Budapest Information and Tourist Sights

Budapest (capital city of Hungary) with its sights and attractions is a favorite tourist destination due to it’s amazing beauty and enchantment. The Chain bridge above the Danube which separates Buda from Pest , the Castle area, the narrow streets in the downtown, the Gellért- hill sight or the Margaret island has an amazing experience in store for you which will make your vacation unforgettable.

Heroes’ square, City Park Information:
The Heroes square which is the largest square in Budapest is located on the Pest side by the end of the Adrássy street (which is on the World Heritage List). The sight was completed by 1929. The main sight of the square is the Millenary Monument, and situated on the side of the square you will find the Palace of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts. A short walk for the tourists from here to the City Park where you can find a small lake on which you can go boating or skating in winter time. The famous Széchenyi baths which was the first medical bath of Budapest opened in 1913 is here as well, nicely renovated, waiting for its guests. Situated behind the baths is the City Zoo and adventure park. It can be all accessed from the downtown by the yellow underground (Kisföldalatti)…

Castle District information:
Just have a walk in the Budapest Castle District and it will be easy for you to imagine how the city life could be in the last century. You can find plenty of sights here, like the Mathias church (on the Szentháromság square), the Sándor palace (the official residence of the President of Hungary) and the Fishermen’s bastion where you can have a scenic view of the Danube and Parliament. The Labyrinth of Buda Castle is another place of interest and is very unique. The entrance to the Buda Castle is found at Uri street 9. It is worth taking an empty glass with you as there is a “vine- fountain” in the city labyrinth. Tourists can get to the Castle District by the “Castle bus” from the Moszkva square, or take the funicular train from the buda side of the Chain bridge.

Budapest Parliament Information:
The residency of the Hungarian parliament is located on the Pest side of the city, right next to the Danube on the Kossuth Lajos square
under-ground line nr2, red color coded. After almost 20 years of building it was inaugurated in 1904. It is not only spectacular but its size is breathtaking as well. In its cupola hall is the most important national relic of the Hungarian nation: The Holy Crown. There are organized tours for tourists around Parliament with well prepared multi language tour guides.

Gellért- hill, Citadel Information:
The 235m high Gellért hill being on the World Heritage List of city sights since 1987 is “falling into the Danube” from the ascent rocky side. On the inside of the hill is a giant water tank supplying Budapest with fresh water. On the top of the hill is the Citadel, which used to be a fortress and today it is a tourist attraction where you can have a great view of all of Budapest. To get to the top you can climb the stairs from the Elizabeth bridge (where the waterfall is.

Information about Margaret- island:
The best way to get there is walking through the Margaret bridge, or taking the bus nr26 form the Nyugati- pályaudvar (West railway station). From the Árpád- bridge you can enter the island by car, but you will find only a pay parking lot here, as the island is off limits for cars. Not counting the couple of hotels and sport halls (like the “Alfréd Hajós” swimming pool which is housed in an old but newly renovated building) there are no other buildings on the island. This huge park of Budapest gives tourists the pleasure to relax and discover its hidden treasures. It is worth renting a four wheel bike (bringó hintó) to explore the tourist sights of the city island.

City Center, Váci street, Danube- promenade Information:
In a narrower sense the city center contains the Váci street and it’s neighbourhood, which runs from the Fővám square to the Vörösmarty square. The so called “old” Váci street (the section between the Ferenciek square and the Vörösmarty square) is the heart of the city. Today on this old shopping street of Pest you can find well known trade marks, retail shops and elegant cafes like the “Pilvax” whose name became famous because of the revolution for independence in 1848. The Daunbe promenade (Duna- korzó) is a beautiful sight along the Danube, parallel to Váci street. The “tired” tourist can have a rest on one of its chairs.

Chain- bridge (Lánchíd):
The oldest and most known bridge of Budapest is one of the symbols of Budapest. The Chain Bridge was the first stone bridge on the Danube, not only between the city of Buda and Pest, but of the whole Hungarian part of the Danube. It was inaugurated in 1849. At the bridgeheads there are two sets of lions “guarding” the bridge. On the Buda side of the bridge there is the funicular train which you can get to the Castle District by. In the evenings the bridge is in gala lighting which is one of the favourite sight of the tourists.

Millenium Underground Train (Kisföldalatti):
The first electric underground line of the continent was built in 1896 for the World Fair. During the renovation of the underground special care was taken to make sure that the trains and stops reserved their old style feeling, so traveling on the tains is a special experience. From the heart of Budapest, Vörösmarty square it’s only a 10 minute trip for tourists to the Heroes square or the City Park. Just like its carts, its color code on the maps is yellow as well.

Budapest Funicular Train Information:
It goes from the Buda side of the Chain bridge and climbs 48m within a 100m distance. It was opened in 1870 as the second one in Europe. Unfortunately it got badly damaged during the World War II, and was finally renovated in 1986. The two carts running on parallel tracks are connected to each other by a wire and run in opposite directions (one going up while the other comes down). From the Castle District you can have a panoramic view and walking on the antique city street we can enjoy a “time travel”experience.

Cogwheel- train Information:
The perfect way to start a nice tour to the Buda hills. The “bottom” end of the line is in Városmajor, close to Moszkva square (actually it’s only 2 stops by the tram nr56). Usually it runs every 15- 20 minutes and takes approximately 20 minutes to get to the top railhead. All you need is your regular city ticket or pass. The top end is on the Széchenyi hill from where you can get to the Budapest Children’s Railway (ex- Pioneer’s Railway) with an easy walk.

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