Traveladvice Budapest, 3 day vacation

Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary. Located in the middle of the country, the city is split in half by the Danube River. With a long lasting history, Budapest is one of the best tourist destinations in central Europe.

There are surely many things to see and do in Budapest and 3 days might not be enough. Considering just that the old city centre and the banks of the Danube are included in the UNESCO world heritage, you can surely imagine all the other treasures and wonders that this magical city holds. With its dominant castle, the charming churches and rich museums, Budapest is worth a visit.

DAY 1

• Start your visit of the magnificent Budapest in Castle District. With a vast array of sites, museums, as well as streets, squares, restaurants, cafés and stores with a unique atmosphere, Buda Castle and the whole of the Castle District are among the most well-known and frequently visited tourist attractions of Budapest. The Royal Palace, where many battles and wars took place from the 13th century, is a symbol for Hungary. In addition to three churches, including the Matthias Church (or Buda Castle Main Coronation Church), located on Szentháromság (Holy Trinity) Square—a monument with long history, one of the most beautiful and well-known catholic churches of the city, the Castle District also includes five museums, several buildings of historical interest as well as memorial sites and theatres. The Fisherman’s Bastion and the square in front of the National Gallery offer a breathtaking view of one of the most beautiful sections of the Danube.
• Visit the Buda Castle. The first, Gothic style 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. The three-month siege has ruined both the Gothic castle and the residential part of today’s Castle District. Following the expulsion of the Turks, the restoration of most buildings was completed in the then-fashionable Baroque style, using the existing remains of buildings. The construction of a much smaller Baroque palace was started in 1715, whose ground area was later extended. At the end of the 19th century, the place almost doubled in size, and a large back wing, today housing the Széchenyi National Library, was added. The architects, Miklós Ybl and Alajos Hauszmann have decorated the palace with Art Nouveau elements, in addition to the existing Baroque style. In WWII, the palace and the Castle District were the last refuge of the Germany Army, which fell under heavy siege from the invading Soviet Army. The palace was again damaged; reconstruction started in the 1950s. Leading architects of the age have announced that they wanted to return to the 18-th 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 eclectic style, although this is now considered to be the most valuable aspect of Budapest’s buildings.
• Inside the castle, a portion of the building is dedicated to the History Museum. The collection of the Budapest History Museum is made up of three major parts: architectural findings, object materials from the city history and work of art. A visit through the exhibition is a virtual time journey, which gives you the opportunity to have a look at relics of the past raging from architectural findings that are more than 40,000 years old to posters from the 20th century. After a walk across the collection, you will know everything about the history of Budapest from Roman ages until the present day. Entrance is 1500 HUF.
• After you have lunch in one of the the charming restaurants in old Castle District, continue your tour with the National Gallery. The collection, which can be found in the A, B, C and D buildings of Buda Castle, includes nearly a hundred thousand artefacts dating from the early mediaeval times until the present day. The Hungarian National Gallery is the largest collection of Hungarian arts with one hundred thousand artefacts, from the settlement of the Magyars until the present day. Entrance to the gallery is 1200 HUF.
• Next, continue your way through the old Budapest and visit one of its symbols. Mathias Church, the most beautiful and most well-known Catholic Church in Budapest, which thanks to its outstanding location largely determines the image of the Castle District, as seen from the Pest side. Officially named as the Church of Our Lady, this royal cathedral was erected in multiple steps (between the 13th and 15th centuries). It gained its present-day neo-Gothic form in 1896, following a major reconstruction overseen by Frigyes Schulek. The frescos and stained-glass windows were made by Károly Lotz, Mihály Zichy and Bertalan Székely, the most prestigious artists of the time. From the rich collection of the church, the stone exhibition, the relic exhibition, the coronation monuments as well as the treasury boasting masterpieces of gold work as well as ecclesiastical textiles are open to the public. (The museum is currently closed due to reconstruction.) Entrance is 1000 HUF.
• Right behind the church, stands another iconic landmark fo the city, Fishermans Bastion. 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. Entrance is 600 HUF.
• End your first day in Budapest with a walk along the Chain Bridge. With the Buda Castle in the background, the Hungarian capital’s first bridge, now a monument is a fascinating spectacle that has attracted many tourists to Budapest. The bridge was built upon the request of Count István Széchenyi by designer William Tierney Clark and engineer Adam Clark between 1839 and 1849. Like many other Danube bridges, the Chain Bridge did not survive the ravages of the World War, so it had to be rebuilt in 1949, marking the centenary of its first opening. Visitors also have the opportunity to walk onto the top of the tunnel located on the Buda side, offering a marvellous view of the Danube, its bridges as well as the nicest parts of Pest.

