"Budapest in the Fall." a Budapest Travel Page by dabidc

The Parliament Building in Budapest stands on the Pest side of the Duna (Danube ) river.It is a building that is imposing no matter from where one views the landmark.

Surprisingly the current English Edition of the Budapest guide does not show any photos of Parliament.

The booklet does say it is just over a 100 years old and is built in the neo Gothic style.

Access to the meeting area for tours of the interior is from Kossuth Square, which is on the route of the number 2 tram as it runs back and forth along the Pest side of the river.

A tour is recommended to see the stunning interior which is rich in reds and golds. The tour guide will tell you the figure 96 figures prominently in the history of Hungary, from the number of stairs on the Grand staircase to the height of the cupola at 96 m. I believe a date of 1096 is also a momentous one for Hungary.

The Parliament also houses St Stephen's crown, the sceptre and orb and Reaissance sword. At the lower level of the grand staircase is a model of the Parliament made from 100,000 matchsticks.

The photo is taken from the south east where a small park includes the figure on a bridge looking at Parliament. The figure is a hero of the period of Communist control. A martyr for the Hungarian people, Imre Nagy.

Once again the Tram number 2 will get you to the east side of the Chain bridge to cross the river and take the funicular to the Castle.

Or cross the river by the Szabadsag bridge and take the Tram number 4 on the west side of the Duna.

More details and photos of the area around the castle are given later in the page.

The Matthias Church stands high on a hill a little north of the Castle on the Buda side of the river.

The Catholic church was built between the 13th and 15th Centuries, it is both a Royal wedding church and a church dedicated to Our Lady.

There was a period when the conquering Turkish armies controlled the area and I believe the columns inside the church were decorated in patterns and colours that are synonymous with that time. No two columns have the same design.

In the late 19th Century the church underwent some reconstruction which is visible today.

In the square outside the church the Holy Trinity Column commemerates the plague of 1709.

Close by is the Fishermen's bastion and blending in with the church a hotel . These places are opposite the Parliament building across the Danube.