Budapest

We had two days to explore the city of Budapest, Hungary.  It was not nearly enough time to discover this beautiful, fascinating city.

The first place they took us was to Heroes' Square.  On the square we saw the Millennial Monument, which was conceived in 1895 as a national monument to the country's heroes.  In the center is the Millennial Column which features a statue of the archangel Gabriel.  In his right hand the angel holds a golden crown.  According to legend, Gabriel appeared to St. Stephen in a dream, offering him the crown of Hungary.  In his left hand he holds a double barred apostolic cross.

At the base of the column are statues of seven statues on horses, depicting the seven Magyar chieftains who settled their people in the area now known as Hungary.  In my opinion, they are magnificent.

This is the actual view from our hotel window in Budapest with the Danube River in the foreground.

The oldest bridge to cross the Danube River in Budapest is the Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge that opened in 1849.  The bridge connects the Buda side of the city to the Pest side.  Originally, they were two separate cities which were joined to become Budapest.

I was especially intrigued by the stone lions guarding both ends of the bridge.

This is the Hungarian Parliament building, set along the Danube River.

The Parliament Building is on the Pest side of the river…

While the Royal Palace is on the Buda side.

We spent an afternoon in the Castle District, which is quite beautiful.  It's on a hill overlooking the Danube River and the Pest side of Budapest.  I took so many photos here…

Yes, Budapest is magnificent.  This is just a portion of the photos I took.  I will be posting more in the days to come.