Christmas Fair
One
of
the
most
popular
winter
activity
in
Budapest
,
the
Christmas
Fair
on
Vörösmarty
Square,
welcome
the
visitors
with
traditional
and
re-imagined
designer
artisan
products
and
outstanding
gastronomical
offerings.
No
less
visited
and
with
a
similar
offer
is
the
Christmas
Market opposite St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Mercure Budapest City Center Hotel
The
completely
renovated
Mercure
Budapest
City
Center
is
located
in
the
heart
of
Budapest's
historic
and
business
center,
in
the
middle
of
the
famous
Váci
pedestrian
street.
The
Danube
River,
museums,
Vörösmarty
square,
Av.
Andrássy,
sophisticated
restaurants
and
thermal baths are within easy reach on foot.
Nigth Walk
Evening
stroll
through
the
city
of
Budapest
,
on
the
banks
of
the
Danube
River.
We
are
dazzled
by
the
brightness
of
the
city
with
the
illumination
of
its
historic
buildings
and
the
beautiful bridges that connect the banks.
Amazing Snow Day
The
city
woke
up
painted
white,
all
covered
with
snow.
And
it
continued
to
snow
for
most
of
the
day,
making
the
tour
a
unique
experience.
What
beautiful
images
we
brought
back from memory!
Great Market Hall
Built
in
the
late
19th
century,
the
Great
Market
Hall
is
an
institution
of
Pest,
an
art
noveau
monster
in
front
of
the
southern
opening
of
Váci
utca.
It
is
most
impressive
seen
from
the
outside,
with
its
ornate
roof,
while
inside
there
are stalls spread over three floors.
Cave Church
This
chapel
is
on
a
small
hill
directly
opposite
(north
of)
the
landmark
Danubius
Hotel
Gellért
and
baths.
It
was
built
into
a
cave
in
1926
and
was
the
seat
of
Hungary's
Pauline
order
until
1951,
when
the
priests
were
imprisoned
by
the
communists
and
the
cave
sealed
off.
It
was
reopened and reconsecrated in 1992.
Citadella
The
Citadella
is
a
fortress
that
never
saw
battle.
Built
by
the
Habsburgs
after
the
1848–49
War
of
Independence
to
defend
the
city
from
further
insurrection,
the
structure
was
obsolete
by
the
time
it
was
ready
in
1854
due to the change in political climate.
Buda Castle
In
the
early
afternoon
we
arrived
at
the
Garden
Bazaar,
where
we
entered
the
Buda
Castle.
From
up
there
the
view
over
Pest
all
covered
with
snow
was
breathtaking.
We
then
proceeded
to
Szentháromság
tér
where
it
was
possible
to
contemplate
the
Matthias
Church
and Fishermen's Bastion.
Walk to the House of Parliament
Sunny
morning
after
a
snowy
day,
ideal
for
a
stroll
along
the
banks
of
the
Danube
River.
The
views are impressive!
House of Parliament (Outside)
The
neo-Gothic
creation
of
Imre
Steindl
won
the
contest
to
build
the
Parliament
,
the
main
project
among
several
commissioned
to
coincide
with
the
thousandth
anniversary
of
the
arrival
of
the
Magyars.
The
influence
of
the
London
Parliament
is
notorious
on
its
slender,
spiraling
spiers,
but
Steindl
also
included
a
round baroque atrium and a dome.
Changing of the Guards at the
Parliament
During
our
visit
to
the
Budapest
Parliament
we
were
surprised
by
the
changing
of
the
Guard
,
a
ritual
that
is
always
appreciated
and
that
differs from country to country.
A walk through the House of
Parliament
Of
the
twenty-eight
staircases
in
the
House
of
Parliament
,
the
tour
begins
with
a
climb
up
the
decorative,
gold-plated
City
Side
Staircase
XVII
to
the
most
spectacular
floor
of
the
building,
the main floor.
The
tour
of
the
House
of
Parliament
continues
with
a
visit
to
the
other
pearl
of
the
building,
the
Grand
Stairway.
The
96
stairs
that
dominate
the
space
covered
with
red
carpeting
leads
from
the
main
entrance
to
the
Dome
Hall,
the
geometric
centre
of
the
House
of
Parliament
and
the
symbolic
centre
of
Hungary.
