2-Hour Running tour - Budapest

The Gothic outline of Parliament is one of Budapest’s most familiar landmarks, dominating an elegant curve of the Danube close to central Pest. This architectural masterpiece was designed by Imre Steindl to stand 96 metres tall, in line with the Hungarian millennial celebrations of 1896, when it was inaugurated. At the time, it presided over a nation that then extended as far as the Adriatic. Still part of the largest building in Hungary, many of its 691 rooms today remain unused though the ornamental grandeur of its 29 staircases, frescoes, half-a-million precious stones and 40 kilograms of gold continues to impress sightseers. Parliament is also home to the Holy Crown, the royal sceptre and the orb of the first kings of Hungary.

The Danube Promenade stretching between the Chain Bridge and the Elisabeth Bridge on the east side of the river is a UNESCO World Heritage site, offering a beautiful panorama at any time in any season of the year. This section of the Danube Embankment features the best known Holocaust memorial in Budapest, 60 pairs of men’s, women’s and children’s shoes made of steel. On the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, devotional lights are placed and torchlight processions are held to honour the victims, those persecuted, the resistance fighters and the heroes at the memorial of the Hungarian Jews shot into the Danube during the Arrow Cross terror.

Many tourist pages and books do not write so much about this square, though it is one of the most beautiful places for some quietness and peace. What make this quare so special are the buildings surrounding it, and the size of the park that is in the middle of the square. Facing the Liberty Square you can find several buildings; Hungarian National Bank, the American Embassy, the Inter-Europe Bank and also the Hungarian State Television (MTV). In the middle of the Liberty Square you can find the last monument from communism left at its original place in Budapest (the rest has been moved to the Statue Park, just outside the city). At the monument you can see a text giving praise and thanks to the Communist troops for saving the Hungarians from the Germans (the communists “ordered” the statue, the Hungarians had to pay).

St. Stephen’s Basilica, in Hungarian Szent István-Bazilika, is a catholic basilica located in the center of Budapest. At first the structure was supposed to be named after Saint Leopold, the patron of Austria, but the plan was changed and the church was named after Stephen, the first king of Hungary, whose alleged right hand is supposed to be preserved in the reliquary of the basilica. Today St.Stephens’s Basilica represents the third largest church in Hungary. Many sculptors have contributed to the inner decoration of St. Stephen’s Basilica: more than 50 different types of marble were used to shape a number of sculptures.

The Budapest Eye is one of the newest attractions in the capital of Hungary. The giant Ferris Wheel located in the center of Budapest gives you the perfect view over the roofs of the Pest side with sneaks to Buda as well. The Budapest Eye is 65 meters high so if you are afraid of heights most probably this is not the thing to do for you. The 41 gondolas with place for 8 persons each go around for 10 minutes.

Vörösmarty tér is the city’s focal square, the site of Budapest’s main Christmas market, its most café/confectionery Gerbeaud and, in the same prominent building, the only restaurant in town granted two Michelin stars, Onyx. Alongside the Gerbeaud terrace is the southern terminus of the M1 yellow Millennium Underground, linking the square with the landmarks of Andrássy út, Heroes’ Square and Városliget, or City Park. The square is the gateway to the tourist-focused shopping strip of Váci utca. Here, on one corner, the Hard Rock Café also attracts significant footfall from the bustle.

Pedestrianised Váci utca remains Budapest’s busiest shopping street, at least as far as the stretch between Vörösmarty tér and Ferenciek tere is concerned. Here, you’re deep in tourist central, hawkers attempting to attract passers-by to a restaurant table or to take a sightseeing bus. After Kossuth Lajos utca, a quieter section of Váci runs all the way to the Great Market Hall. The Danube is always close, easily reached by nipping down a number of side streets.

Towering over Ferenciek tere for more than a century, the palace of Belvárosi Takarékpénztár (Downtown Savings Bank) was built in 1912-13 based on the designs of Henrik Schmahl. Following a long renovation, the building reopened as a 110-room luxury hotel in 2019, as part of the Hyatt The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand. Covered in Zsolnay tiles, the building shows traits of Arabic, Moorish and Gothic architecture. The glass-domed passage, once lined with shops, is now the hotel’s reception area and a café, but you can check it out even if you aren’t staying at the hotel.

Március 15. tér, located at the foot of Erzsébet Bridge and the oldest church of Budapest, is the gate of the Danube Promenade. Thanks to a renovation in 2011, this square is now a popular meeting place, and not just for tourists. While the latter will most likely linger around the Danube line scraped in the ground and the Roman ruins, locals most likely just sit on the grass and benches while chatting away with friends. From here, we have a great view of Gellért Hill with the Citadel and the Liberty Statue, the Buda Castle, and the Danube itself.

This slender white cable bridge connects the city centre with Gellért Hill. Elizabeth Bridge (Erzsébet híd) is named after Habsburg Empress Elisabeth, wife of Franz Josef. Revered by Hungarians, she was assassinated around the time construction began in 1898. Destroyed during World War II, Elizabeth Bridge wasn’t rebuilt until 20 years later, in 1964. The new version, designed by Pál Sávoly, is wider than the original, and suspension technology replaced the earlier chains. Once cracks began to show, the bridge was no longer used by trams from 1973 onwards.

Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd), linking Fővám tér and Szent Gellért tér, carries main tram lines 47 and 49 between the central transport hub of Deák tér and Buda. It’s also remarkably photogenic, with its criss-cross metalwork and symbolic Hungarian design features such as turul birds and the bright red-and-white national coat of arms. Built between 1894 and 1896, it was opened as Franz Josef Bridge in the presence of the Habsburg emperor himself – he bashed the last silver rivet into the iron structure, an event commemorated by a plaque at the Pest abutment. In the summer of 2016, the bridge was closed to traffic because of reconstruction, allowing it to be taken over by locals for grill parties, yoga classes and communal relaxation. This led to the more formalised Liberty Bridge picnics, an annual series of casual get-togethers on specific weekends, with informal performances and activities, organised by urban activists Valyo.

The biggest in the city, the Great Market Hall, stands next to the Pest end of Liberty Bridge. This beautiful building, adorned with Zsolnay tiles, opened in 1897, and back then the fresh products arrived via the canal in the middle. While there’s no canal today, the market is still renowned for its great variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, baked goods, quality meat products, wines and other Hungarian delicacies. The hall is loved by locals and visitors alike, and in addition to the fresh produce on the ground level, various handicrafts, souvenirs and food stalls reside on the second level. Among these food stalls you’ll be able to try some favorite (though sometimes overpriced) Hungarian dishes, including töltött káposzta (stuffed cabbage), goulash, Hortobágyi palacsinta (meat filled pancake), or lángos.