hill bus starts and ends here, and it's also the starting point for catching transport up into the beautiful green Buda hills. The name means Moscow square. The square is also like a small bazaar, with every type of activity going on. There is a large shopping centre right next to it (Mammut).

The funicular is definitely the easiest way to get up to the top of Castle Hill. Built in 1870, the two cars travel up and down every day from morning until night. The carriages are lovingly maintained, and although modern, have an antique look and design. The stations are also interesting - check out the massive wheel, which operates the system at the top of the terminal. Please note that the funicular is closed for maintenance on Monday of every even-numbered week.

Once you get past the rather built up and hectic (though still picturesque) section of Andrassy ut that leads to Oktogon, you will discover that the street suddenly changes. Huge and beautiful buildings with intricate and ornate facades are separated from the main road by grassy traffic islands - reflecting good urban planning. This street was constructed as part of the nation's millennium celebrations in 1896, along with the M1 metro, which runs beneath it. It was started in 1872 and took twelve years to complete.

Since then, it has been renamed several times: first after Prime Minister Andrassy, then it changed to (believe it or not) Sztalin (i.e. Stalin) ut and after Stalin was denounced it was changed again to 'Avenue of the People's Republic'. Finally, in 1990 it back to Andrassy ut - which many had continued calling it all along. Enjoy a stroll all the way up to Hero's Square, from where you can catch the M1 back to Vorosmarty .

This small museum (once the home of the famous doctor) is beautiful from the outside as well as from the inside. Ignac Semmelweis made his name by discovering a cure for pre-natal fevers (which hinged around sanitary and aseptic conditions), thus saving the lives of many women. He became known as the saviour of mothers. The museum houses more than just mementoes to him; there are pharmacy items, a mummified skull and other objects as well as models of dissection.

Begin at the cog-wheel railway on Szilagyi Erzsebet fasor. Once you reach the top, walk up to the 'Children's Railway' (manned - apart from the train drivers - exclusively by children) and take the train a couple of stops to Janos Hegy (Janos Hill). Here you will find the Erzsebet Look-Out Tower, which resembles a Victorian folly. Climb to the top and enjoy a splendid view in all directions. There are refreshments available at the foot of the tower.

A little way back along the hill is a chair lift (just like those in a ski resort) which for a trifling sum will take you back down to sea level in Zugligeti ut. From here, you can take a bus or taxi back to the centre.

underground railway to be built in continental Europe (London's was the first ever). It was built just below street level for the 1896 millennium celebrations. Only 11 stations long, it starts at Vorosmarty ter, followed by Deak ter and heads up through Opera and Oktagon, running under Andrassy ut to Hosok tere and finishing two stops later at Mexikoi ut. As it takes in many of the tourist sites, it's a very useful and quick way of getting about.

All the stations were refurbished in 1995/6 and remain virtually exactly the same as they were when first built. Make sure you go down the correct entrance - trains run on the same side as the direction of the traffic above them. Normal metro/bus tickets can be used.

This imposing square was built for the 1896 millennium celebrations. It is dominated by the Archangel Gabriel who is surrounded by seven statues representing the chiefs of the seven Magyar tribes who settled in this area (supposedly in AD 896). The large open space is dedicated to the Hungarian war memorial and attracts tourists, skateboarders and inline skaters in their dozens. Check out the recently restored art museums on either side of the square.

The entire collection here has been recently acquired: It was a donation from Peter Ludwig (hence the name) in 1989. Once again, the setting of the museum is spectacular, situated as it is in one of the wings of the Castle. There are some big names on display although much of the work here is rather uninspired (Picasso's Matador and Nude is here, but it is a work that has attracted much derision). There is also a section devoted to Pop Art and a new collection of modern Hungarian work. Admission is HUF 300. Many people adore this museum and return again and again.

In the small park beside Clark Adam ter (right by the funicular) you will see a strange-looking, large oval stone. It's not a work of modern art, but the '0 kilometer stone', which marks the exact, official point from which all distances in the country are measured. If you are driving to or from Budapest, you will see distance markings every kilometer, measured from here.

A relatively youthful structure next to Matthias Church. Building started in 1895 on the designs of Frigyes Schulek. It was sited on the place of the medieval fish market and the walls protected by the guild of fishermen, where the name. The neo-Romanesque bastion has only ever had a decorative role: it is a popular place to look out over Pest.