The three towns of Budapest; Part 1 Buda
May 19th 2008 04:19
They are tied by the threads of shared history and culture. They are bound together economically, administratively and demographically. Geographically close, they are linked by a chain of bridges over the Danube. Their architecture has common touches of the Magyars, the Turks, the Renaissance, the Dual Monarchy’s lavish quest to create a new Vienna and the Communists’ iron fist. Yet, for all that, the three little towns of Buda, Obuda and Pest, which in 1873 became Budapest, are quite unique. Each has its own remarkable stories and its own distinctive style.
Buda holds the high ground, on the west bank of the Danube. A strip of motorway and a narrow promenade run along the river. Behind them the hills rise steeply.
At the southern end is Gellért Hill, with the opulent art nouveau Gellért Hotel in its lee. Built during the creative boom of the Dual Monarchy, the hotel and its luxurious Romanesque spa have always attracted the world’s richest and most famous, counting international royalty, movie stars and moguls among their patrons. Further round the hill, to the north, is the Rudas Turkish bath house which dates back to the 15th century occupation The beautiful blue cupola which covers the steam room and hot pool is a landmark on the Gellert Hill embankment. In the Rudas’ shadow, where the hill begins to rise, sits the Rudas plain little sister the Rac Turkish bath.
While its lower reaches are given over to the flesh, Gellért Hill itself is mostly dedicated to the spirit. The Cliff Chapel sits in its foothills. On the summit is the Citadella or Citadel, built by the Habsburghs to mark the suppression of the 1848-19 revolution. In front of it stands the Liberation Monument, built by the Communist government to commemorate the liberation of Hungary from the Germans. Gaps in its decorations and statuary mark the places where communist symbols and effigies were torn away when the Iron Curtain fell. The Liberation Monument’s crowning glory, the massive Statue of Liberty with its uplifted palm frond, is visible from almost anywhere in the city and has become a symbol of Budapest. Further down the hillside another monument marks the spot where, in 1046, Bishop Gellért, who gave his name to the hill, was trussed in a barrel driven through with spikes and thrown into the Danube by his Pagan enemies. Paths and stairways wind and zigzag up to the monuments and along Gellért Hill, providing breathtaking views up and down the Danube, over Buda and across to Pest for those energetic enough to meet the challenges of the climb. For the rest, there are taxis and buses.
Neighbouring Castle Hill or Várhegy, is named for Buda Castle which sits on its southern peak. After the Mongols had razed Pest in 1241, King Béla IV, fearing another attack, chose this seemingly impenetrable site for his new royal castle. The cliff face in front of it is alarmingly steep. At the foot of the hill traffic whirls around Adam Clark Ter past the 0 kilometre stone and through a tunnel to the other side. For pedestrians unable to face the perpendicular stairs to the top, there is the Budaváry Siklo, the quaint, creaking, art deco funicular railway. Still, in spite of the supposedly unassailable hill, the castle was destroyed time and again; first by the Turks in the 16th century, then during the 1848-49 revolution and finally during World War II. Rebuilt and renovated as often as it was knocked down and ruined, the now enormous Buda Castle is a blend of architecture and ornament which reflect its long and stormy life. It is no longer the royal seat but instead houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art in its vast wings. The castle is surrounded by cobbled courtyards, massive arches, statues and monuments to former monarchs. Its splendid front gate is guarded by a giant crow, the symbol of King Matyas which featured in his coat of arms and which gave him his name Corvinus. The King Matyas Cascade, the grand fountain in the front courtyard, is decorated with a sculpture of the monarch hunting. Gardens with old gnarled, lichen dusted trees ramble around the outside of the castle and drop down the steep cliff to the embankment.
Outside Buda Castle’s back gate, on a narrow saddle with sensational views over the valleys to the west of Buda, artisans sell traditional costumes, hand-made wooden goods in bright primary colours and table-linen with exquisite embroidery and lace. In distance are the distinctive towers of St Matyas Church which stands in a sunny square next to a statue of Istvan, the first King of Hungary. Built between 1255 and 1269 and dedicated as the church of Our Lady, it has come to be known by the name of the great ruler, Matyas. The king celebrated his two marriages in this church. He also extended and redecorated it, adding his symbolic crow to the spire. St Matyas was renovated again at the time of the Dual Monarchy by the architect Frigyes Shulek. Today its long journey across the centuries and the many hands that have shaped it are reflected in its rich mix of architectural styles. Pieces of the lives of the monarchs who worshipped there are displayed inside the church. There is a robe embroidered by the wife of the Emperor Franz Joseph on the death of their son and a fragment of her platinum embroidered wedding veil. On the rear wall is a fresco depicting a scene from the battle where Matyas’ Father, Janos Hunyadi defeated the Turks in 1456.
