Budapest
The city that once was two
Budapest which roods go back to a Roman settlemnt build 89 a.d. is made out of 2 parts. Pest - the peoples part on the right and Buda - the royal on the left. 1867 the Habsburg emperor sitting in Vienna agreed on uniting the city in to one in 1873, but Pest had been the capital since 1723 of the kingdom of Hungary. First in 1849 the first bridge connected the two cities and it was the first on the Danube south of Regensburg (Germany)(Here the old bridge is frome 1135-1146)
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Boscolo Budapest Hotel
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The New York Life Insurance Company assigned architect Alajos Hauszmann, to plan the company's hall building in Budapest. Hauszmann, with Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl planned a four story eclectic palace, with a café on its ground floor. The building and the café opened on October 23, 1894. The statues and other ornaments on the front side of the building, as well as the ground floor café's 16 imposing devilish fauns, each one beside the café's sixteen windows, are the works of Károly Senyey.
The building was nationalized during the communist era. After the collapse of socialism, the palace was bought by Italian Boscolo Hotels in February 2001. The building was totally renovated, and reopened on May 5, 2006 as a 107-room luxury hotel, with the Café, also totally renovated, on its ground floor. |
Brudern House
Párisi udvar's main entrance lies at a central location along Ferenciek tere, one of Budapest's oldest squares. In 1817, at a time when the area was one of the busiest in the city, József Brudern decided to build a large store here. Inside was a shopping arcade that was modeled after the Passage des Panoramas. In 1907 the Belváros Savings Bank acquired the property and organized a competition for the construction of its new, prestigious headquarters. The bank's board of directors decided to select architect German-born architect Henrik Schmahl. Construction started in 1909 and the building was completed in 1913. The new building, also called Brudern House, was mixed-use, with a sumptuous shopping arcade on the two lower levels and room for offices on the upper levels. The arcade was named Párisi udvar (Parisian Court) as a reference to the original arcade.
Henrik Schmal created an unusual building in a mixture of different architectural styles, including Venetian Gothic and Renaissance, decorated with Art Nouveau and Oriental elements. The palatial exterior, clad with colorful Majolica tiles, is decorated with numerous ornaments and motifs. Sparkling white reliefs of figures set in neo-Gothic niches adorn the rooftop, while fifty statues protrude from the third floor. The two main towers, which reach a height of forty meters, are richly decorated with neo-Gothic sculptures and even grotesques. The Parisian Court inside is even more impressive. The arcade, two levels high, has a vaulted roof made of colored glass and a striking hexagonal glass dome, designed by Miksa Róth. The arcade is decorated with cast-iron and sculpted wooden ornaments. The floors have beautiful mosaic tiles. There are balconies, windows with bar tracery, pediments and sculptures. You can also see reliefs of bees, symbolizing thrift, a reference to the bank that commissioned the construction. |
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Buda castle Tunnel
Those coming from the Pest end had to walk round the Castle Hill on the Buda side to be able to proceed northwards. On 10 February 1853, four years after the completion of the Chain Bridge, the building of a tunnel leading through the hill was started to the plans of Adam Clark. On 6 March 1856, the tunnel was opened for foot traffic, and on 30 April 1857 also for motor traffic. Being 350 meters in length, it leads through under the Buda Castle to the other side of the hill. Its length is approximately identical to that of the Chain Bridge, prompting anecdotes according to which the tunnel has only been built so that in rainy weather, the Chain Bridge can be shoved in and be protected from wet conditions. The entry of the tunnel at its Chain Bridge end was also fittingly designed in classicist style.
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Buda Castle
Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265. In the past, it has been called Royal Palace and Royal Castle.
