The latest study trip was in 2018, while I was taking an Academy Degree in Mechanical Design. This trip went to Budapest and again, since it was a study trip, the tour was focused on things related to education. Mainly we would visit companies and factories where they would produce industrial elements and machines, such as Bombardier, OnRobot, etc. I will not bore you with the details about these companies, because that is not the intention of my blog. No, I will tell you about all the attractions I got to visit, in the free time I had there.
Sadly, I didn’t get to visit all the places I had listed out, but some of them did get crossed off and those are the ones I will tell you about today. Although it won’t be in chronological order, since I don’t remember the orders (heh..). I will tell you about the missed places in another post, keep an eye on that!
Hungarian Parliament Building
One of the more famous highlights of Budapest is the Hungarian Parliament Building and the Crown Jewels. This architectural beauty is design by Imre Steindl in a Neo-Gothic style and can be found on the east side of the river in the city. This building is also the largest in Hungary and hosts the Hungarian Crown Jewels. Around 100.00 people were involved in building this wonder with its 691 rooms and the impressive 19km of corridors and stairs. 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones, and 40kg gold were used in this building.
A guided tour lasts approximately 45minutes, and ticket prices are as follow:
EU Citizens: 2400HUF (around €7)
Non-EU: 6000HUF (around €16.50)
Students (4-24yo)
EU Citizens: 1300HUF (around €3.60)
Non-EU: 3100HUF (around €8.50)
Széchnyi Chain Bridge
This bridge is also one of the best-known landmarks of Budapest and spans the River Danube between Széchenyi Square on the Pest side and Clark Ádám Square in Buda. The view of the city and the bridge is even more breathtaking at night when the lights of the city reflect in the river. It was designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark and built by Scottish engineer Adam Clark. The bridge is 375m long and you can walk across it and back if interested.
Liberty Statue
On the Pest side of the city, west of the river, there is a hill. This hill is called the Gellért Hill. One of the more famous places on this hill is the Liberty Statue. There’s another one, but I’ll tell you about that later. The Liberty statue was erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi forces during World War II. The statue is 14m tall and stands on a 26m pedestal holding a palm leaf. This spot has a great view of the Budapest cityscape.
Cave Church – Gellért Hill
The other known place on the Gellért Hill is the Cave Church. As the name implies, it’s a church inside a cave and one-of-a-kind. The church has a very special and unique atmosphere with its very own charming interior. This is something to put on your list too.
Entrance to the church is free.
Heroes’ square
The Heroes’ square is another highlight of Budapest. It was the work of architect Albert Schickedanz. This place includes the Millennium Monument, a 36m column crowned by a figure of the Archangel Gabriel. Around the square, a group of bronze horsemen can be seen. The Heroes’ square can be found at the outbound end of Andrássy Avenue next to City Park.
Budapest by night
Whenever you get the chance, you should see Budapest after nightfall. The view of the city from the riverside is so mesmerizing, especially the parliament building and the Buda Castle (this one looks kinda like the Hogwarts Building). So when you get to the riverside, find yourself a nice bench to sit and enjoy the view with a nice beer or cool drink or you could take a trip on the river cruise. Prices for the cruise are from €8 to €88, depending on the service you want.
You can read all about it here
https://budapestrivercruise.com
Also check out the Budapest Ferris Wheel, which can be found close to the river. It’s almost impossible to not see it, especially at night. It’s also just 100m from the metro station ‘Deák Ferenc tér’, so if you prefer to travel by metro, make sure to get off at this station. The wheel has opening hours from 12pm to 11 pm.
The ticket price for an adult is 3000HUF or €10.
Read more about it here
http://oriaskerek.com/en/
Lastly, I would like to point out that Hungarians use their currency called forint (HUF), which is quite low compared to Euro and Danish Krone.