DAY 2

• Start your second day in Budapest climbing all the way up on Gellert Hill, stopping in front of the Citadel. Here, in the morning sun, you will have one of the most beautiful panoramas in the world. The Gellért Hill is the capital’s popular excursion place. The Citadel can also be found here. It used to be a fortress, which was erected in 1854 by the Habsburg emperors after overcoming the Hungarian army in the revolution of 1848-49. A unique Budapest panorama, which is part of the world heritage, can be also enjoyed here. Other sights on the hill: the sculpture of the bishop St. Gellért (Gerard), the St. Gellért Cliff Church and the Liberty Statue. Both the Pest and Buda embankments of the Danube streching from the Liberty Bridge all the way up to the Margaret Bridge, the area encompassed by the Chain Bridge and some of the buildings belonging to the Technical University, the Gellért Bath, the Gellért Hill with the Statue of Liberty and the Citadel, the Castle of Buda, the Baroque churches and Turkish baths of the so-called Water Town – these are all parts of the World Heritage today.
• On the south side of the hill, you can find Gellert Baths. This bath located in an Art Nouveau building mellowed by age has been open to visitors since 1918. Beautiful interiors, elegance and the most comprehensive service offering. The original Art Nouveau furniture, colourful mosaics, marble towers, stained-glass windows and statues are an artistic experience in their own right. You can spend a few hours of relaxation in this magical atmosphere. Entrance to the baths is around 5000 HUF.
• After lunch, pass to the other side of the Danube and you will encounter pretty close a very beautiful building, housing the Museum of Applied Arts. The palace housing the Museum of Applied Arts, a masterpiece of Hungarian Art Nouveau was built between 1893 and 1896 on the plans of Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos. The inner and outer ceramic cover of the building as well as the roofing are from the worldfamous Zsolnay porcelain Manufacture, Pécs. Classics of European applied arts give the core of the museum’s collection from the Middle Ages until the present day.The first museum in Hungary which explicitly collects contemporary artefacts. The first items in the significant international and Hungarian collection were donations in 1909 from Péter and Irene Ludwig, a couple from Cologne, who collected artefacts. Entrance is 1500 HUF.
• Next, visit the Dohany Street Synagogue. It is the second-largest synagogue in the world, and tied with the Amsterdam Synagogue, the largest in Europe. It was built between 1854 and 1859 in Romantic style, on the plans of Ludwig Förster in cooperation with Frigyes Feszl. The building consists of three spacious aisles and seats more than 3,000 people. Due to its strong Oriental style, the use of colourful mud bricks, as well as the wrought-iron structure in its interior, the Dohány Street Synagogue is notable as an architectural landmark. During World War 2, it served as the boundary of the Budapest Ghetto—a fact remembered by The Memorial of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs, a work of sculptor Imre Varga. The Jewish Museum, holding historical, religious and cultural relics of Hungarian Jewry, is located next to the synagogue.
• End your second day in Budapest with a charming cruise on the Danube with dinner included. Budapest has many faces. This vibrant city calms down a little bit at nights, lights are lit up, and a new city comes out from the twilight. We created this program for those who would like to enjoy the wonderful view of the city swimming in lights in a romantic candlelight atmosphere, and have a romantic dinner. The meals are prepared by European, and world champion food sculptor, Attila Tanács, who is a true artist. He adds a creative touch to the already outstanding Hungarian and international cuisine served on our ships, placing emphasis on the harmony of color and form. Ticket for an adult with dinner included is 10,800 HUF.

DAY 3

• Start your last day in Budapest with Heroes Square. Heroes’ Square, where Andrássy Avenue concludes, is the biggest and most impressive square of Budapest. In the middle stands the Millenium Monument, with Archangel Gabriel on top, holding the double cross of Christianity and the Holy Hungarian Crown. It was constructed to mark the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of the Magyar tribes. The pedestal below is occupied by the ornate horseback statues of the seven Hungarian leaders who led the Hungarian nation into the Carpathian Basin in 896 AD. The middle of the square is dominated by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, wreathed by all heads of state when officially visiting Hungary. The left side of the is bordered by the Museum of Fine Arts, which holds the world’s second largest collection of Spanish Art, on the right side is the Art Hall, giving home to temporary exhibitions in Budapest. Behind Heroes’ Square, the City Park Lake is perfect for boating in the summer, and ice-skating in the wintertime (the ice is artificial and of good quality).
• Continue your morning adventure in the City Park. The City Park in Budapest was one of the first parks in the world to be open for the public as well. Heroes’ Square and Vajdahunyad Castle were built at the time of the 1896 millennium of the foundation of Christian Hungary, and the building complex, which can be seen today, was continuously supplemented with other buildings. Circus, bath and museums.
• Walk along the Andrassy Avenue, towards the city centre and the Danube. Andrássy Avenue is a 2,310-metre boulevard lined with buildings in uniform architecture and linking the City Centre with the City Park. Andrássy Avenue, including the Millennium Underground Railway, running beneath the surface, as well as Heroes’ Square, located at is end, was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002. It accommodates the crème de la crème of Eclectic-style buildings in Budapest, among them a wealth of residential houses with wonderful and intimate inner courts, statues and foundations as well as the Opera House, built on the plans of Miklós Ybl. Have lunch in one of the many restaurants found on Andrassy Avenue.
• After lunch, head over to the beautiful building of the Parliament. Built in Neo-Gothic style and located on the bank of the Danube, serves as the permanent seat of the National Assembly. The building complex, the biggest of its kind in Hungary, was erected between 1884 and 1904 on the plans of Imre Steindl. The building has 691 rooms, and it is 268 metres long and the dome 96 metres high. Since 2000, the Hungarian coronation symbols —St. Stephen’s crown, the sceptre, the orb and the Renaissance sword— have been on display in the Parliament. The adult tour of the Parliament is about 2500 HUF.
• For the evening, head over to Margaret Island. ‘Green ship’ of the River Danube, the home of springs, baths and green meadows. With a length of 2.8 kilometres, Margaret Island spans the area between Margaret Bridge and Árpád Bridge and is covered by the most beautiful park of the citywith a modern skywalk. In addition, it also houses ruins of medieval sacred sites, promenades flanked by statues, a water tower classified as a heritage site by UNESCO, the famous “Music Well”, as well as a beach, a swimming pool, a running track, two hotels, restaurants, fast-food restaurants and bars.

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