Buda Castle was built on the southern tip of Castle Hill, bounded on the north by what is known as the Castle District (Várnegyed), which is famous for its Medieval, Baroque, and 19th-century houses, churches, and public buildings. It is linked to Clark Ádám Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular. The castle is a part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, which was declared a Heritage Site in 1987. |
City Park Ice Rink
In the second part of the nineteenth century the pleasant environment of the City Park became a beloved place for relaxation, entertainment and freetime activities. On the City Park Lake boating and rowing were popular sports to practice and during the winter skaters also appeared on the frozen lake. In the end of 1869, with the guidance of Géza Kresz the Pesti Korcsolyázó Egylet (Skating Association of Pest) was founded, and they also obtained the permission of the city council to create an ice rink on a part of the City Park Lake. A wooden pavilion was built on the shore of the lake as well, where the visitors could warm up and change their skates. The official opening ceremony took place on 29 January 1870 in the presence of Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria.In 1874 the wooden cottage was burnt down, following that a new stable building was erected by the plans of Hungarian secessionist architecht Ödön Lechner. On the ground floor was found the changing room and warming room, while on the upstaris was placed the main hall and the music room. For 1879 floodlights were installed to ensure a skating opportunity at nights. For 1893 due to the increasing number of the visitors the main building was proved to be too small and was replaced by a bigger neo-baroque style building designed by Imre Francsek. Városligeti Műjégpálya was renovated and expanded from 2009 to 2011. The total cost of the amelioration process was 4.7 billion Hungarian Forint. After the redevelopment the skating area grew by 15 percent, and now it consist a 180×67 metres skating rink and an international standard ice hockey rink. The quality of the largest ice surface in Europe is ensured by the about 210 kilometres (130 mi) long embedded cooling tube system. The interior of the main building, which is a national monument, was restored to the 1926 state with its gilded pillars and banisters, and went through further expansion.
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Corvinus University of Budapest
In 1846, József Industrial School opened its gates with departments for economics and trade for upper grade students. The Faculty of Economics of the Royal Hungarian University, was established in 1920. In 1934, the faculty was merged with other institutions including the University of Technology to form the Hungarian Royal Palatine Joseph University of Technology and Economics. In 1953 it was renamed Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences. In 1990 the political system changed in Hungary. Following that the name of the university was changed to the University of Economics of Budapest. In 2004, the university received its present name. The name the Corvinus University of Budapest refers to the name of Corvinae (codices). Bibliotheca Corviniana was one of the most renowned libraries of the Renaissance world, established by the king Matthias Corvinus of Hungary.
The university's main building was planned by Miklós Ybl as the Main Customs Office in Neo-Renaissance style. It was finished in 1874. The building was called "Vámház" (Customs House) and "Fővámpalota" (Chief Customs Palace). The building was connected to ports of the Danube by four tunnels. It had a railroad connection. During WW2 the Hungarian, German and Soviet troops used the building as a military base. The Customs House suffered serious damage during the war. In 1948 it became the main building of the University of Economics. It underwent major renovations in 1950 and later in 1989-1990. |
Dohány Street Synagogue
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The Dohány Street Synagogue, also known as The Great Synagogue or Tabakgasse Synagogue. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It seats 3,000 people and is a centre of Neolog Judaism.
The synagogue was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival style, with the decoration based chiefly on Islamic models from North Africa and medieval Spain (the Alhambra). The synagogue's Viennese architect, Ludwig Förster, believed that no distinctively Jewish architecture could be identified, and thus chose "architectural forms that have been used by oriental ethnic groups that are related to the Israelite people, and in particular the Arabs". The interior design is partly by Frigyes Feszl. The Dohány Street Synagogue complex consists of the Great Synagogue, the Heroes' Temple, the graveyard, the Memorial and the Jewish Museum, which was built on the site on which Theodore Herzl's house of birth stood. Dohány Street itself, a leafy street in the city center, carries strong Holocaust connotations as it constituted the border of the Budapest Ghetto. |
Dominican cloister
One of Budapest’s best located hotels is the 5-star Hilton Buda, superbly situated right next to the Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion. Before the construction could be started, the archaeological excavations took 4 years to complete. The hotel was opened in 1977, and its structure incorporates a 13th century Dominican cloister and a 17th century Jesuit college, which makes up the facade and the main entrance of the hotel, combined with modern glass elements. The nave of the former church now gives home to the Dominican Courtyard, where numerous theatre performances are organized from spring until autumn.
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Elizabeth Statue
The Statue of Queen Elisabeth or in Hungarian ‘Erzsebet’ – the queen and empress of the Austro – Hungarian Empire – stands on Dobrentei square by the Elisabeth Bridge is one of the many beautiful statues of Budapest. The Hungarians (Magyars) loved their exceptional sovereign for her kindness and non-conformist behaviour (just like the Hungarians she was in constant fight with her husband, the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph).
he Statue of Queen Elisabeth was made by Gyorgy Zala, and was revealed with huge celebrations in 1932 (forty years after the tragic death of the queen, still loved by Hungarians – even today there are big Sissi fans amongst Hungarians, including our grandparents who nod their head appreciatively, saying ‘yes, she was a big queen, and she was beautiful’ whenever Sissi comes up in a family lunch talk). |
ethnographic museum
It was founded as the Ethnographic Department of the Hungarian National Museum in 1872. Its first director was John Xantus de Vesey. It formally split from the National Museum in 1947 but moved to its building in Kossuth Square, opposite the Parliament building, only in 1973. The grand building in which the Museum of Ethnography is now housed was originally built by Alajos Hauszmann for the Ministry of Justice.
