Transport in Budapest - Main Sights

Main Sights

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Country	Hungary
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, vi
Reference	400
UNESCO region	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1987

See also: List of sights and historic places in Budapest

The neo-Gothic Parliament, the biggest building in Hungary with its 268 meter length, containing amongst other things the Hungarian Crown Jewels. Saint Stephen's Basilica, where the Holy Right Hand of the founder of Hungary, King Saint Stephen is on display. The Hungarian cuisine and café culture: for example, Gerbeaud Café, and the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia and the world famous Mátyás Pince Restaurants. There are Roman remains at the Aquincum Museum, and historic furniture at the Nagytétény Castle Museum, just 2 out of 223 museums in Budapest. Another historical museum is the House of Terror, hosted in the building that was the venue of the Nazi headquarters.

The Castle Hill, the River Danube embankments and the whole of Andrássy út have been officially recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Castle Hill and the Castle District; there are three churches here, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary – and has been the scene of battles and wars ever since the 13th century. Nowadays it houses two impressive museums and the National Széchenyi Library. The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The seven-hundred year-old Matthias Church is one of the jewels of Budapest, it is in neo-Gothic style, decorated with coloured shingles and elegant pinnacles. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and behind that is the Fisherman's Bastion, built in 1905 by the architect Frigyes Schulek, the Fishermen's Bastions owes its name to the namesake corporation that during the Middle Ages was responsible of the defence of this part of ramparts, from where opens out a panoramic view of the whole city. Statues of the Turul, the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District.

In Pest, arguably the most important sight is Andrássy út. This Avenue is an elegant 2.5 km (2 mi) long tree-lined street that covers the distance from Deák Ferenc tér to the Heroes Square. On this Avenue overlook many important sites. It is a UNESCO heritage site. As far as Kodály Körönd and Oktogon both sides are lined with large shops and flats built close together. Between there and Heroes' Square the houses are detached and altogether grander. Under the whole runs continental Europe's oldest Underground railway, most of whose stations retain their original appearance. Heroes' Square is dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Kunsthalle Budapest, and behind City Park opens out, with Vajdahunyad Castle. One of the jewels of Andrássy út is the Hungarian State Opera House. Statue Park, a theme park with striking statues of the Communist era, is located just outside the main city and is accessible by public transport.

The city is home to the largest synagogue in Europe (Dohány Street Synagogue), and second largest working in the World. The synagogue is located in the Jewish district taking up several blocks in central Budapest bordered by Király utca, Wesselényi utca, Grand Boulevard (Budapest) and Bajcsy Zsilinszky road. It was built in moorish revival style in 1859 and its capacity is 3000 people. Next to it is located a sculpture reproducing a weeping willow tree in steel to commemorate the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust. The city is also proud at the largest medicinal bath in Europe (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath) and the third largest Parliament building in the world, once the largest in the world. The third largest church in Europe (Esztergom Basilica) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöllő) are in the vicinity. Other attractions are the bridges of the capital. Budapest is crossed by seven bridges (from north to south): the Árpád bridge (built in 1950 at the north of Margaret Island); the Margaret bridge (built in 1901, destroyed during the war by an explosion and then rebuilt in 1948); the Chain bridge (built in 1849, destroyed during the II World War and the rebuilt in 1949); the Elisabeth bridge (completed in 1903 and dedicated to the murdered Queen Elizabeth, it was destroyed by the German during the war and rebuilt in 1964); the Liberty bridge (opened in 1896 and rebuilt in 1989 in Art Nouveau style); the Petőfi bridge (completed in 1937, destroyed during the war and rebuilt in 1952); the Rákóczi bridge (completed in 1995). Most remarkable for their beauty are the Margaret bridge, the Chain bridge and the Liberty bridge.

The world's largest panorama photograph was created in (and of) Budapest in 2010.