A Walk around Buda, Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is a city of two halves; so much so that it was once two cities, Buda and Pest, separated by the River Danube. Although now united as one, each has its own characteristics. Buda is hilly, with historic buildings, panoramic views, and winding streets. Meanwhile flat Pest is the city’s commercial hub and home to the country’s parliament. Its grand boulevards are lined with elegant buildings, the place to go for shopping, fine dining and nightlife.

That’s a generalisation, of course. You will find quaint streets in Pest and elegant buildings aplenty in Buda. But the division is helpful in planning sightseeing as well as in understanding the ‘vibe’ of the different areas.

On our first day in the city we decided to start our explorations in Buda. But like most visitors we were staying in Pest, in a cute apartment on József Attila u., by Erzsébet ter (Elizabeth Square). The obvious way to reach Buda is to cross the Danube on the iconic Széchenyi Lánchíd or Chain Bridge. This is the bridge that first united the two cities in 1840, although they were not to become one until 1873.

So from our ‘home’ by Erzsébet ter we walked west towards the river, passing a small square, József Nádor ter, with pretty fountains and attractive surrounding buildings. The square is named for Archduke Joseph Anton of Austria and there is a statue of him in the centre. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).