The museum houses a collection of Hungarian folk objects from the 19th century. The collection includes pieces from everyday Hungarian life from before World War II, including pottery, costumes, boats, and furniture. |
Europa Centerpoint Guesthouse
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Hotels like this are affordable and show the charme of old houses in Pest
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Fisherman's Bastion
The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902 on the plans of Frigyes Schulek. Construction of the bastion destabilised the foundations of the neighbouring 13th century Dominican Church which had to be pulled down. Between 1947–48, the son of Frigyes Schulek, János Schulek, conducted the other restoration project after its near destruction during World War II.
From the towers and the terrace a panoramic view exists of Danube, Margaret Island, Pest to the east and the Gellért Hill. Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 896. 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. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths. |
Gallus Anonymus
Who is this unknown writer? Historians believe that it was he who recorded the early chapters of the history of the Hungarians (Magyars) in his work called Gesta Hungarorum. The statue of ‘Anonymous’ is a hooded figure, which signifies that all we know is that he was a chronicler of a Hungarian king (King Bela), referred to as ‘Anonymus’ (sic) in century old medieval books and sources. As the name ‘King Bela’ was as popular in Hungary as ‘King Henry’ was in England, there is no way to find out which King Bela actually employed the chronicler. Many associate the statue of the Anonymous writer with the mysterious hooded figure of Gandalf. Although we may very well assume that the statue did not inspire either Tolkien or Peter Jackson. The statue was made in 1903 by Miklos Ligeti. Although the official statue committee asked the sculptor to pick a typical Hungarian face for his work, Miklos Ligeti went against the committee’s decision and kept the face of the unknown royal chronicler covered, faceless, timeless and unapproachable.
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Gellért Baths
Part of the famous Hotel Gellért, the Gellért Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool is a bath complex.
The bath complex was built between 1912 and 1918 in the (Secession) Art Nouveau style. The hotel and baths were designed by the Hungarian architects Ármin Hegedűs (1869-1945), Artúr Sebestyén (1868-1943) and Izidor Sterk (1860-1935) It was damaged during World War II, but then rebuilt. References to healing waters in this location are found from as early as the 13th century. A hospital was located on this site during the Middle Ages. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire, baths were also built on this particular site. The "magical healing spring" used the Turkish during the 16th and 17th centuries. The bath was called Sárosfürdő ("muddy” bath), because the mineral mud settled at the bottom of pools. The Gellért Bath underwent its first extensive renovation in 2008. The reconstruction served to restore the bath to its original splendor. |
Gresham Palace
The site was once occupied by Nákó House, a neo-classical palace built in 1827. In 1880, the London-based Gresham Life Assurance Company bought the property. The company later decided to build its foreign headquarters on the site, and decided that they needed a grander setting for them. They commissioned local architects Zsigmond Quittner and Jozsef Vago to design the new structure, and in 1904, they began construction of the Gresham Palace, which was completed in 1906 and opened in 1907. It was named after the 16th-century English financier Sir Thomas Gresham, the founder of the Royal Exchange in London. Originally, the palace served as an office building as well as a residence for senior staff of the Gresham company. During the occupation after World War II, the Red Army used the building as a barracks. Eventually, it became decrepit and was used as an apartment building during the People's Republic of Hungary. In 1990 the national government presented the palace to the city of Budapest. Oberoi Hotels entered into an agreement to manage a hotel in the building in 1991, but ensuing legal battles with residents of the building caused Oberoi to drop out in 1995. In 1998, Gresco Investments Ltd acquired the building and received approval from the Budapest Heritage Board to reconstruct it as a luxury hotel while retaining its original Art Nouveau architecture. Gresco raised $85 million for renovations and in 1999 Four Seasons agreed to oversee the reconstruction and manage the new property. In 2001, the building was bought by the Irish investment company Quinland Private. They extensively rebuilt the structure as a luxury hotel, restoring such original details as a large staircase, stained glass, mosaics, ironwork, and winter gardens. The hotel reopened in June 2004. In November 2011, the hotel was bought by the State General Reserve Fund of Oman.
