Main sights

Someone fall in love immidiately, others only after arrive in the centre of Budapest, and meet the stunning panorama, but all agree that Budapest is one of the most beautiful locations int he world. The River Danube flows through the city’s heart, spanned by elegant bridges connecting Buda and Pest banks. The views will etch themselves on your memory, especially if you’ll see this magnificant city by night!

Parliament of Hungary

The Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház) is a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. Parliamentary business still takes place in this building, which also houses the Congressional Library and since 2000 the Hungarian Crown Jewels: St. Stephen’s Crown, the sceptre, orb and Renaissance sword. The building sits ’elegant’ on the Danube embankment with his 268 m long and its cupola rises 96 m into the air. The main entrance is looking out over Kossuth Square (Kossuth tér – stop of the metro M2). The neo-Gothic building is the work of architect Imre Steindl, and was constructed from 1885. The Eclectic building is itself an example of the art of the nineteenth century – with its Gothic towers, intricate stonework and 88 statues on the outside, and its baroque grand staircase, frescoes, mosaic windows, Gobelin tapestry and paintings inside.

Apparently, Freddy Mercury was visiting the city and asked if the building was for sale as it would make an excellent hotel. It wasn’t for sale...

If you arrive from the Europian Union you can take a visit free of charge, but you can buy your ticket just on the same day when you going to visit the building. Or you can prenotate you tour by idegenforgalom@parlament.hu, tourist.office@parlament.hu. In these cases please arrive half an’hour before than you must enter at the gate number X.

There are tours in english every day at 10.00 a.m., 12.00 a.m. and 14.00 p.m.

St. Stephen’s Basilica

The city’s largest church, it can hold 8,500 worshippers simultanesously. The neo-Classical St. Stephen’s Basilica, welcomes visitors with arching halls, a treasury and relic chapel, and a dramatic dome promising yet more breathtaking views. The church is named for Saint Stephen I of Hungary, the first king of Hungary whose incorruptible right hand is housed in the reliquary. Equal with the Hungarian Parliament Building, it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest at 96 metres – this equation symbolises that worldly and spiritual thinking have the same importance. It was completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction, according to the plans of Hild József and after Ybl Miklós, the greatest architect of the day. The basilica has six bells: one int he south tower (the biggest one in Hungary) and five in the north tower. Visitors may access the dome by elevators or by climbing 364 stairs for a 360º view overlooking Budapest.

You can arrive in Szent István tér (St. Stephen’s Square) with a short walk from the Deák Ferenc tér (Deák Ferenc Square) where you can find the stops of all the metropolitans (Metro M1,M2,M3). The opening hours: daily 9 a.m. – 5 a.m. (in winter: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) There is a simbolic donation of 1 Euro.

It is worth taking a walk along the straight Andrássy út, a boulevard that is now a World Heritage site. It is lined with 19th- and 20th-century Eclectic-style palaces.

Gellért Hill

  

The State Opera House

The State Opera House with its frescoed interior, seating an audience of 1,200, is a splendid work of by Ybl Miklós, Hungary’s most famous architect, and has been the centre of musical life in Hungary since 1884. The richly decorted interiors were designed by renowned Hungarian artists such as Than Mór, Lotz Károly and Székely Bertalan. Although in size and capacity it is not among the greatest, in beauty and the quality of acoustics the Budapest Opera House is considered to be amongst the first few opera houses in the world. Each year the season lasts from September to the end of June and besides opera performances the Opera House is home to the Hungarian National Ballet.

There are granted tours every day at 3 p.m. and at 4 p.m. These tours are especially for individual tourists. The tours may be deleted due to rehearsals or special events organised in the Opera House, please call us before the tour for confirmation. Tickets for the granted tours can be bought at the Opera Shop on the right hand side of the building.

Price: for adults 11,50 EUR/person, for students (with International Student Card, ISIC) 7,50 EUR/person. Free for children under the age of 6. You have a voucher of 20% with Budapet Card or Legenda Pass. The tour is during 1 hour with a small concert. If there is any questions about the tours, do not hesitate to contact info@operavisit.hu.

Buda Castle - Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is situated at the southern part of the Castle Hill. The palace was originally built in medieval times, but was totally destroyed during the Turkish occupation. Today's baroque palace was constructed during the 17th and 18th centuries. Nowadays, the building houses cultural institutes and museums such as Széchenyi Library, Hungarian National Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Arts - Ludwig Museum and the Museum of Budapest History.

Buda Castle - Castle district

The Buda Castle district with its narrow streets, old houses, gas lamps and marvellous monuments is the most romantic pedestrianized district of Budapest. In the district between Dísz square and the Matthias church travellers can enjoy buildings from the Middle Ages and the baroque palaces. The unique attractions of the area are the sitting niches next to the entrances of the buildings. These niches probably served as places to rest for the use of servants. 

Buda Castle - Holy Trinity Square

On the square located in the centre of the castle district travellers can find the Statue of the Holy Trinity, the old Buda town hall, the Matthias Church and the House of Hungarian Wines.

Buda Castle - Fishermen's Bastion

The bastion was built in 1905 next to the Matthias Church on the place of the former fish market. The aim of the bastion was to decorate the panorama from the Pest side. This city view was elected by the UNESCO and added to the list of World Heritage sites in 1988.

Buda Castle - Matthias Church

The church is of the same age as the Royal Palace. The church was originally constructed in the 13th century, and reconstructed several times during the following centuries. The Turks occupied Buda in 1541 and turned Matthias church into a mosque. The frescoes of the church were whitened. The church as it stands today dates from the 19th century, when it was rebuilt in neo-gothic style. Frescoes of Bible scenes and the main events in Hungarian history decorate the walls of the church. The Matthias church has excellent acoustics and concerts are held on a regular basis.

