Things to see and do in Budapest

Gellért hill with the citadel and the liberation monument. The hill is named after Gerhard (Gellért in Hungarian) who was a monk who became a martyr when he was pushed down the hill and died.
 
Fishermen’s bastion. Magnificent view across the Danube. Margaretha island, bridges and the Pest bank with the parliament building and St. Stefan’s basilica.
 
Castle hill and Buda castle. Plateau where one magnificent castle after another has been built - and destroyed by war. Today’s Buda castle was built on the remains of the old castles.

The beautiful bridges over the Danube possibly play a not inconsiderable role in giving Budapest its special character.
 
Arpad bridge (Arpád híd). Modern bridge connecting the city’s ring roads.
 
Margaretha bridge (Margit híd). Built 1872-76, rebuilt 1948.
 
Chain bridge (Széchenyi Lanchíd). The oldest and most well known. First permanent link between Buda and Pest.
 
Elisabeth bridge (Erzsébet híd). Today a modern suspension bridge, originally built in honour of Queen Elisabeth of Austria/Hungary.
 
Freedom bridge (Szabadság híd). Connects Pest’s inner ring road with Gellért tér.
 
Petöfi bridge (Petöfi híd). Southern-most bridge with outermost ring road over the Danube.

The parliament. Right on the Danube. Huge dome, two large turrets, 20 smaller turrets and 88 statues of famous people from the past. Metro: Kossuth Lajos Ter.
 
The Opera. Magnificent or pretentious façade? You decide. Extravagant interior with leafed gold, wine-red velvet and shining crystal tiaras. Order tickets - almost always sold out. www.opera.hu
 
Municipal park. Favourite haunt of Budapest inhabitants, with its large green spaces, play areas, Széchenyi bath, zoo, Hero’s Square and more.
 
Central synagogue. The world’s second biggest synagogue with room for 3 000 people. Dohany Utca 2.
 
Wallenberg monument. Memorial to Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg who saved thousands of Jews during the persecution - and then himself disappeared without trace whilst in the custody of the Soviet Union. Park next to Moszkva Tér.

 

Royal palace. Located in Gödöllö, three miles north east of the city. Here you can see how Emperor Franz Joseph and his Empress Elisabeth ("Sissi" to the whole of Hungary) spent their summers.

Art museum. Everything from Egyptian and Greek-Roman collections to masters such as Rafael, Rembrandt, Rubens, El Greco, Goya and Velasquez. In the municipal park (Varoliget).
 
Museum of Art Industry. Large collection of textiles, ceramics, glass, porcelain, jewellery, furniture and much more Metro: Ferenc körut.
 
Palace of Art. Multi-cultural centre with concert hall, theatre, museum and more besides. Tram No. 2.
 
National gallery. Everything from baroque and Renaissance to Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. In Buda castle.
 
National museum. Here, among the national treasures, you will see the crown with which King Stefan was crowned in the year 1000. Metro: Astoria.

 

Franz Liszt Museum. Three-room flat which has been kept exactly as it was on the day the composer died in 1886. Vörösmarty Utca 35.