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Hall of Art
If you are interested in contemporary arts the Art Hall is the place for you to go. The mission of the museum is to mediate, present and influence Hungarian and international trends and phenomena in the contemporary visual arts. Every year they arrange 5-6 different modern exhibitions, where you can see the works of modern photographers, painters and all kinds of modern art.
The Hall of Art was built in 1895, by the plans of Albert Schickedanz and Fülöp Herczog, in eclectic-neoclassical style. |
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Heroes' Square
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Hősök tere (English: Heroes' Square) is noted for its iconic statue complex featuring the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other important national leaders, as well as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The square has played an important part in contemporary Hungarian history and has been a host to many political events, such as the reburial of Imre Nagy in 1989. The sculptures were made by sculptor Zala György from Lendava. The central feature of Heroes' Square is the Millennium Memorial. Construction began in 1896 to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin and the foundation of the Hungarian state in 1896. Construction was completed in 1900, which was when the square received its name. When the monument was originally constructed, Hungary was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and thus the last five spaces for statues on the left of the colonnade were reserved for members of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. The monument was damaged in World War II and when it was rebuilt the Habsburgs were replaced by the current figures. At the front of the monument is a large stone cenotaph surrounded by an ornamental iron chain. The cenotaph is dedicated "To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence." While some guide books refer to this as a "tomb" it is not a burial place.
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house of terror
In December 2000 the Public Foundation for the Research of Central and East European History and Society purchased the building with the aim of establishing a museum in order to commemorate these two bloody periods of Hungarian history. The museum opened on 24 February 2002. With regard to communism and fascism, the exhibition contains material on the nation's relationships to Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It also contains exhibits related to Hungarian organisations such as the fascist Arrow Cross Party and the communist ÁVH (which was similar to the Soviet Union KGB secret police). It is a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed in the building. Part of the exhibition takes visitors to the basement, where they can see examples of the cells that the ÁVH used to break the will of their prisoners.
During the year-long construction work, the building was fully renovated inside and out. The internal design, the final look of the museum's exhibition hall, and the external facade are all the work of architect Attila F. Kovács. The reconstruction plans for the House of Terror Museum were designed by architects János Sándor and Kálmán Újszászy. The reconstruction turned the exterior of the building into somewhat of a monument; the black exterior structure (consisting of the decorative entablature, the blade walls, and the granite sidewalk) provides a frame for the museum, making it stand out in sharp contrast to the other buildings. |
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The history of the academy began in 1825 when Count István Széchenyi offered one year's income of his estate for the purposes of a Learned Society at a district session of the Diet in Pressburg (Pozsony, present Bratislava, seat of the Hungarian Parliament at the time), and his example was followed by other delegates. Its task was specified as the development of the Hungarian language and the study and propagation of the sciences and the arts in Hungarian. It received its current name in 1845.
Its central building was inaugurated in 1865, in Renaissance Revival architecture style. The architect was Friedrich August Stüler |
Hungarian National Museum
The Hungarian National Museum was founded in 1802 and is the national museum for the history, art and archaeology of Hungary, including areas not within Hungary's modern borders such as Transylvania. The museum is in a purpose-built Neoclassical building from 1837-47 by the architect Mihály Pollack. It was added onto by other artists in the form of statues, paintings and other architecture. The statues of the Portico were done by Raffael Monti of Milan. One of these is a famous statue of the allegoric figure of Hungary, holding a shield with the Hungarian coat of arms on it. On the sides of this figure there is Science on one and Art on the other. In addition the paintings that have been in the staircase and on the ceiling since 1875 were done by Károly Lotz and Mór Than.
