images : KAROLINA WEIRCIGROCH |
Clockwise from top left : Panoramia Cafe & Bar with views of the Pest side of the city at the Castle Hill , Budapest ; Statue of King Saint Stephen overlooking the Liberty Bridge ; Hungarian National Museum ; Falk Miksa Street is full of quirky shops |
HISTORY & ARCHITECTURE
While Budapest is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year , Hungary is over 1,000 years old and has a complicated history . It has been led by Romans and Huns , Magyars and Ottomans , fascists and the USSR . All are remembered — some with honour , others with scorn .
The most revered leader is St . Stephen , the first King of Hungary . He thwarted pagan tribes , rejected a merge with Byzantium , and brought Christianity to the nation . He became a saint when his body , which had been entombed in a marble sarcophagus since his death in 1038 , was moved during later turbulent times to protect the remains . When the sarcophagus was opened , the king ’ s body had decomposed as usual , but his right hand had mummified . Now known as the Holy Right , viewing the hand is one of the draws of a visit to St . Stephen ’ s Basilica , which is a good place to start exploring .
The neoclassical basilica , which took over 50 years to build , accommodates 8,500 people and , while wonderful to visit yearround
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, is especially enchanting during the holiday season when the Christmas market opens in the square directly in front .
Another of the most recognizable buildings in Budapest sits on the Pest riverbank — Hungary ’ s picturesque Parliament building . From the outside , passers-by can try to count the 365 towers atop the thirdlargest parliament building in the world . For visitors curious about the inside , a 45-minute tour can be booked through the Parliament Visitors Centre to see the Holy Crown and climb the 96 steps of the granite and goldlined grand staircase .
Buda Castle , as the name implies , sits on the Buda side of the river . It ’ s imposing , crowning a hill overlooking the Danube . A royal palace since the 13th century , the castle isn ’ t just one building , but a complex . Inside , it houses the Hungarian National Gallery , the National Széchényi Library and the Budapest History Museum . A visit to the castle isn ’ t complete without stopping by nearby Matthias Church , the location of multiple coronations , and Fisherman ’ s
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SPRING 2023 • 61 |