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Woke up in Budapest. Had a bus tour around the city and it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its extensive World Heritage site includes the banks of the Danube, the Castles, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes Square, the Synagogue and the Parliament Building.
Our first stop was Heroes Square. The millenial monument was built in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversay of the arrival of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin. The monument consists of two semi circles on the top of which the symbols of War and Peace, Work and Welfare, Knowledge and Glory can be seen. The niches are decorated by the statues of Kings, Governors and famous characters of the Hungarian History. At the foot of each statue a small relief depicts the most important moment of the life of the personality. In the middle of Heroes Square stands a 36 metre high corinthian column with the statue of archangel Gabriel on the top, the symbol of the Roman Catholic religion. At the pedestal the equestrian statues commemorate Arpad and the 7 chieftans of the Hungarian tribes, who settled their people in the present territory of Hungary. His descendants formed the Hungarian royal dynasty. The tomb of the unknown soldier can also be found in the square. At the two sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Gallery with high standard temporary exhibitions, such as Van Gogh, Rembrandt and the collections of Spanish and French paintings.
After a tour on the flat side of the Danube, Pest we travelled over the Danube to Buda and visited the castle. We crossed the Danube using the stone Chain Bridge which had portals decorated with lionhead-shaped capstones and the coat of arms of Hungary with the crown and a wreath of leaves.
The Budapest Castle District is situated on the southern tip of Castle Hill on the southwestern side of the Danube. It is famous for its medieval, Baroque and 19th century buildings. In 1987 Buda Castle was declared part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Royal Palace (Királyi Palota) was the residence of Hungarian kings. Built in the 13th century, the Palace was destroyed and rebuilt many times. During the 19th century reconstructions followed in neo-Baroque style. Under the palace ruins of the medieval and renaissance palace were excavated.
Wienna Gate Square (Bécsi Kapu tér) is the only existing old town-gate. In the Middle Ages the place served as a Saturday Market. There are charming houses that give you a glance of Medieval and Baroque times.
Holy Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér) is at the centre of Budapest Castle District. The Matthias Church (Mátyás templom) built in Gothic style, was the coronation church of Hungarian kings since King Matthias. During the Turkish occupation it was formed into a mosque which left the cathedral with a mystic, Eastern atmosphere.
The Fishermen's Bastion (Halászbástya) offers a wonderful panoramic view of the Danube, the Parliament and Pest. The views of the parliament building from here were magnificent. We had some time to enjoy the scenery and some souvenir shopping before heading back to the boat, for lunch. After lunch we visited Central Market and the pedestrian zone.
The Great Market Hall or Central Market Hall on Fővám Tér in the 9th district, is the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest.
It is located at the end of the famous pedestrian shopping street Váci utca and on the Pest side of the Liberty bridge. The souvenirs are very expensive here. This is our last night on the boat and time to say goodbye so we are having a special Hungarian Dinner with Hungarian Folklore on board. Had to finalise our bar account before dinner tonight and pack our stuff..........
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