Across the Danube on the Pest side of Budapest is where most of the population live and work. It is also where the most notable landmark of Hungary, the Hungarian Parliament, is located. It is currently the largest building in Hungary and the highest building in Budapest. There are guided tours of the building but get quickly filled during peak season, so book ahead if you plan to see the inside of the Parliament.
The Hungarian Parliament
The Hungarian Parliament
Changing of guard at the Hungarian Parliament.
The Hungarian Parliament
Not far from the Parliament is the Shoes on the Danube memorial. This is to honor the Jews who were killed during World War II where they were ordered to remove their shoes before being shot into the river.
St. Stephen’s Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest. Equal in height with the Hungarian Parliament.
Do purchase a ticket and go up to the cupola and take a panoramic view of Budapest.
View from the top of St. Stephen’s Basilica.
Love the swirling staircases.
Art Nouveau style Post Office Savings Bank building.
House of Terror is the former headquarters of the secret police, where victims of the Facist and Communist regimes were detained, tortured, and killed.
House of Terror
House of Terror
The Hungarian State Opera House is a neo-Renaissance building located on Andrassy ut. There are frequent tours of the opera house you can join.
Beautiful fresco at the Hungarian State Opera House.
Inside the Opera House.
The vents underneath the chairs are for more sound than for ventilation.
Parisian Court or Parizsi Udvar is a derelict Art Deco Shopping Mall. The main entrance is located on Ferenciek tere. The building originally had shops on the lower floors and offices upstairs. It was then converted into apartments where most of its splendor was destroyed or covered up. Now, the building is empty and the arcade dark and derelict. It is sometimes locked up but luckily I was able to get in on the day I visited.
The highlight of the arcade is the vaulted roof made of colored glass.
Parisian Court
Parisian Court stained glass roof.
Lotz Terem is a beautiful cafe hidden on the 1st floor of Alexander book shop on Andrassy ut.
Lotz Terem cafe
Lotz Terem cafe
There is an extensive tram system in Budapest.
The Budapest Metro is the oldest electrified underground railway system on the European continent with this being the oldest station.
My favorite stop is the Szent Gellert Ter with its mosaic intergalactic theme.
Szent Gellert Ter metro stop.
Gellert Baths is part of the famous Hotel Gellert built in Art-Nouveau style in Budapest. The complex includes thermal baths and outdoor wave pools, as well as saunas and plunge pools.
Art-Nouveau style at the Gellert Baths.
A glimpse of the indoor pool at Gellert Baths.
All the monuments along the river light up at night and you can have a dinner cruise or just go to one of the restaurants along the Danube.
We had dinner at Spoon with it’s views of Buda Castle.
