Castles, Hungary

The main façade of the Fisherman’s Bastion, running parallel to the Danube, is approximately 140 metres long. The seven stone towers with their pointed tops symbolise the leaders of the Hungarian tribes who conquered the country in 896. It was built in place of the old fortification walls in neo-Romanesque style between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek, who was also in charge of the reconstruction of the Mathias Church. The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen that was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. https://www.budapest.com/city_guide/sights/monuments_of_art/fishermens_bastion.en.html

Royal Palace – Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest and was first completed in 1265. The first, Gothic style royal palace was built during the reign of Louis the Great, King Sigismund and King Matthias (from the middle of the 14th century until the end of the 15th). It became a royal residence of European rank, with its Gothic and Renaissance elements. Buda was occupied by the Turks in 1541, and it was only retaken during the Christian siege of Buda in 1686. In WWII, the palace and the Castle District were the last refuges of the Germany Army, which fell under heavy siege from the invading Soviet Army. The palace was again damaged; reconstruction started in the 1950-s. Leading architects of the age have announced that they wanted to return to the 18th-century Baroque form of the palace, and at the same time keep its 19th-century dimensions. They constructed a Baroque façade that never existed before. This was because 20th-century architects saw no value in an eclectic style, although this is now considered to be the most valuable aspect of Budapest’s buildings. https://bookinbudapest.com/royal-palace-buda-castle

The first citizens arrived to Castle Hill in the 13th century after the Mongolian invasion, seeking protection in the hills of Buda. The first royal castle was built around this time. The golden age of Castle Hill was in the 15th century, following the marriage of King Matthias Corvinus and Beatrix of Naples in 1476. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/buda-castle-hill/

With 21 pools, Széchenyi Bath is one of the largest bathing complexes in Europe. Its adventure pool features a water chute, underwater jacuzzi, neck shower and bubble deck. In addition to traditional medicinal services, the entrance fee also includes wellness services such as the fitness gym, saunas and underwater gymnastics. https://www.budapestinfo.hu/szechenyi-thermal-bath-and-swimming-pool-1

The historic Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom) is over 700 years old. The church was the scene of several coronations, including that of Charles IV in 1916, the last Habsburg king. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/matthias-church/

The Parliament building, a magnificent example of Neo-Gothic architecture (although displaying Renaissance and Baroque characters too), is just over 100 years old. In the 1880's an open tender was held for the design of the Parliament building. Guided tours of the Parliament are available when the National Assembly is not in session. The tour takes about 45 minutes, and is well worth the price, as it covers the main entrance stairs and hall, one of the lobbies, the old House of Lords and the Hungarian Crown Jewels. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/budapest-parliament/

At the time of its construction, Chain Bridge was considered to be one of the wonders of the world. Chief engineer Adam Clark, a master builder from Scotland, completed the span in 1849. Legend has it that he was so proud of his masterpiece he would challenge anyone to find any fault with his work. When it was discovered that the lions at either ends of the bridge didn't have tongues, he was so ashamed that he committed suicide. This of course is only an anecdote. The tunnel, which was built a few years later, is also the work of Adam Clark. By the way, the lions do have tongues; however, they are not visible from the street below. Crossing the bridge is just a short walk and no matter which direction you go, the view is beautiful. It's also well worth a visit in the evening, when the bridge is all lit up. In the summer, festivals are held on the bridge almost every weekend. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/chain-bridge/

The hill was named after bishop Gellért (Gerard), who was thrown to death from the hill by pagans in the fight against Christianity in 1046. His statue, which faces Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet hid) and holds a cross, can be seen from many parts of Pest. At the top of the hill is the Citadel (Citadella), a fortress built by the Habsburgs after defeating Hungary's War of Independence in 1849. It was a prime, strategic site for shelling both Buda and Pest in the event of a future rebellion. In the 18th century, the slopes of Gellért Hill were covered with vineyards. The Tabán district at the foot of the hill was an important center of winemaking in Buda. Gellért Hill was a strategic military position in the Second World War as well as the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, when Soviet tanks bombarded the city from here. Budapest's Statue of Liberty stands on top of the hill, and she can be seen from all parts of the city. Liberty was erected during the Communist era, commemorating the liberation from Nazi rule. Now a residential area, private homes and embassies line the streets winding up the hill. Since 1987, Gellért Hill has been listed as a world heritage site, as part of "the Banks of the Danube" area. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the hill. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/gellert-hill/

