So what happened to the 8th May I hear your ask? Sorry I told a bit of a 'porky' in my last post since the AmaVenita stayed overnight in Vienna on May 7th. I had elected to visit Bratislava the capital of the Czech Republic but decided to stay aboard and 'elevate & rest' the infamous leg! It helped and I began my walk in Budapest the following day free of pain – well until an hour later when it all happened again but I managed to complete all the planned activities.
I'm not going to explore the history of Budapest. I will leave you to research this at your leisure. Suffice it to say that today Hungary is a member of the EU although its current President has strong leanings towards President Putin and Russia. My impressions were that Budapest is a modern city in every sense of the word.
The sail into Budapest was wonderful with some of the most iconic buildings to view on both sides of the Danube which I have illustrated with a series of captioned photos.
'Budapest, Hungary's capital, is bisected by the River Danube. Its 19th-century Chain Bridge connects the hilly Buda district with flat Pest. A funicular runs up Castle Hill to Buda's Old Town, where the Budapest History Museum traces city life from Roman times onward. Trinity Square is home to 13th-century Matthias Church and the turrets of the Fishermen's Bastion, which offer sweeping views.' (Wikipedia)
The central area of Budapest along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has several notable monuments of classical architecture, including the Hungarian Parliament and the Buda Castle mentioned above. The city also has around 80 geothermal springs and the largest thermal water cave system, second largest synagogue, and third largest Parliament building in the world.
The only photo that requires some additional explanation is that of the Liberty or Freedom Statue, a monument at the east end of the Citadella on Gellért Hill on the Buda bank of the Danube. It commemorates those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary. It was first erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary during World War II, which ended the occupation by Nazi Germany. The 14 m tall bronze statue stands on a 26 m pedestal and holds a palm leaf.
In my next post I'm going to feature three styles of bridge that span the Danube between Pest and Buda.
