Someplace New

Fun Fact: Budapest was once actually comprised of two separate cities- Buda and Pest- split by the great Danube River?  We stayed on the Pest side, but the castle hill area and some of the thermal baths are located across the river on the Buda side, so we visited often.

The (Széchenyi) Chain Bridge is the famous bridge that crosses the river. It was the first bridge to connect the two cities, making it vitally important in Budapest’s history in 1849.

We spent lots of time taking strolls on the River Walks along the Danube on both banks.  On one side of the RiverWalk you can find a touching monument to some of the victims of the fascist Arrow Cross regime.  The militiamen famously ordered many people, mostly Jews, to remove their shoes and then shot them and pushed them into the River.  3,500 people…. 3,500 PEOPLE!!!…. we shot and shoved into the River between 1944-1945.  The situation is obviously horrifying and the monument is very powerful.

Also along the riverside you will find the stunning and famous Hungarian Parliament. Modeled after the Parliament in London, this massive building stands out in the Budapest skyline.  We love that it is finally being used for an actual parliament-based government and stands as a symbol of this fine city.  The building itself is beautiful and we couldn’t stop taking pictures of it! Get ready for photo-overload:

The Danube River is an important part of history and industry in Budapest.  We loved walking across the bridges to get amazing views of both Buda and Pest. All the bridges were unique and interesting and the views of Parliament were unbeatable!