Laid out in 1896 to mark the thousandth anniversary of Hungary, Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) is the largest and most impressive square of the city. Located at the end of Andrássy Avenue and next to City Park, Heroes’ Square is one of the most visited sights in Budapest. Surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Kunsthalle (Hall of Art) on the right, Heroes’ Square is also a station of the Millennium Underground. The Millennium Monument in the middle of the square was erected to commemorate the 1000-year-old history of the Magyars. Archangel Gabriel stands on top of the center pillar, holding the holy crown and the double cross of Christianity. The seven chieftains who led the Magyar tribes to Hungary can be seen on the stand below. Statues of kings and other important historical figures stand on top of the colonnades on either side of the center pillar. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/heroes-square/

St. Stephen’s Basilica is the largest church in Budapest and can hold up to 8,500 people. Although in architectural terms it’s a cathedral, it was given the title of ‘basilica minor’ by Pope Pius XI in 1931. It took more than 50 years to build the Basilica. Building commenced in 1851, and the inauguration ceremony took place in 1906 and was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph. During its construction, in 1868 the dome collapsed and rebuilding it had to start almost from scratch, which explains the delay in the Basilica's completion. Architect Jozsef Hild who drafted the original plans and supervised the construction died in 1867. Miklós Ybl, one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late 19th century, who also designed the Opera House, took over. When the dome collapsed in 1868, Ybl had to draft new plans. Unfortunately Ybl didn’t live to see the completion of the Basilica as he passed away in 1891, however work was finished according to his plans. Originally designed in neo-classical style by Hild, the Basilica was finished in neo-renaissance style based on the plans of Ybl. The dome is 96 meters high, the exact same height as the Budapest Parliament Building. In fact current building regulations stipulate that no other structure in Budapest can be taller than 96 meters. Having the same height as the Parliament also symbolizes the balance between church and state in Hungary. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/st-stephens-basilica/

Walking the length of the island takes about 20 minutes, but most visitors spend time at the Hajós Alfréd and the Palatinus outdoor pools. The Palatinus water park is a popular place in the summer, especially on the weekends. The 11 outdoor pools, including two for children, are in a beautiful setting. If it is too cold to go for a swim, an island tour introduces relics hailing back to the island's religious origins, including a 12th century convent and ruins of a Franciscan and a Dominican church. During summer months, bicycles, inline skates and 'bringóhintó', a four-wheeled bike for four, are available for rent. Since vehicles are prohibited, the island is a fantastic escape from the bustle of the big city and a great place to work out, swim a few laps, or go for a run. Other attractions on the island include the Centennial Memorial which commemorates the 100th anniversary of Budapest, a Japanese Garden, a tiny zoo, a music fountain, and an octagonal water tower, built in Art Nouveau style in 1911. The outdoor theater hosts operas, concerts and plays during summer. The thermal water on Margaret Island is famous for its healing effects. The natural, thermal water running beneath the island was first brought to the surface in 1886. In addition to its healing power, a day at the Danubius Health Spa is also a great way to relax and unwind. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/margaret-island/

You can tour the Opera House during the day and learn about its gorgeous architecture as well as enjoy a world-class performance in the evening. The opera house in Budapest stands as one of the most beautiful Neo-Renaissance buildings in Europe. When it was opened in 1884, the city shared the administrative duties of the Austro-Hungarian Empire with Vienna. Emperor Franz Joseph commissioned its design. Construction included the use of marble and frescos by some of the best artisans of that era. Designed by Miklós Ybl, one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late 19th century, the Budapest Opera House quickly became one of the most prestigious musical institutions in Europe. Many important artists performed here, including Gustav Mahler! http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/budapest-opera-house/