Cave system

Long corridors and a whole corridor system spanning several kilometres stretch under the Buda Castle. The Buda Castle Labyrinth has a historical atmosphere and is the only part of the cave system that can be visited. 

Millennium Underground Railway

The Metro M1 is the oldest line of the Budapest Metro system, known in Budapest simply az „the underground” (Földalatti). It is the oldest underground railway on the European mainland. It was built from 1894 to 1896. The original purpose of the first metro line was to facilitate transport to Budapest City Park. It was inaugurated in the year of the millennium (the thousandth anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars) by emperor Franz Joseph. In 2002 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the beautiful Andássy boulevard just before the Oktogon is Liszt Ferenc Square, a place that has in a short time become one of the capital’s favourite pleasure grounds – filled with coffee houses, international restaurants, music bars and jazz clubs. In summer it seems that half the city is here relaxing and enjoying itself at the outdoor tables.

Andrássy boulevard terminates opposite one of the best known groups of statues in Hungary, the Millenary Monument at Heroes’ Square.

Heroes’ Square

Heroes’ Square (in hungarian: Hősök tere) is one of the major squares of Budapest, is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left, that contains the country’s prime art collection, and Hall of Art on the right with the country’s largest exhibition hall, a suitable venue for major temporary exhibitions. The central site of the square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millenary Monument with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century. At the front of the monument is a large stone cenotaph surrounded by an ornamental iron chain. The cenothaph is dedicted „To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence.” Directly behind the cenotaph is a column topped by a statue of the archangel Gabriel. In his right hand the angel holds the Holy Crown of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. In his left hand the angel holds a two barred apostolic cross, a symbol awareded to St. Stepehen by the Pope in recognition of his efforts to convert Hungary to Christianity.

Heroes’ Square is the entrance to the City Park as well as one of the most spectacular venues in Budapest.

Margaret Island, Margitsziget 

The Margitsziget is the green area located in the middle of the Danube between the Margit and Árpád Bridges. The peaceful ambiance of the island is a place of choice for taking a walk, doing sports and entertainments in general. The island has many things on offer, a variety of flora, the remains of some cloisters, a water tower, an open-air beach (Palatinus), an open-air theatre and a lot of sporting opportunities. Cars are not allowed to enter the park area however there is car park next to the northern end of the island. There is also a scheduled bus line that crosses the island.
 

City Park

The largest green belt expanse on the Pest side, a favoured place for family outings, weekend entertainment and those looking for the tranquillity of nature. One of its most notable features is Vajdahunyad Castle (the replica of the Castle in Vajdahunyad in Transylvania), an eclectic edifice that represents every kind of architectural style found in historical Hungary, today is houses the Museum of Agriculture. The nearby lake is a romantic setting for boating in summer and ice skating in winter. City Park has the largest artificial ice surface in Europe and it’s the centre of Hungarian bandy. The City Park hosts also the Zoo, the Széchenyi Baths, the Transport Museum and the Amusement Park.

Vajdahunyad Castle

The Vajdahunyad Castle complex, built in the late 19th Century to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the Hungarian migration to the Carpathian Basin, incorporates architectural styles from throughout historic Hungary. Originally it was made from cardboard and wood for the millennial exhibition in 1896 but it became so popular that it was rebuilt from stone and brick. Today it houses the Agricultural Museum. The statue of Anonymus, also displayed in the Castle court, he wrote the first history books on the ancient Hungarians, most based on legends. Superstition says that by touching his pen you will receive good luck.

The Chain Bridge

From all of Budapest’s remarkable bridges we would highlight the first permanent stone bridge in Budapest: the Lánchíd. Count István Széchenyi initiated the construction, which began in 1839. The bridge was named after its classic style pillars of towers on which the deck is hung. It was designed by the English Tierney W. Clark and its construction was supervised by the Scottish Adam Clark. The square in front of the bridge was named after the latter. This area is usually very crowded during the 20th August celebrations. 

City Park Skating Rink

Without a doubt, the Ice Rink played a huge role in the advancement of Hungarian ice sports. The open-air rink, Europe’s largest and one of its oldest. The nearby castle give a special characteristic of the skating rink, it is very romantic.

Budapest Amusement Park

The Budapest Amusement Park (Budapesti Vidámpark) has a large number of novelties for kids and adultas alike. The Park currently operates on a 6.5 hectare plot of land and it features 40 different rides and games, 5 of which are considered historical monuments. Much work goes into the reconstruction and protection of such equipment. Of special significance is the European Nostra-prize winning marry-go-round (1906) or the wooden-framed, 1 km long roller coaster (1922).

Zoo and Botanical Garden

Simply called „the zoo” by Budapet residents, the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden is one of the most visited in the country, founded in 1866, and it is one of the oldest amongst all Zoos. Most of its buildings are monuments. In the historical surrounding, more than 700 animal species, as well as a great variety of plants await the visitors.

Széchenyi Baths and Swimming Pool

On the baths that are open all year round, the Széchenyi Baths and Swimming Pools in City Park, Europe’s largest and perhaps most beautiful baths complex – has 15 pools and countless services. This complex offers five mixed curative baths, four women’s pools and three men’s pools. The water comes from almost a kilometer underground, components of the water include sulphate, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and a significant amount of fluoride acid and metaborc acid. The complex was expanded in 1927, and it still has 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools. Main swimming and thermal sections are possible to visit mixed. The open-air swimming pool is huge, and there is a wide range of activities on offer. Towels and swimsuits can be rented or bought int he spa. The prices are between 3500 and 3750 HUF. Opening hours each day from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m.