Budapest

The Liberation Monument sits high on Gellert Hill overlooking the Danube and is probably the first Budapest monument cruise visitors see when they sail into the city.

The Liberation Monument is of a woman waving a palm branch. During the Communist times from after World War II until 1989, another giant statue of a soldier holding the Soviet flag stood at the base of Liberation Monument. The soldier statue was moved (along with many other statues from the same era) to the Memento Park about six miles from the city center after the downfall of the Communist government.

The Neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament building overlooks the Danube River from Pest. Although just seeing the building from the outside is impressive, a tour of the inside is well worth the time and fee.

Like many of Budapest's important landmarks, the Parliament was built between 1885 to 1902 to celebrate the Hungarian Millennium celebration of 1896. (Yes, the Magyars arrived from Central Asia in about 896.)

The Chain Bridge was the first bridge built across the Danube to link Buda and Pest. Before it was finished in 1849, residents had to use pontoon barges or ferries in the warm weather and walk across the frozen river in the winter.

Hungarian Count Szechenyi hired a Scotsman, Adam Clark, to design the bridge, and it quickly became a symbol of Budapest. Although the bridge was destroyed by the Nazis at the end of World War II, it was quickly rebuilt.

Heroes' Square was built to honor Hungary's millennium in 1896. The large square offers a primer of Hungarian political history, with statues of the world's most famous Hungarians. The tall column in the center of the square honors the seven tribes of the Magyars, and the colonnades feature rulers and soldiers from the 11th through the 19th centuries. They all look very proud and fierce, but most are artist's re-creations since we do not have photos or paintings.

Heroes' Square has two nice museums on either side, and is near the city park.

The Palace of Art faces Heroes' Square and is primarily used for contemporary art exhibitions. The steps of the museum were the site of a symbolic funeral in June 1989 to honor several anti-communist leaders who had been executed.

Széchenyi Furdo is popular with both locals and tourists and is one of about two dozen thermal baths in Budapest. It is located in the City Park near Heroes' Square. Most of these baths require patrons to wear a swimsuit. Some have separate baths for men and women; others have communal pools. Széchenyi has three large outdoor pools with different temperatures, all of which are filled with men, women, and children.

One pool is very warm and is used for relaxation. Don't stay in this one too long! The second pool is for swimming laps and is much cooler. You'll need a cap over your head for this one. The third pool is warm, but is just right for bobbing around and enjoying the massage jets of water and all the bubbles.

The Gellert Hotel on the banks of the Danube in Buda also has some very popular baths. These elegant thermal baths are more popular with tourists and has gender-segregated pools.

St. Stephen's (St. Istvan's) Cathedral is Budapest's largest church. Located a short ways from the river in Pest, it can be easily seen from Fishermen's Bastion. The church was built in the late 19th century and three different architects contributed to its mixture of styles. The cathedral seats 6500 and offers good views from its observation deck.

The Central Market in Budapest is a fascinating place to explore. It's filled with peppers, paprika, and all sorts of Hungarian food, handicrafts, and souvenirs, but you also find many locals shopping for fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.

These sixty pairs of cast iron shoes, cast in the styles of the 1940's, are a somber reminder of the Jewish people killed during the Nazi reign of World War II. Many other Jews were sent to concentration camps.