The general history of Hungary is covered in two sections: the archaeology from prehistory to the Avar period ending in 804 AD on the ground floor, and the history from 804 to modern times on the first floor. This display covers topics such as the age of the Arpads, the long Turkish occupation, Transylvania and royal Hungary. More modern and Contemporary history covered begins with the Rákóczi War of Independence, showing different sections of his military attire and various coins. The history section then ends with the rise and fall of the communist system in Hungary. In another hall on the first floor one can find out about the Scholar Hungarians who made the twentieth century. A room on the first floor displays the medieval Hungarian Coronation Mantle. |
Hungarian Parliament Building
Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the Diet resolved to establish a new, representative Parliament Building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. An international competition was held, and Imre Steindl emerged as the victor. Construction from the winning plan was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, and completed in 1904. Since World War II the legislature became unicameral and today the government uses only a small portion of the building. During the communist regime a red star perched on the top of the dome, but was removed in 1990. Mátyás Szűrös declared the Hungarian Republic from the balcony facing Kossuth Lajos Square on 23 October 1989. The Parliament Building is in the Gothic Revival style; it has a symmetrical façade and a central dome. The dome is Renaissance Revival architecture. Also from inside the parliament is symmetrical and thus has two absolutely identical parliament halls out of which one is used for the politics, the other one is used for guided tours. It is 268 m (879 ft) long and 123 m (404 ft) wide. The façade displays statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders and famous military figures. The coats of arms of kings and dukes are depicted over the windows. The east stairs is flanked by two lions. The Holy Crown of Hungary, which is also depicted in the coat of arms of Hungary, has been displayed in the central hall since 2000. Further features include the stained glass and glass mosaics by Miksa Róth.
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Hungarian State Opera House
The Hungarian State Opera House is a neo-Renaissance opera house. Originally known as the Hungarian Royal Opera House, it was designed by Miklós Ybl. Construction began in 1875, and opened to the public on the 27 September 1884. Touring groups though had performed operas in the city from the early 19th century. Ornamentation includes paintings and sculptures by leading figures of Hungarian art including Bertalan Székely, Mór Than and Károly Lotz. 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 finest opera houses in the world. In front of the building are statues of Ferenc Erkel and Franz Liszt. Liszt is the best known Hungarian composer. Erkel composed the Hungarian national anthem, and was the first music director of the Opera House; he was also founder of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. The main hall is decorated with a bronze chandelier weighing 3050 kg. It illuminates a fresco by Károly Lotz, depicting the Greek gods on Olympus. The central stage proscenium arch employed the most modern technology of the time. It featured a revolving stage and metal hydraulic machinery. The royal box is located centrally in the three-storey circle. It is decorated with sculptures symbolizing the four operatic voices - soprano, alto, tenor and bass.
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Klotild Palaces
The northern Klotild Palace was built in a British neo-baroque, eclectic style. Viewed from Rákóczi Road, it forms the symbolic gate of Elizabeth Bridge with its southern “sibling”, Matild. Princess Marie Clotilde, the wife of Archduke Joseph Karl had the palaces built in the 1899-1902, and commissioned Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl. The building’s glass windows were made in the workshop of Miksa Róth, while the 48-meter-high towers are adorned with an enlarged replica of the archduke’s crown. It is the first building in Budapest fitted with an elevator, and its furnaces were supplied by the Pécs-based Zsolnay Manufacture.
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Little Princess Statue
The original 50 cm statuette of the Little Princess statue sitting on the railings of the Danube promenade was created by László Marton (1925–2008) Munkácsy- and Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor in 1972.
László Marton writes: "Évike born from my first marriage, at the age of 5, was playing in a little princess costume in the Tabán playground. When I saw it, I immediately had the subject matter. Titled "Little Princess" I sculpted it as well. It was placed in an elegant location on the Danube promenade. Became a symbol of Budapest." "I modeled it after my own daughter – says László Marton in his studio (2007) – she was maybe six years old and playing in the garden. She dressed as a princess: laid a bathrobe on her shoulders and put a crown on her head. I managed to capture this moment and immediately felt that this was a successful work of art. Years later, the capital requested a statue from me. I immediately thought of the "Little Princess" and luckily we managed to find the place where the statue feels good." |
Matthias Church
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Matthias Church is a Roman Catholic church. The first church on the site was founded by Saint Stephen, King of Hungary in 1015. This building was destroyed in 1241 by the Mongols; the current building was constructed in the latter half of the 13th century. Originally named after the Virgin Mary, taking names such as "The Church of Mary" and "The Church of Our Lady," Matthias Church was named after King Matthias in the 19th Century, who ordered the transformation of its original southern tower.The architect responsible for this work undertaken in 1873-96 was Frigyes Schulek. During World War II the church was badly damaged. Matthias Church was used as a camp by the Germans and Soviets in 1944–45 during the Soviet occupation of Hungary. The church was largely renovated between 1950 and 1970. The bell tower was restored, along with renovation of interior paints and frescos. The five-manual organ, which had been destroyed during the war, was updated and sanctified in 1984. It is home to the Ecclesiastical Art Museum, which begins in the medieval crypt and leads up to the St. Stephen Chapel. The gallery contains a number of sacred relics and medieval stone carvings, along with replicas of the Hungarian royal crown and coronation jewels
During the century and a half of Turkish occupation, the vast majority of its ecclesiastical treasures were shipped to Pressburg (present day Bratislava) and following the capture of Buda in 1541 the church became the city's main mosque. The church was also the location of the "Mary-wonder." In 1686 during the siege of Buda by the Holy League a wall of the church collapsed due to cannon fire. It turned out that an old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day. |
Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library
Fővárosi Szabó Ervin Könyvtár is the largest library network in Budapest, Hungary.
The Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library's main branch is housed in the 19th-century neo-baroque Wenckheim Palace. The palace was built in neo-baroque style, interspersed with elements of Neo-Renaissance. Rococo and Biedermeier appear in it. The exterior reminds of Baroque Dresden, the inside of the Louis XV. style. Its builder, Wenckheim Frederick of Saxony asked Arthur Meining for the construction of the palace. The building was built in 1887, opened in 1889. The municipal library needed more space as its collection grew, so it expanded to a network of additional buildings while restoring the palace as a national monument. The library is now 13,000 m² and houses Budapest's largest public collection of books with a capacity for 1,100,000 volumes. In 2003, the International Real Estate Federation awarded the Prix d’Excellence to its central building. |
Museum of Applied Arts
The architecture is Art Nouveau. It was built between 1893 and 1896 and was designed by Ödön Lechner. It has a green roof and the interior is designed using Hindu, Mogul, and Islamic designs.
The museum houses a collection of metalwork, furniture, textiles, and glass. It also has a library. There are two other locations: the Hopp Ferenc Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts and the Nagytétény Castle Museum |
Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts was built by the plans of Albert Schickedanz and Fülöp Herzog in an eclectic-neoclassical style, between 1900 and 1906. The museum's collection is made up of international art, including all periods of European art, and comprises more than 100,000 pieces. The collection is made up of various older additions such as those from Buda Castle, the Esterházy and Zichy estates, as well as donations from individual collectors. The Museum's collection is made up of six departments: Egyptian, Antique, Old sculpture gallery, Old master paintings gallery, Modern collection, Graphics collection. In the years 2015-18 it went under an big enovtion and was closed.
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National Archives of Hungary
The National Archives of Hungary Were created in 1756. They were first located in Pressburg (Bratislava). In 1784, They were Transferred to Buda. The present building in romanesque style was build 1913-23. The building was bombed during world war 2 and came under fire 1956. Renovations took place to 1961
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peterffy palace
Péterffy Palace, this place, commemorating a flood of 1838, was placed on one of the few Baroque mansions the remain in Pest. The house was built in 1756. The architect was András Mayerhoffer.
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Sándor Palace
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The Sándor Palace is the official residence of the President of Hungary and the seat of the Office of the President, both since January 22, 2003. The original palace was built in about 1803, and completed in about 1806. The architect were Mihály Pollack and Johann Aman. Count Vincent Sándor commissioned it, and the palace was named after him. The palace belonged to Archduke Albrecht, the Imperial Governor of Hungary, until the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1848, when the palace, and its adjacent buildings facing the square, were rented as government offices. The most prestigious tenant was the Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Andrássy, who in 1867 leased it for the Hungarian government from the Pallavicini family. He would later obtain ownership rights for the building following a property swap. After Hungary became independent in 1919, Sándor Palace continued as the Prime Minister's residence until World War II. In 1941, during the war, the grief-stricken Pál Teleki committed suicide in the palace. Less than four years later, Allied aircraft bombed Sándor Palace, and the building was left as a miserable heap of stones. Anything in the palace that was of value was taken as war bounty. Although the ruins did not fall victim to the bulldozer, the palace remained neglected until the Revolutions of 1989. Over the years, Sándor Palace was gradually restored to its former glory and the interior renovated in 2002.
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St Stephen Statue
The sculpture is made by Alojs Stróbl 1906.
Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen (c. 975 – 15 August 1038 AD), was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the first King of Hungary from 1000 or 1001 until his death in 1038. The year of his birth is uncertain, but many details of his life suggest that he was born in or after 975 in Esztergom. At his birth, he was given the pagan name Vajk. The date of his baptism is unknown. He was the only son of Grand Prince Géza and his wife, Sarolt, who was descended from the prominent family of the gyulas. Although both of his parents were baptized, Stephen was the first member of his family to become a devout Christian. He married Gisela of Bavaria, a scion of the imperial Ottonian dynasty. |
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St. Stephen's Basilica
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St. Stephen's Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica. It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c 975–1038), whose supposed right hand is housed in the reliquary. Since the renaming of the primatial see, it's the co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest. Equal with the Hungarian Parliament Building, it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest at 96 metres (315 ft) - this equation symbolises that worldly and spiritual thinking have the same importance. It has a width of 55 metres (180 ft), and length of 87.4 metres (287 ft). It was completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction, according to the plans of Miklós Ybl, and was completed by József Kauser. Much of this delay can be attributed to the collapse of the dome in 1868 which required complete demolition of the completed works and rebuilding from the ground up. The architectural style is Neo-Classical; it has a Greek cross ground plan. The façade is anchored by two large bell towers. In the southern tower is Hungary's biggest bell, weighing over 9 tonnes (8.9 long tons; 9.9 short tons). Its predecessor had a weight of almost 8 tonnes (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons), but it was used for military purposes during World War II. Visitors may access the dome by elevators or by climbing 364 stairs for a 360° view overlooking Budapest.
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STATUE OF PRINCE EUGENE OF SAVOY
The Neo-Baroque statue was made by sculptor József Róna for the town of Zenta but the town could not afford its price, so the monument was bought in 1900 as a temporary solution until the planned equestrian statue of King Franz Joseph was completed. Prince Eugene is the man who was responsible for defeating the Ottoman Army and liberating Budapest from the Turks. The pedestal is richly decorated with statues of Turkish prisoners and bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the Battle of Zenta (in present Serbia) in 1697.
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Széchenyi Chain Bridge
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The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary. The bridge has the name of István Széchenyi, a major supporter of its construction, attached to it, but is most commonly known as the Chain Bridge. The bridge was designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark in 1839, following an initiative by the influential Count István Széchenyi, with construction supervised locally by Scottish engineer Adam Clark (no relation). It is a larger scale version of William Tierney Clark's earlier Marlow Bridge, across the River Thames in Marlow, England. The bridge was opened in 1849, after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and thus became the first permanent bridge in the Hungarian capital. At the time, its center span of 202 metres (663 ft) was one of the largest in the world. The lions at each of the abutments were carved in stone by the sculptor, János Marschalkó. They are visibly similar in design to the famous bronze lions of Trafalgar Square by Edwin Henry Landseer with Marochetti (commissioned 1858, installed 1867), but they were earlier - installed 1852. They are also smaller (and appear from below to lack tongues). The bridge was given its current name in 1898. It was designed in sections and shipped from the United Kingdom to Hungary for final construction. The bridge's cast iron structure was updated and strengthened in 1914. In World War II, the bridge was blown up on 18 January 1945 by the retreating Germans during the Siege of Budapest, with only the towers remaining. It was rebuilt, and it reopened in 1949.
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Széchenyi István tér
Earlier, in the 18th Century, it was known as the Carpenter Square, and in 1847 as the background or Rakpiac Square. Then shortly after as the Chain Bridge Square, at the end of the century as Franz Joseph Square. Between 1919 and 1946 again as Franz Joseph Square, and since 5 May 2011 as Roosevelt Square, remembering Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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Széchenyi thermal bath
The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74 °C (165 °F) and 77 °C (171 °F), respectively.In planning since the 1880s, the bath had originally been referred to as the Artesian spa, but when it opened on 16 June 1913, it was officially named Széchenyi spa after István Széchenyi. The bath was built in Neo-baroque style to the design of Győző Czigler. Construction began on 7 May 1909 with designs by architect Eugene Schmitterer. The built-up area was 6,220 square metres (67,000 sq ft). The attendance of spa was in excess of 200,000 people in 1913. This number increased to 890,507 by 1919. At that time it had private baths, separate men and women steam-bath sections, and different men / women "public baths". The complex was expanded in 1927 to its current size, with 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools. It is now possible for both sexes to visit the main swimming and thermal sections.Components of the thermal water include sulphate, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and a significant amount of fluoride acid and metaboric acid. Medical indications are on degenerative joint illnesses, chronic and sub-acute joint inflammations, as well as orthopaedic and traumatological post-treatments.