Let's start our walk in the main square of the "Famous Town" that used to be the market-place for centuries. Here you can find the Big Catholic Church which is the largest cathedral in the Great Hungarian Plain built in the style of the age of Louis XVI of France. Looking down from the 73 meter tall tower you can see the panorama of the town. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/kecskemet/sights/big_catholic_church.en.html

The neighbouring building is the Town Hall built by the plans of Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos. The 150-year-old building of the City Hall was demolished in 1892. József Katona, the writer of our national drama worked there for 10 years. He collapsed and died at the entrance. The cracked stone monument set up at the scene of his heart attack in front of the building reminds us of this tragic event. The notice on this monument says: „The heart of the son of Kecskemét broke here.” In 1895 the offices moved into the building of which area is 5534 m2 and has 174 rooms. On the 8th July, 1911 there was a huge earthquake in the city which did not spare the City Hall either. Its collapsed chimneys and cracked walls were soon reconstructed under the direction of Ödön Lechner. The style of the building with its nearly rectangle-shaped ground-plan mixes the forms of the French Renaissance architecture and the elements of our popular art. The Ceremonial Hall is the venue of the General Assembly meetings of the city, national and international conferences, wedding ceremonies and ceremonial receptions. The period furniture of the Ceremonial Hall is handicraft work. The wooden furniture and the printed leather backed chairs were made in Szeged according to the design of Lechner and Pártos. The beautiful and richly coloured glass windows were made in the workshop of the famous Miksa Róth. The decorative wall-painting was made by Adolf Götz, the wall-candlesticks and the chandelier were made by Sándor Árkay, Imperial and Royal locksmith upon the basis of the designs of Szilárd Várady. The paintings were made by the famous Hungarian painter Bertalan Székely. These paintings show some periods of the Hungarian history embracing one thousand years. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/kecskemet/sights/town_hall.en.html

Let 'us go towards the main square again. About 100 meters away on your right in Arany János Street you can find the Lutheran Church built in the 19th century. Until the end of the 1980s Miklós Ybl’s masterpiece, decorated with Romanesque motives, was hidden by cheap stores; today it can be seen in its original beauty. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/kecskemet/sights/lutheran_church.en.html

Agora presents serious scientific knowledge and the little wonders of everyday life in a fun and easy-to-understand way. The center is a new attraction in the life of the region; it offers exciting adventures and lifelong experience to all age-groups. It presents serious scientific knowledge and the little wonders of everyday life in a fun and easy-to-understand way. Agora features more than thirty interactive games and gets visitors involved in spectacular experiments. At the top of the futuristic three-storey building, stargazers will be delighted to test the limits of the observatory taking aim at the Sun, our fellow planets and other celestial bodies. https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/agora-scientific-adventure-center

Open all year round, the Debrecen Zoo is home to some 900 individuals of 170 species from all five continents. Besides permanent exhibits, there are a number of daily events and activities involving close visitor encounters with fascinating animals as part of the Animals in Action program, as well as a number of seasonal events such as summertime Evening Walks or Animal Christmas. A full member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) since 1994, the Zoo also reflects the current need for the protection of biodiversity by contributing to coordinated conservation efforts like European Endangered Species Programs (EEPs) through managing healthy and productive populations of various endangered species like the leopard cat, the reticulated giraffe, the African penguin, and the ring-tailed lemur. Integrated into the Zoo and Amusement Park, the ever-growing botanical collection currently features around 650 species, including ones from the Great Forest biotope and other parts of Hungary as well as ones native to various exotic corners of the world. There is also a Scent Garden section, home to a wide variety of aromatic herbs, enabling visitor interaction through the sense of smell. https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/nagyerdei-entertainment-complex

Proudly bearing its title of UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hortobágy National Park is the perfect archetype of pristine natural landscapes. This is the place where everyone longs to find refuge from the monotony of modern human existence. The feeling of unfettered freedom, encapsulated in the spectacle of the endless horizon, mirages, grazing herds of cattle and horses, and sweep-pole wells, will capture your imagination and soul during a horse-and-carriage ride or “puszta” safari. A picturesque trip to the fishponds on the small narrow-gauge train, combined with some birdwatching, will serve unique experiences to both young and older adventurers. Here the breeze wafts the scent of fragrant chamomile, mint, and artemisia from wild fields, gently touching your nose just like the waves of the ocean rhythmically splashing on the shore. It is a place where you will reinterpret the meaning of silence. It is a place where you might even reach celestial bodies during the special night treks in Starry Sky Park. In Hungary’s oldest and largest national park, awarded the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) prize, hundred-year-old herdsman’s traditions are still part of people’s means of subsistence and not mere promotional gimmicks. https://visitdebrecen.com/see-do/hortobagy/