On the other side of St Matyas is another Frigyes Shulek architectural wonder, Fisherman’s Bastion. Built in 1905 it remembers the fishermen who defended Buda against the 15th century Turkish invasions. Its pink-tinged stone minarets stand against the Buda skyline and its arched windows look east across the Danube to Pest.
While the southern and middle peaks of Castle Hill hold the most popular tourist attractions, the northern end is not without its share of interesting landmarks and monuments. At the edge of the hill the Vienna Gate looks across a square to the massive Hungarian State Archives. Nearby is the Gothic Magdalene Tower, the only part of the Church of Mary Magdalene left standing after the ravages of World War II. There are three great Museums. The Museum of Military History is crammed with relics from Hungary’s many invasions and occupations. The Music History Museum displays beautiful old instruments and houses the Bela Bartok exhibition. Although the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Catering sounds like boring old cake tins and cash registers, it is actually a fascinating insight into Budapest in its heyday under the Dual Monarchy. The commerce section has replicas of early city shop fronts and displays as well as contemporary advertising. The catering section features memorabilia from the chic coffee shops, elegant hotels and glamourous restaurants of 19th century Budapest. There is a fascinating exhibition on the life and work of Hungary’s leading culinary light, confectioner Emil Gerbaud.
In and around all the great historical monuments and throngs of tourists, ordinary Buda life goes on. Gypsy violins from the buskers in St Matyas Square drift down through quiet, narrow back streets with old-world bakeries. Vertiginous stairs and paths lead between lovely old baroque, art nouveau and art deco houses with windows dressed in lace and Italianate shrines sculpted into their facades. There are tiny courtyards and playgrounds carved into the hillsides. School bells ring behind high brick walls. The vista up through the trees to the battlements of the Buda Castle and the spires of St Matyas Church is as old as Corvinus, Matyas the King.
At the foot of the hill, the streets spill into a busy square with solid stone 20th century office buildings and shops. Beyond it the traffic roars towards south to Obuda or over the Margaret Bridge across the Danube and into Pest.
Buda Castle
Buda holds the high ground, on the west bank of the Danube. A strip of motorway and a narrow promenade run along the river. Behind them the hills rise steeply.
At the southern end is Gellért Hill, with the opulent art nouveau Gellért Hotel in its lee. Built during the creative boom of the Dual Monarchy, the hotel and its luxurious Romanesque spa have always attracted the world’s richest and most famous, counting international royalty, movie stars and moguls among their patrons. Further round the hill, to the north, is the Rudas Turkish bath house which dates back to the 15th century occupation The beautiful blue cupola which covers the steam room and hot pool is a landmark on the Gellert Hill embankment. In the Rudas’ shadow, where the hill begins to rise, sits the Rudas plain little sister the Rac Turkish bath.
While its lower reaches are given over to the flesh, Gellért Hill itself is mostly dedicated to the spirit. The Cliff Chapel sits in its foothills. On the summit is the Citadella or Citadel, built by the Habsburghs to mark the suppression of the 1848-19 revolution. In front of it stands the Liberation Monument, built by the Communist government to commemorate the liberation of Hungary from the Germans. Gaps in its decorations and statuary mark the places where communist symbols and effigies were torn away when the Iron Curtain fell. The Liberation Monument’s crowning glory, the massive Statue of Liberty with its uplifted palm frond, is visible from almost anywhere in the city and has become a symbol of Budapest. Further down the hillside another monument marks the spot where, in 1046, Bishop Gellért, who gave his name to the hill, was trussed in a barrel driven through with spikes and thrown into the Danube by his Pagan enemies. Paths and stairways wind and zigzag up to the monuments and along Gellért Hill, providing breathtaking views up and down the Danube, over Buda and across to Pest for those energetic enough to meet the challenges of the climb. For the rest, there are taxis and buses.
