The
Danube River at Budapest – As the Danube
flows through Budapest, it is at its most majestic.
This magnificent and famous river is half
a mile wide as it flows right through the
centre of Budapest. Because of the width of the Danube
(Dona) at this point, it really did
split the west bank from the east bank – resulting
in the independent formation of the two cities Pest
and Buda.
The Chain Bridge was the first permanent
bridge to cross the Danube in Budapest (in the mid
19th Century) and it was quickly followed by several
other bridges. However, all bridges were bombed by
the Allies in the last two years of World War 2 and
had to be rebuilt during the period 1950 to 1970.
The beautiful and graceful Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsebet
Bridge) first opened in 1903, and rebuilt with a slightly
different design after the War.)
THE CHAIN BRIDGE
First opened to traffic in mid 19th century,
the Chain Bridge was slung from huge chains giving
it a very wide span. This was because the frozen sheets
of ice that flow down the river in winter would have
crashed in to supporting pillars so this new technique
of slinging the river from chains was devised. When
The Chain Bridge was first opened in Budapest, the
nearest steady bridge across the Danube was in Vienna.
BUDAPEST TOP 10 ATTRACTIONS –
The sights below are “must do’s”
on any visit to Budapest. After you’ve been,
you’ll have your own list. Budapest has a wide
range of important sightseeing options
but many people go without a pre-prepared list of
what they want to see – this is wise because
around every corner in Budapest is something likely
to appeal to someone. Another point about sightseeing
in Budapest is that many people don’t have a
mental picture of the magnificent buildings
such as the Budapest Parliament Buildings, the Royal
Palace in Budapest, etc – despite the fact they
are stunning.
1. Spend some time on Castle
Hill, Buda Castle, Royal Palace, Obuda
2. Go to the Budapest
Citadella and The Freedom Monument
3. Walk up Andrassy
Street to Heroes Square
4. Grab a bit of Culture
in Budapest – Opera,
Concert, Folk Music, etc
5. Look at the wide Danube
River and cross over the Chain Bridge
6. Take a trip to somewhere outside
Budapest – Danube Bend, Visegrad,
Esztergom, Cruise on the Danube, Szentendre (St Andrew)
etc
7. Soothe your aches in a Thermal
Bath, visit Vajdahunyad Castle and
City Park (Varosliget)
8. Go on a trip to Statue’s
Park
9. Visit some Churches,
the Great Jewish Synagogue, St Stephen’s
Basilica, St Matthias Church
10. Admire the Houses
of Parliament but make sure to take a
tour of the
interior