This
is
where
the
Hungarian
Holy
Crown and the Coronation Insignia.
Afterwards
we
pass
through
the
Lounge
of
the
Chamber
of
Peers
and
finished
the
visit
at
the
hall
of
the
former
Chamber
of
Peers
and
now
hosts conferences and meetings.
Andrássy út
Andrássy
út
starts
a
short
distance
northeast
of
Deák
Ferenc
tér
and
stretches
for
2.5km,
ending
at
Heroes’
Sq
(Hősök
tere)
and
the
sprawling
City
Park
(Városliget).
Listed
by
Unesco as a World Heritage Site in 2002.
Along
the
way,
we
can
find
the
stunning
New
Theatre,
the
cafe
Művész
Kávéház,
the
chilling
House
of
Terror
and
the
beautiful
Kodály
körönd, a square just over halfway to the park.
Basilica of St Stephen
Budapest
’s
neoclassical
cathedral
is
the
most
sacred
Catholic
church
in
all
of
Hungary
and
contains
its
most
revered
relic:
the
mummified
right
hand
of
the
church’s
patron,
King
St
Stephen.
The
basilica
is
rather
dark
and
gloomy
inside.
Margaret Island
Margaret
Island
-
between
the
Árpád
and
Margit
bridges
-
is
one
of
the
favorite
summer
places
for
the
inhabitants
of
Budapest.
We
reached
the
island
on
foot
through
Ponte
Margarida
on
a
beautiful
sunny
day
that
highlighted
the
beautiful
winter
landscape,
showing
that
this
time
of
year
is
one
of
the
places that is well worth visiting.
Vajdahunyad Castle
Erected
for
the
1896
millenary
celebrations
originally
in
canvas
and
later
built
in
stone,
the
castle
was
modelled
after
a
fortress
in
Transylvania
–
but
with
Gothic,
Romanesque
and
baroque
wings
and
additions
to
reflect
architectural styles from all over Hungary.
Heroes' Square
Heroes’
Sq
is
the
largest
and
most
symbolic
square
in
Budapest
.
It
is
dominated
by
the
Millenary
Monument
(Ezeréves
emlékmű),
a
36m-high
pillar
topped
by
a
golden
Archangel
Gabriel,
holding
the
Hungarian
crown
and
a
cross.
At
the
column's
base
are
Prince
Árpád
and
six
other
Magyar
chieftains
who
occupied
the
Carpathian
Basin
in
the
late
9th
century.
The
14
statues
in
the
colonnades
behind
are
of
rulers
and
statesmen
–
from
King
Stephen
to
Lajos
Kossuth
.It
was
designed
in
1896
to
mark
the
1000th
anniversary
of
the
Magyar
conquest
of the Carpathian Basin.
House of Terror
The
headquarters
of
the
dreaded
ÁVH
secret
police
houses
the
disturbing
House
of
Terror
,
focusing
on
the
crimes
and
atrocities
of
Hungary's
fascist
and
Stalinist
regimes
in
a
permanent
exhibition
called
Double
Occupation.
The
years
after
WWII
leading
up
to
the
1956
Uprising
get
the
lion's
share
of
the
exhibition
space
(almost
three-dozen
spaces
on
three
levels).
The
reconstructed
prison
cells
in
the
basement
and
the
Perpetrators'
Gallery
on
the
staircase,
featuring
photographs
of
the
turncoats, spies and torturers, are chilling.
One Last Walk
On
the
day
of
Budapest
's
farewell,
there
is
still
time
for
another
walk
along
the
Danube
river
and
take
a
last
look
at
the
landscapes
of
Buda
and Pest.
Széchenyi Baths
These
thermal
baths
are
particularly
popular
with
visitors.
There
are
15
indoor
thermal
pools
(water
temperatures
up
to
40°C)
and
three
outdoor
pools,
including
an
activity
pool
with
whirlpool.
The
baths
are
open
year-round,
and
it's
quite
a
sight
to
watch
the
contrast
between
the
warm
water
and
the
snow.
The
whirlpool
and
Jacuzzi
jets
in
the
outdoor
pool
are
enormous fun.