Budapest — city of extraordinary sights

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/04/2016 (3514 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I had the pleasure of going on a Viking River Cruise in Europe last summer, along the Danube River. We began in Nuremberg, traveled through southeastern Bavarian Germany, crossed the entirety of Austria, and eventually reached Budapest.

When I began the trip, I’ll admit I knew very little about Hungary. In fact, I knew virtually nothing about Hungary — a place I would never have thought to visit on my own. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the most fascinating, not to mention stunning, destination on the journey.

Landlocked Hungary is bordered by Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine, which has had waves of cultural influences over the centuries. Having so many neighbouring countries has also made Hungary vulnerable to attack, and it has spent most of its existence being occupied by one regime or another.

Hungary’s tumultuous history dates back 1,120 years, to its founding in 896.  The country was destroyed by Mongols in 1241, captured by Turks in 1526, and won back by Austrians in 1686. In the 20th century, Hungary endured Nazi occupation before being taken over by Soviet troops in 1945. More than 30,000 buildings in Budapest were destroyed during the Second World War and the 1956 revolution.

Today, the city stands resilient, rising up along the shores of the Danube, having earned the distinction of being the political, cultural and commercial hub of modern-day Hungary.  
Budapest began its unification as a city in 1849, when the towns of Buda and Pest (pronounced ‘Pesht’) were united by the first permanent bridge — Chain Bridge — spanning the Danube. Today there are seven magnificent road bridges connecting the two distinctly different regions.
Budapest — dubbed ‘Queen of the Danube’ — is a city you must witness from the river. It’s particularly breathtaking at night, when strings of lights illuminate the bridges, buildings glow with torch-like turrets, and laser beams dance on the riverbanks. Lit up in a kind of fairy tale splendor, it’s a truly magical sight.  

Most impressive is the massive Parliament Building. Inspired by the London’s Palace of Westminster, it measures 268 metres long, 118 metres wide, and is topped with a dome rising 96 metres high. It is adorned with 88 statues, houses 691 rooms, and has 10 inner courtyards. Inaugurated in 1896, it is one of the oldest legislative buildings in Europe, and Budapest’s most recognized landmark.
Another unforgettable attraction is the Buda Castle District, spread along the hilltop above the Danube. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 because of its cultural significance to Hungary, and its characterization of repeated destruction and revitalization that occurred over the centuries.

The area contains the remnants of Roman monuments, gothic structures, and medieval masonry, testament to significant periods in Budapest’s tumultuous — and resilient — history. It is also home to the mysterious, enormous and elaborate Buda Castle Labyrinth, built in the Middle Ages, and hidden beneath the surface awaiting discovery by those who seek to find it.   

Today, Budapest’s beauty and uniqueness stand unparalleled, despite sieges, world wars, earthquakes and fires. Visitors get a distinct feeling they have travelled back in time, to a different world far removed from their own — confirming that sometimes, the destination can be even more rewarding than the journey.

RoseAnna Schick is an avid traveller who seeks inspiration wherever she goes. Email her at rascreative@yahoo.ca