My first post about our short trip to Budapest.

At first I want to say that our trip was unexpected for me. One autumn evening my friends from Jerusalem (aka. my previous neighbors) proposed me to fly to Budapest in time of Catholic Christmas, and I agreed.

We flew to Budapest on UP airlines’ plane- Israeli low-cost company, but actually it was a plane with good, really good, service and booked an apartment in Jewish Quarter of Budapest. I want to say that it was amazing apartment with everything what you want and what you need. So, we lived in the Jewish Quarter, next to the Central Synagogue (Tabakgasse Synagogue), but I’ll tell you about this especial synagogue in the second post.

I never thought about this city, Budapest has never been in my “List of Cities” for visiting, but I have to admit that it’s a wonderful city with Soviet past and European present.
Unfortunately, Soviet past has left the “mark” on the appearance of the city. Sometimes Budapest looks like a Berlin with clubs and loud music, but sometimes Budapest looks like an Ukrainian city, where coexist architectural heritages and advertising signs (especially signs about striptease clubs and sex-shops), expensive cars and homeless people. It’s hard to explain, if you never been to Ukraine or Russia.

Ok, I’m sorry for these depressive thoughts:)

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We came to Budapest in 9AM and after continental breakfast we ran to see the city.
It was the first person at the street, and the first person in my camera’s memory card.

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Rubik’s Cube as one of the symbols of Hungary. Rubik’s Cube was invented in 1974 by Budapest professor of architecture Ernő Rubik.

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In the Jewish Quarter you can find a lot of Jewish and Israeli places like Hummus Bar and small book shop with religious books.

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What do you see? I see a candlestick (Menorah).

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One of the bell towers of St. Stephen’s Basilica.

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Bell towers and central dome of St. Stephen’s Basilica. St. Stephen’s Basilica or Szent István-bazilika is a central Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest. It’s named in honour of Stephen (István), the first King of Hungary. It was the sixth largest church building in Hungary before 1920. Today, it is the third largest church building in present-day Hungary.

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Erzsebet Square (Erzsébet tér) is the largest green area in Budapest’s inner city. The square was named after Elisabeth, wife of Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, in 1858.

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Danubius Fountain symbolizing Hungary’s rivers. The fountain, built in 1880, originally stood on Kálvin tér. When Kálvin tér was rebuilt after WWII the fountain was relocated to Erzsébet tér.

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St. Stephen’s Basilica is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest at 96 meters. The basilica has six bells: one in the south tower (the largest bell in Hungary) and five in the north tower.

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The dome of Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház).

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Buda Castle (Budavári Palota) is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265. In the past, it has been called Royal Palace. The castle is a part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, which was declared a Heritage Site in 1987.

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The lions of The Széchenyi Chain Bridge. The lions at each of the abutments were carved in stone by the sculptor, János Marschalkó, and they are visibly similar in design to the famous bronze lions of Trafalgar Square in London.

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Calvinist Church was built in 1893-1896 on the bank of the Danube.

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The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe’s oldest legislative buildings. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube. It is currently one of the largest building in Hungary and still the tallest building in Budapest.

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The main facade of the Hungarian Parliament Building overlooks the River Danube, but the official main entrance is from the square on the east side of the building. Inside and outside, there are altogether 242 sculptures on the walls.

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The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, and it was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, and was opened in 1849.

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The bridge was opened in 1849, and thus became the first permanent bridge in the Hungarian capital, after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. At the time, its center span of 202 metres was one of the largest in the world.

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St. Stephen’s Basilica.

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We arrived in Budapest in Christmas Eve (Dec 24) and we found childrens’ Christmas performance in the Basilica. No, central statue is not a musketeer, as I thought:)

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György Szondy was a Hungarian soldier and the captain of Drégely Castle. He was a respected soldier, even by his Turkish foes, whose recognition can be seen by his burial by Hadim Ali Pasha with full military honours.

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The statue of Gerard Sagredo, Italian Benedictine monk from Venice, who served in the Kingdom of Hungary (specifically in Buda) and in Cenad.

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The Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya) is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. It was designed and built between 1895 and 1902. The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen that was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages.

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Matthias Church (Mátyás-templom) is a Roman Catholic church, in front of the Fisherman’s Bastion at the heart of Buda’s Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015, although no archaeological remains exist. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largest church of medieval Buda and the seventh largest church of medieval Hungarian Kingdom.

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The Fisherman’s Bastion

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A bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse, erected in 1906, can be seen between the Fisherman’s Bastion and the Matthias Church. The pedestal was made by Alajos Stróbl, based on the plans of Frigyes Schulek, in Neo-Romanesque style, with episodes illustrating the King’s life.

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The equestrian statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy stands on the Danube terrace, in a prominent position, high above Budapest. The Neo-Baroque statue was made by sculptor József Róna for the town of Zenta, but the town could not afford the price. The monument was bought in 1900 as a temporary solution until the planned equestrian statue of King Franz Joseph was completed. This never happened, so Prince Eugen remained on his plinth. The plinth is decorated with two bronze reliefs showing the capture of the earth-works in Zenta and the decisive cavalry charge in the Battle of Zenta in 1697.

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Monument of Prince Eugene of Savoy

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Looks like Paris, no?

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The Fisherman’s Bastion

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To be continued …