DESTINATION:
Budapest
Budapest is unquestionably one of central Europe’s most beautiful capital cities, yet is often overlooked in favour of its more illustrious neighbours. Sitting astride the River Danube, which gives it a dual character, Budapest has now emerged from post-war Soviet domination to become a centre of exceptional cultural richness. Hilltop Buda consists of a labyrinth of narrow streets dotted with Baroque houses, and is home to the National Gallery, whilst Pest emerged throughout the 18th and 19th centuries during Hungary’s quest for independence and its own cultural identity. It is here that one finds sweeping boulevards to rival those of Paris, astonishing Art Nouveau buildings and, of course, an Opera House of international renown.
Recommended duration – 4 nights/5 days
KEY VISITS (Recommended)
- CITADEL, GELLERT HILL – offering a wonderful panoramic view of the city.
- WALKING TOUR – focusing on the art deco buildings in the city, including a stop for refreshments at the art nouveau Bedö Coffee House, full of decorative objects evoking an atmosphere of bourgeois life in Budapest.
- ST STEPHEN’S BASILICA – named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary and the most important church in the country, the basilica is a neo-classical building constructed on a Greek-cross ground plan and is also the third highest building in Hungary.
- HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT – the most prominent architectural achievement of the turn of the century.
- STATE OPERA HOUSE – built in 1884 to rival the opera houses of Paris, Vienna and Dresden.
- ROYAL PALACE, GODOLLO – this was the summer residence of Emperor Franz Josef’s wife, ‘Sissy’ (Elizabeth), who preferred living here to Vienna.
- MATTHIAS CHURCH, with astonishingly rich interiors.
- FISHERMAN’S BASTION – so-called because fishermen allegedly defended this part of the hill during medieval times.
- NATIONAL GALLERY – located in Buda Castle where prominent works by 19th and 20th century Hungarian artists are exhibited. The romantic works by Mihaly Munkasci, paintings by Pal Szinyei Merse, Laszlo Mednyanszky and members of the Nagybanya School are all well represented, as are works by Karoly Ferenczi, Simon Hollossy and Bela Ivanyi Grunwald.
- MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS – The museum has a unique collection of works by Spanish painters, including El Greco and Velazquez, and Italian artists of the Trecento and Quattrocento periods. The collection of works by English landscape painters of the 18th and 19th centuries is also remarkable.
- GREAT SYNAGOGUE – The synagogue is the largest in Europe, a magnificent building created by Ludwig Förster between 1854 and 1859, and with its three naves and separate galleries for women can accommodate up to 3,000 worshippers.
ALTERNATIVE VISITS
- SZENTENDRE – With its cobbled main square, narrow streets, Baroque and Rococo houses and Orthodox churches built in the 17th century by Serbs fleeing the Ottoman rule, Szentendre seems far away from the busy capital Budapest. A visit to Szentendre can incorporate a boat cruise along the River Danube.
- MEMENTO SCULPTURE PARK – dedicated to statues from Hungary’s Communist period (1949-1989). Following the fall of the regime all the statues were removed from their original sites and brought together as an open air museum in 1991.