Budapest: St Stephen's City

When you’re deciding on a holiday destination the city of Budapest may not be the first that springs to mind. Yet, it certainly should be as the capital of Hungary has so much to offer a traveller, especially in the historical category.

Getting There

Budapest’s main airport is the Ferihegy International Airport. It is located about ten miles southeast of the city but is very well connected to it, with rail and bus links available.
Currently Ferihegy International Airport is a destination for both British Airways and Easyjet. Unusually Ryanair fly directly there also, however they usually opt for smaller, further away airports. Wizz Air and Malév Hungarian Airlines also fly there, so you are really spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing an airline.

The Sights

The city of Budapest only officially came into existence in 1873 when the two cities of Obuda and Pest on the two sides of the Danube were finally unified.
One of the city’s most important sights is St. Stephen’s Basilica, though it is certainly not the oldest. The building itself was only finished in 1905 yet within there are many interesting things to see. The Basilica’s interior was decorated by many of the great Hungarian artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and includes fifty different types of marble.

Have a look on the Basilica’s altar. There is a statue of St. Stephen, the Hungarian’s first king who converted them to Christianity. It is exceptionally unusual to see a human figure on an altar, it usually being Christ; however the Basilica gained a special Papal dispensation allowing this. The Basilica’s most interesting sight is the gold ornamented Reliquary which holds the right hand of St. Stephen, which is said to be incorruptible.

If you want good views over Budapest itself then there is no better place to go than the Gellért hill. This hill got its name from St. Gellért, who was sent to spread Christianity. Yet many of the pagan Hungarian leaders did not like his message and allegedly stuck him in a barrel and rolled him down this hill, martyring him.

While you are up here you should have a look at the Citadel. This was built by the Hapsburgs in the nineteenth century to show their domination over the Hungarian people. Now it serves mainly as a place to hold exhibitions and has its own hotel and several restaurants.

Another site which is fairly high up is Buda Castle. The building itself was originally founded in the thirteenth century yet during the Renaissance King Matthias had the building turned into a palace. Since then the building has undergone several changes but it now holds Budapest’s National Gallery, National Library and also its Historical Museum.

Also in the district near the castle is one of the city’s most iconic buildings: The Matthias Church. The Church was originally begun in the thirteenth century in the gothic style but since then it has undergone many changes. For example King Matthias, the Church’s namesake, added much to it and when the Turks occupied Budapest in the sixteenth century the building became a mosque. It was later converted back but it is still possible to see some Islamic elements within. For six centuries the Church served as the coronation building of Hungary’s Kings – from 1308 to 1916.

A final sight to see is Hero’s Square; one of the most important streets in the city. This was constructed in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of the Hungarian people in the Carpathian Basin. The seven statues dotted around the square represent the seven chieftains of the Hungarian Tribes who settled here. Around the square are several museums to see, such as the Museum of Fine Arts. Also there is Hungary’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

All in all, no matter how long you are visiting Budapest for, you will never be short of sights to see - The city is steeped in so much history that there is always something to see.