Having functioned continuously as an educational institution since its establishment in 1538, the college is the cradle of Hungarian civilization. Designated as a national monument in 2013, it also features a museum that has permanent exhibits displaying the school’s history, student life, and the religious art of the Reformed Church in the Trans-Tisza Region. Your visit here will help you understand why Debrecen became the most important bastion of the Reformed faith in Hungary. Bedecked with majestic murals, the building’s stairwell leads to the entrance of the gigantic library storing more than 600,000 volumes, the Csokonai Room and the Oratory that housed Hungary’s National Assembly in 1849. https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/debrecen-reformed-college

The Déri Museum is most famous for being the home of the greatest works of one of Hungary’s most famous and celebrated artists, Mihály Munkácsy, as well as the huge collection of other items, brought together by Frigyes Déri. Munkácsy’s awe-inspiring Christ Trilogy is housed here, the first of the trilogy, entitled front of Pilate was painted in 1882, followed by Golgotha in 1884. The trilogy was completed with Ecce Homo in 1896. In addition to its exhibits of local cultural interest, the Déri Museum has become renowned for Frigyes Déri’s collection of weapons. The weapons collection is particularly fine, comprising of three parts. Weapons from Christian Europe, from the 15-18th. The second part is comprised of classic Muslim weapons from the territory of the Ottoman Empire and Persia. The third part, although the smallest is the finest part, is the weapons collection from the Far East. The Japanese collection is of commonly used items made in the Edo era and is undoubtedly the best in Hungary. https://visitdebrecen.com/see-do/deri-museum/

The newest attraction of Nagyerdei park is the Water Tower Adventure Center. It is a home to a whole cornucopia of entertainment options from spring through fall. Not only its 31-m-high observation point gives fantastic views of the surrounding area. A special telescope will also open a visual channel to bygone eras. Nourish your mind and body, respectively, at the permanent exhibitions and eateries. If you crave some physical exercise, check out the climbing wall built in the tower’s structure. The day’s adventures will culminate in the night light show. https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/water-tower-2

Built in Baroque and Louis Seize style, the church was elevated to cathedral rank by Pope John Paul II in 1993. A certified replica of the Turin Shroud has been on display in the building since 2011. 2015 has been designated as Catholic Memorial Year, to mark the tercentenary of the movement started to reorganize practices and activities of the Catholic faithful in Debrecen. https://www.debrecen.hu/en/tourist/places/st-annes-cathedral

The eclectic-style Financial Palace was completed in 1912. Earlier, the plot was occupied by the house of György Komáromi Csipkés, a judge of the city, which hosted the preparatory negotiations of the Treaty of Szatmár in 1711. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/debrecen/sights/financial_palace.en.html?sid=lo2o84r1d855jiat310e3cglb5

The Reformed Great Church of Debrecen is one of the most significant Classicist historic buildings of Hungary. It was designed by Mihály Péchy, and built between 1805 and 1822. Its north-south nave (with the organs at its two ends and with the pulpit at its north end) is 38 m long and 14 m wide; its east-west aisle is 55 m long and 15 m wide. http://www.debrecencity.com/en/debrecen/culture/churches/the_reformed_great_church

Above the beautiful bay window of the Baroque building the coat of arms of Győr can be seen; the city archives can be found in this house. https://www.budapest.com/cities_in_hungary/gyor/sights/old_town_hall.en.html

The traces of Roman building activities have been found in the foundation of the castle. Its oldest parts are the lower section of the tower castle, the so-called runaway corridor dating from the XIV. century, as well as the adjacent cross-vaulted hall. https://www.budapest.com/cities_in_hungary/gyor/sights/bishops_castle_and_episcopal_palace.en.html