| Budapest - 10 Things to See and Do |
City Park
If you’d like to enjoy some peace and greenery, head for the lovely City Park (Városliget), the city’s main meeting place, where families and couples stroll at weekends in the fine weather. Known to locals as the Városliget, the park was created in 1896 to celebrate the first thousand years of Hungary’s existence. It features a wealth of amenities, including a boating lake (which becomes a skating rink in the winter) and a zoo. But its most striking feature is Vajdahunyad Castle, a fairytale-like folly that catalogues in stone the various architectural styles that have predominated through Hungarian history. It incorporates two Transylvanian castles and a replica of the chapel at Jak, enclosing a Renaissance courtyard.
Baroque Market Hall
At the south end of the Vaci Utca – the main tourist street on the Pest side of the river – lies the glorious Baroque Market Hall, built in 1896. This grand structure originally incorporated an indoor canal by which goods were delivered to the market's traders. Although the canal is long gone, the beautifully restored Zsolnay tiled roof and the immaculately laid out market stalls create a striking impression of vivid colours and intoxicating smells. The first floor holds fruit, vegetables, meats and fishmongers; upstairs are the crafts and textile stalls. One of the most popular mementoes for tourists is a carved "magic box": a painted wood jewellery box with moving slots that hide keys and mirrors. The craftspeople will carve a name on it on the spot.As with many of Europe's great market halls, if you plan to visit, do so early in the morning. Saturday in particular, is the best time to see this impressive market in full swing.
Great Synagogue
Completed in 1859 from a Lajos Förster design, the Great Synagogue, said to be the largest functioning synagogue in Europe. It features two impressive 'Moorish' style domes that make it one of the most immediately recognisable landmarks in Pest. The detailed façade of the building is decorated with brickwork in the heraldic colours of the city: blue, yellow and red.Hungary was Germany’s ally during World War II. Jews were persecuted, but Hungary defied the Nazis and refused to deport them for as long as possible. This ended in the spring of 1944, when nearly a half a million Jews were sent to the death camps. The courtyard to the rear houses the Synagogue's garden of remembrance. Here, Imre Varga's poignant weeping willow stands as a memorial to the Holocaust. As well as the names of Jewish families who were murdered, an inscription simply reads 'Whose agony is greater than mine'. Adjoining the main building there is also the Heroes Temple, which seats 250 people and serves as a memorial to Hungarian Jews who gave their lives during World War I. Though it is well worth a visit, do bear in mind that synagogue is not open to the public at all times due to security concerns.
|
|
