What to see in Budapest if you only have a day
Are you visiting Budapest for a just quick trip, and have just a few hours to spare? See the essential sights, and get a feel of Budapest - you may always return later for a weekend or even a longer holiday to Hungary.
Downtown Pest - Danube Embankment - Castle District
On the Pest side, take a stroll from Vörösmarty tér on busy Váci utca, the historical pedestrian street. This street, with its beautifully preserved architecture, is home to the finest shops of the city. The street is divided into two by one of the busiest roads of the city, and the two parts are connected by an underpass. High-class brands tend to be in the northern part, while the southern part of Váci utca has more local designers and restaurants. At the end of the street is the Grand Market Hall, built in 1896, a two-storey building - you can get everything from fresh produce to embroidered items.
From Fővám tér, take tram # 2 and watch the beautiful view of Buda as you pass by Gellért Hill and Elizabeth Bridge. On your right, the Dunakorzó (Danube Promenade) has beautifully restored apartment blocks, with cafés and restaurants in the first floor, with terraces. Get off at the Chain Bridge, and walk across to Clark Ádám tér. The square is named after the Scottish construction manager of the Chain Bridge and the Tunnel. This is Budapest's only traffic roundabout. There are quite a few things to see here: The Chain Bridge, the Tunnel, the funicular train linking the square with the Castle District and the 0-km stone, from where all road distances in Hungary are measured.
Take the funicular from Clark Ádám tér to the Castle District. The upper stop is right next to the President's Residence. The Turul bird's statue, holding a sword in its creek, is the mythological battle symbol of ancient Hungarian times - the word very much resembles the Turkish word turgul, which means "falcon". The use of the bird as a symbol is rather controversial in Hungary, due to the Hungarian Nazi Party's accentuated use of the symbol in the 1940-s.
The Buda Castle building - to the left from the funicular - houses the National Gallery, the National Library, and the Budapest History Museum. To the right is Dísz tér, a busy crossroads, at the beginning of Tárnok utca, which leads to Szentháromság tér.
The right side of the square is dominated by the Mathias Church, surrounded by the turrets and walkways of the Fishermen's Bastion. The church is officially called The Church of Our Lady, and served as a coronation church from the 16th century on. Its vast ecclesiastical collection and treasury is open for visitors. During the centuries, the church underwent several major transformations, the first of which was the addendum of the Mary-gate (Mária-kapu), and in 1470, the 60-metre south side tower, with the King's raven ensign, was erected. During the Turkish occupation, the church was turned into a mosque and its walls were whitewashed; in the 17th century, it was again rebuilt in Baroque style. Today's Mathias Church is the result of a major renovation between 1895 and 1903, by star architect of the age Frigyes Schulek. The frescoes are the works of famous Hungarian artists such as Károly Lotz, Bertalan Székely and Mihály Zichy.
The Fishermen's Bastion was built simultaneously with the last major renovation of the Matthias Church, in an unique architectural unison. The Bastion has seven turrets, each symbolizing a Hungarian tribal leader. Its foundation is a part of the former medieval fortified defensive wall. The structure has two long, ornate staircases leading up to it: the central staircase is called the Schulek Staircase, and the hidden tunnel-like one connects a Water Town street with the southernmost turret is called the Jesuit Staircase (Jezsuita-lépcső).
