A photo essay of Budapest.

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, considered to be one of the largest cities in the European Union, is a combination of two cities Buda and Pest, which were united in 1873 to form Budapest.

Like most of the cities in Europe Budapest too bears the scars left by the Nazis. Let us take a walk through this beautiful city starting in Pest and then climbing to Buda to discover what makes it one of the most visited cities in Europe. Buda and Pest are separated by the Danube river.

The architecture is marvellous and leaves you spellbound with its beauty. 

The art on the exteriors of buildings are a sight to behold!

Beautiful doors too!

The streets are lined with pretty flowering plants on lamp posts.

The Great Synagogue is the second largest synagogue in the world!

Another impressive structure is the St. Stephen's Basilica, a Roman Catholic basilica  It is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary, whose supposed right hand is housed in the reliquary.

 The ‘Shoes on the Danube Bank’ is a memorial to honour the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and 

were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away with the flow of the river while their shoes were left behind. The story is that the killers believed that the Jews had hidden money and jewels in their shoes hence were asked to take off their shoes before being killed.

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

Just before reaching this bridge you will come across the very impressive Hungarian Parliament building that is awe inspiring.

Across the bridge is the Buda castle, the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, and was first completed in 1265.

In Buda you can see the magnificent Mathias church opposite the Fisherman's bastion.

Although no archaeological remains exist, as per the local story, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015. The current building was constructed in the florid Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century.

This is the Fisherman's bastion

Click here to see more pictures of Budapest that I have captured.