I never dreamed that I would one day be in Budapest,a lovely city of old and new. It is in fact divided by the Danube River, into Buda, the more hilly part which is residential and Pest in which the administrative and industrial areas are located.
Buildings of different periods line the streets, many of which are tree-lined. In the old town quarter, the streets are often cobblestone pedestrian malls or narrow roads.
Budapest boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites,the Banks of the Danube (1987) and theAndrassy Avenue (2002).
The impressive Parliament,is located on the bank of the Danube River.
On Gellert Hill is the Citadel, which was once a fortress and there is an imposing statue of a lady carrying a palm leaf over her head, symbolising peace.
There are two other statues, one depicting a warrior slaying a dragon or snake
symbolising the death of fascism while the other bears a torch representing independence, peace and prosperity for Hungary.
The other very impressive site is the Fisherman's Bastion where the beautiful St Mathias Church is located.
Another awesome structure is St Stephen's Basilica which is where the Hungarian Kings were crowned.St Stephen was the founder of Hungary and his right hand is a relic kept in this church, the largest in Budapest.
Many rivers span the Danube, the Chain Bridge being th first and is now a famous monument.
The Hero's Square is a tribute to the unknown soldier who died for his country.
One has to visit the city to fully appreciate its beauty and to marvel at the awesome grandeur of the centuries-old buildings that miraculously survived two world wars. The interiors of the Catholic churches in Budapest are very ornate and each stained glass window tells a tale. Their beauty defies descriptions and one can only admire the craftsmen who built them.
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