This was part of Central Europe - Day 3 🇭🇺 🔗.


I joined the Free Budapest Walk at 10:30 AM. We started at Elizabeth Square (Erzsébet tér), where we saw the Ferris Wheel of Budapest, also known as the Budapest Eye, towering over the park. We also passed through Francis Square, a charming urban space surrounded by grand 19th-century architecture.


Next, we walked to St. Stephen’s Basilica, a vast cupola-topped Roman Catholic place of worship built between 1851 and 1905. It is the largest church in Budapest and houses the “Holy Right” mummified hand of Hungary’s first king.


We saw the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, a grand Neo-Renaissance building, as we made our way to the waterfront. From the Pest side, we had a magnificent view of Castle Hill across the river, with its complex of historic palaces and fortifications rising above the Danube.


We crossed the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, the first permanent bridge to connect Buda and Pest, which is guarded by its iconic stone lions. As we walked toward the Buda side, we could see the massive green dome of the Buda Castle dominating the skyline in the background.


We started our ascent up Castle Hill along Király lépcső (King’s Steps), a historic stone stairway. As we climbed higher, we were treated to spectacular sweeping views of the Danube River and the sprawling city of Pest on the opposite bank.


At the top, we saw the Sándor Palace, the official residence of the President of Hungary, where we caught a glimpse of the ceremonial guards. Nearby stands the Equestrian Statue of Andras Hadik, a famous 18th-century Hungarian general known for his daring capture of Berlin.


We walked onwards to see the Holy Trinity Statue, a Baroque column erected to commemorate the end of a plague epidemic. It stands in front of the Matthias Church (The Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle), which is world-renowned for its colorful diamond-patterned tile roof and ornate Gothic interior.


Our last stop was the Fisherman’s Bastion, a 19th-century Neo-Romanesque terrace with seven turreted lookout towers representing the seven Hungarian tribes. The bastion offers what is widely considered the best view of the Hungarian Parliament Building as it sits majestically along the riverbank in Pest.


đź‘Ł Free Budapest Walk