Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Sights of Budapest

The Parliament building is a landmark of Budapest. It deserves the eternal gaze of this silhouetted statue of Imre Nagy, the Prime Minister of Hungary who tried to lead the country from communism in 1956, and who lost his life in the cause.
The Fisherman's Bastion sits atop the bluffs overlooking the Danube River on the Buda side of the city. It is located on the site of former fortifications, but it was never used for defensive purposes. It was built in 1895 as a memorial to fishermen, as a fish market used to be located in this area.
The Fisherman's Bastion has the architectural details of a medieval castle. The statue is St. Istvan, who is the king who introduced Christianity to Hungary.
This is a view across Chain Bridge, from the Pest side to the Buda side. The dome of the Royal Palace, which now houses the National Gallery or Art and other museums, sits prominently on top of the hill in the distance. Chain Bridge was built in the 1840's and was the first bridge over the Danube linking Buda and Pest.
Some monuments remain from the communist era.
The Royal Palace sits atop the bluffs on the Buda side of the Danube. It is particularly beautiful at night. There has been a Royal Palace on this site since the 1400's. The current building was rebuilt after World War II to restore it to its appearance from the late 1800's.
This is the view down the Danube from the hill top where the Royal Palace is located.
Architectural details in the old town of Buda add charm to this neighborhood near the Palace in what is called the castle district.

14 comments:

Sahildeki Ev said...

I had visited Budapest with my Mom probably 10 years ago. We had such a fun time there. It is a lovely city..

brattcat said...

Once again, thank you, for taking us on a new tour with your careful and sensitive lens. There are some beautiful shots in this Budapest series. Each week I add another 'must-see' location to my long list, thanks to you two.

Cezar and Léia said...

Oh sweet Julie!
Magnificent pictures! Cezar has already visited Budapest and he loved this city! I'm dreaming here about it and I hope to have the opportunity to visit there someday!
Thanks for this lovely post!
God bless you
Léia :)

Thérèse said...

The Danube runs through so many countries. Here the view is beautiful from the Buda Castle.

Anil P said...

Such wonderful sights you brought us. The monuments are splendid.

Lois said...

Beautiful pictures Julie! This is a city I have always wanted to visit.

Lowell said...

These are all glorious photos. That first one is perfectly composed and not only catches the great light but there is a certain pensiveness in the statue of the man ...

The fish market is something else...my goodness, who would think?

James said...

Wonderful photos. this is another place that I would love to visit. I thought about a Prague/Budapest trip but we decided to go to Prague,Salzburg and Munich next month. Budapest seems like a must go.
Maybe next time.

glenda said...

Enlarging the photos really gives you more detail to these beautiful photos. The lion on the Chain Bridge is pretty spectacular. Also I loved the Royal Palace at night. The Fishermans Bastion was very impressive.

Memphis MOJO said...

I visited Budapest in 1970, when it was still behind the iron curtain, and possibly before you were born. Thanks for the photos. I particularly like the bridge for some reason.

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

Memphis MOJO,
Thank you for your kind comments. I am sure Budapest has changed a lot since your visit in 1970.

Julie will be flattered by your comment that your 1970 trip may have been before she was born, but she was in elementary school then.

Like you, I travelled behind the iron curtain in that era, taking a high school trip to the former Soviet Union in 1968.

Phivos Nicolaides said...

Budapest is a very nice place. Gorgeous pictures!

Anonymous said...

Still have to finish the book I'd like to write about this city.

Wonderful...wonderful...wonderful...pictures.

Unknown said...

Isn't Budapest beautiful?! We have been in the same places, but I wasn't that lucky as to the weather there. The first image is truly well composed! Love it!

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