Budapest is the capital of the European country of Hungary. It is the largest city in the country and in many ways the heart of Hungary.
It was founded in 1873 by merging the previously independent cities of Buda, Óbuda and Pest. Buda and Óbuda are located on the western side of the Danube, which flows through the city, Pest on the eastern side.
To change between the two sides of Budapest, there are several bridges. The oldest bridge is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Hungarian: Széchenyi lánchíd), which was built within 10 years and opened in 1849. With a length of 375 meters and a width of 12.5 meters, it stretches across the Danube.
The Chain Bridge is an important symbol for Budapest and for Hungary as a whole and is today one of the city’s most prominent landmarks.
On the western side of the Danube is the castle district (Hungarian: Várnegyed) on the castle hill. It houses Buda Castle (Budavári Palota), Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom) and other buildings in Baroque style. The castle has been part of the Budapest UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
The Hungarian Parliament building is located opposite the castle district directly on the banks of the Danube. It was built by the Hungarian architect Imre Steindl on the basis of the Palace of Westminster in neo-Gothic style. The 268 meter long building was opened in the 1900s.
Hősök tere – The Heroes’ Square with a column in the middle with the Archangel Gabriel on the top, which holds the Hungarian Holy Crown.