The crow symbol of King Matyas, Corvinus on Buda Castle gate
Neighbouring Castle Hill or Várhegy, is named for Buda Castle which sits on its southern peak. After the Mongols had razed Pest in 1241, King Béla IV, fearing another attack, chose this seemingly impenetrable site for his new royal castle. The cliff face in front of it is alarmingly steep. At the foot of the hill traffic whirls around Adam Clark Ter past the 0 kilometre stone and through a tunnel to the other side. For pedestrians unable to face the perpendicular stairs to the top, there is the Budaváry Siklo, the quaint, creaking, art deco funicular railway. Still, in spite of the supposedly unassailable hill, the castle was destroyed time and again; first by the Turks in the 16th century, then during the 1848-49 revolution and finally during World War II. Rebuilt and renovated as often as it was knocked down and ruined, the now enormous Buda Castle is a blend of architecture and ornament which reflect its long and stormy life. It is no longer the royal seat but instead houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest History Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art in its vast wings. The castle is surrounded by cobbled courtyards, massive arches, statues and monuments to former monarchs. Its splendid front gate is guarded by a giant crow, the symbol of King Matyas which featured in his coat of arms and which gave him his name Corvinus. The King Matyas Cascade, the grand fountain in the front courtyard, is decorated with a sculpture of the monarch hunting. Gardens with old gnarled, lichen dusted trees ramble around the outside of the castle and drop down the steep cliff to the embankment.
Lace table cloths in the market on Castle Hill
Outside Buda Castle’s back gate, on a narrow saddle with sensational views over the valleys to the west of Buda, artisans sell traditional costumes, hand-made wooden goods in bright primary colours and table-linen with exquisite embroidery and lace. In distance are the distinctive towers of St Matyas Church which stands in a sunny square next to a statue of Istvan, the first King of Hungary. Built between 1255 and 1269 and dedicated as the church of Our Lady, it has come to be known by the name of the great ruler, Matyas. The king celebrated his two marriages in this church. He also extended and redecorated it, adding his symbolic crow to the spire. St Matyas was renovated again at the time of the Dual Monarchy by the architect Frigyes Shulek. Today its long journey across the centuries and the many hands that have shaped it are reflected in its rich mix of architectural styles. Pieces of the lives of the monarchs who worshipped there are displayed inside the church. There is a robe embroidered by the wife of the Emperor Franz Joseph on the death of their son and a fragment of her platinum embroidered wedding veil. On the rear wall is a fresco depicting a scene from the battle where Matyas’ Father, Janos Hunyadi defeated the Turks in 1456.
St Matyas Church
On the other side of St Matyas is another Frigyes Shulek architectural wonder, Fisherman’s Bastion. Built in 1905 it remembers the fishermen who defended Buda against the 15th century Turkish invasions. Its pink-tinged stone minarets stand against the Buda skyline and its arched windows look east across the Danube to Pest.
While the southern and middle peaks of Castle Hill hold the most popular tourist attractions, the northern end is not without its share of interesting landmarks and monuments. At the edge of the hill the Vienna Gate looks across a square to the massive Hungarian State Archives. Nearby is the Gothic Magdalene Tower, the only part of the Church of Mary Magdalene left standing after the ravages of World War II. There are three great Museums. The Museum of Military History is crammed with relics from Hungary’s many invasions and occupations. The Music History Museum displays beautiful old instruments and houses the Bela Bartok exhibition. Although the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Catering sounds like boring old cake tins and cash registers, it is actually a fascinating insight into Budapest in its heyday under the Dual Monarchy. The commerce section has replicas of early city shop fronts and displays as well as contemporary advertising. The catering section features memorabilia from the chic coffee shops, elegant hotels and glamourous restaurants of 19th century Budapest. There is a fascinating exhibition on the life and work of Hungary’s leading culinary light, confectioner Emil Gerbaud.
A house on Castle Hill
In and around all the great historical monuments and throngs of tourists, ordinary Buda life goes on. Gypsy violins from the buskers in St Matyas Square drift down through quiet, narrow back streets with old-world bakeries. Vertiginous stairs and paths lead between lovely old baroque, art nouveau and art deco houses with windows dressed in lace and Italianate shrines sculpted into their facades. There are tiny courtyards and playgrounds carved into the hillsides. School bells ring behind high brick walls. The vista up through the trees to the battlements of the Buda Castle and the spires of St Matyas Church is as old as Corvinus, Matyas the King.
At the foot of the hill, the streets spill into a busy square with solid stone 20th century office buildings and shops. Beyond it the traffic roars towards south to Obuda or over the Margaret Bridge across the Danube and into Pest.
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