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Thonet house
The Thonet-house from 1889 is an exceptional work of Ödön Lechner, the best known representative of the Hungarian secession. The building is an early creation of the structural iron based architecture, which was the biggest innovation of the constructional architecture at the turn of the 19/20th century. The surface walls covered by glass and tiles.The combination of the neoranassaince symmetry and ornamental decoration with the neogothic alcove-statutes gives an exceptional harmony. Lechner aimed to form a national style, using motifs from Hungarian folk art in the decoration of his buildings as well as incorporating architectural elements from eastern cultures like Persia. Changing directions and curved shapes also distinguish this from the Vienna Secession style. A significant turning point in his career came with a connection to the Vilmos Zsolnay company, when Lechner began to use terracotta tiling in his designs. Though Thonet-house is neorenassaince in style, this new use of modern materials - with its steel structure and the facade covered with Zsolnai terracotta - is good exemple of it.
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turkish bank
A building worth a look in Belváros is the former Török Bank House , designed by Henrik Böhm and Ármin Hegedűs in 1906. It has an almost totally glass-covered facade and in the upper gable sports a wonderful Secessionist mosaic by Róth called Patrona Hungariae, which depicts Hungary surrounded by great Hungarians of the past.
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University Church
The University Church is considered the most beautiful baroque church in town. It was built in the years 1725 to 1742 for the Pauline Fathers. However, the two towers were completed on both sides of the church 1771. The plans are the work of the Austrian architect Andreas Mayerhoffer. It was built on the foundations of a Turkish mosque. An impressive triangular gable decorates the facade of the temple. It hosts representations of the hermit Paul of Thebes and Anthony, and the arms of the Pauline Fathers. Els there are two lions seperated by a palm tree and a raven. Under the gable a Madonna is standing on a globe. The University Church is a typical single-nave pilaster church with closed side chapels. The representations on the barrel vault of the church were designed by Johann Bergl. For his scenes from the life of Mary, he was inspired by Italian baroque paintings. It is interesting, as it continues the architecture in its painted ceiling. József Hebenstreit is responsible both for the choir and for the sculptures on the high altar. The sculptures, made in 1746, represent the Hermits Paul and Anthony. If you look towards the altar, there is a copy of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. The origins of this sculpture is estimated to 1720. Leaving the church building, so you find yourself in front of the former Pauline Fathers monastery. Matthias Drenker was in the 18th century tasked to build the monastery for the Pauline Fathers. Since the Pauline Fathers were dissolved in 1786 by Joseph II, the monastery stood empty. From 1805 it is used by the theological faculty of the Hungarian University of Budapest.
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Váci utca
Váci utca (Váci street) is one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares and perhaps the most famous street of central Budapest, Hungary. It features a large number of restaurants and shops catering primarily to the tourist market. The Lonely Planet says "It's tourist central, but the line of cafés and shops are worth seeing — at least once."
Váci utca is one of the main shopping streets in Budapest. Among the retaliers located here are: Zara, H&M, Mango, ESPRIT, Douglas AG, Swarovski, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Nike. The street opens to Vörösmarty Square. |
Vajdahunyad Castle
Vajdahunyad Castle is a castle. It was built in 1896 as part of the Millennial Exhibition which celebrated the 1,000 years of Hungary since the Hungarian Conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 895. The castle was designed by Ignác Alpár to feature copies of several landmark buildings from different parts the Kingdom of Hungary, especially the Hunyad Castle in Transylvania (now in Romania). As the castle contains parts of buildings from various time periods, it displays different architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque. Originally, it was made from cardboard and wood, but it became so popular that it was rebuilt from stone and brick between 1904 and 1908. Today, it houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, the biggest agricultural museum in Europe.
The castle contains a statue of Béla Lugosi, as well, who was a Hungarian-American actor famous for portraying Count Dracula in the original 1931 film. |
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Vigadó Concert Hall
Vigadó (usually translated as "Place for Merriment") is Budapest's second largest concert hall.
Although the acoustics are lacking, the building itself, designed by Frigyes Feszl in 1859, makes a bold impression along the Pest embankment. Built to replace another concert hall on the same site (which was destroyed by fire in the 1848 War of Independence) Feszl's Vigadó was also badly damaged, this time during World War II. The post-war reconstruction, which took some thirty-six years to complete, remains faithful to his original design and continues to attract leading conductors and performers from around the world. The facade of the Vigadó was cleaned and restored in 2006. The Budai Vigadó is the home stage of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble (The House of Traditions), the group having started in 1951 with Hungarian traditional dance and music. The group consists of 30 dancers, a Gypsy band of 14, and a 5-member folk band. |