Hungarian State Opera House

Hungarian Opera House, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Here is the Hungarian Opera House on a sunny morning. (Hungarian: Magyar Állami Operaház) This building took nearly ten years to complete. It is built in a Neo-Renaissance style. On the Balustrade ( not too clear in my picture) you can see some of the 16 statues of the great composers of the world; Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Tchaikovsky and Monteverdi.

The tram

The tram, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Here is a good reason to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel Budapest.....the tram line number 2 stops literally outside the hotel. This is my shot of the tram as I faced the hotel with the Danube to my back. I love the sight of the tram. It's a lovely yellow and the shape of the vehicle is pleasing. It's pretty quiet. No chug chug sound as it buzzes pass.

Budvari Siklo ( Buda Hill Funicular)

Funicular Castle Hill, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Took this picture en route down Castle Hill at night. Bit cold and very hungry at this stage. The funicular wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Nice and slow up the hill and down.

We had initially walked up the hill. But it was dark and some parts were a bit too dark for my liking so we opted for this faster ride uphill.

The view from the top was nice but it would have been much nicer during the day. On the up side, there wasn't a crowd and no long line for the ticket and for the ride up and down.

We'd walked across Chain Bridge from the Intercontinental Hotel....with many photo stops en route.

The funicular was opened in 1870. Like most things, it was destroyed during World War 2 and eventually reopened in June 1986.

Note: Funicular is a cable railway that moves up and down a steep slope

Parliment

Parliment, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

When you google Budapest, you're quite likely to see pictures of either Chain Bridge or the Parliament. So here is my picture taken late in the evening. Using the G12 and rather unsteady hands because I was cold.

The Hungarian Parliament building is the largest and ( I googled) tallest building in Budapest. It is also the same height as St. Stephen's basilica.It lies on the bank of the Danube. And I got a good look at it during the rather pricy night cruise we took on the last night in Budapest.

This picture doesn't do it justice. Truly it looks amazing close up. Like a perfectly symmetrical intricate model. It is built in a Gothic revival style. It is the 3rd largest parliament building in the world. It has 691 roms, 20 km of stairs ( ouch)

I can't remember exactly what it is, but the building is built in such a way that the temperature is constant through the year.

Where to go?

Where to go?, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I've been looking through my pictures. I realise it would appear that I had a lot of time for sight-seeing. Which isn't true. I felt like Alice in Wonderland running after the white rabbit. Such a rush its only coming back and looking at the pictures that I truly get to admire the parts of Budapest I saw.

Gresham Palace

Gresham Palace, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Taken en route back from midway on Chain Bridge to the hotel. The red car to the left of the picture is driving from Buda to Pest. ( Cool!)

Gresham Palace is now known as The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace. It opened in 2004.The site was originally a palce called Nako House but when the London Gresham Life Assurance Company bought it, they demolished Nako house and built this current structure. Why Gresham? It is named after Sir Thomas Gresham the 16th century financier to Queen Elizabeth the first. It is a fine example of Art Nouveau ( French for new style)  architecture in the world. I want to stay here!!!


Four Seasons Gresham Palace
Budapest - District V
Roosevelt tér 5-6
Getting there: Tram 2 to Roosevelt tér
Tel: (36 1) 268-6000
Fax: (36 (1) 268-5000
Four Seasons Gresham Palace website

Buda Castle

Buda Castle, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Buda Castle is on the Buda side of Budapest which meant we had to walk across the Chain Bridge to get there. Quite a long walk but because the weather was nice and crisp and COLD....it was a lovely experience.

The castle is built on the tip of Castle Hill. And to get to the top, we took the Castle Hill Funicular. ( Thankfully they accepted creditcards cos I didn't have a single forinth on me the duration of the trip) This poor castle has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. It currently houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. No chance of entering as we made it there well after 7pm.

Interesting face: The labyrinth of Buda Castle can ( and has) housed as many as 10,000 people. How amazing is that?

Hungarian dolls

Hungarian dolls, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

These look rather cute.I found them at a shop along Vaci Street the afternoon before we flew back to KL. These may be opened. But I wonder what one can put in such a tiny space.

Embroided eggs

more eggs, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I saw these midway through my journey of the lovely souvenirs on the 1st floor of the market in Budapest. I wished I had had more time to browse. I think during the summer it must be packed with people. We had a good unhurried time browsing through the stuff.

Aren't these eggs cute? I like the sign especially. "Not Fragile". Imagine for a moment, your Christmas tree decorated with many of these eggs. That would make it one unique tree indeed.

Millennium Underground

Millennium Underground, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The Millennium line was the first underground to be built in Continental Europe. It runs under Andrassy Avenue. It is the second oldest underground in the world. The first being the London underground.And it is a UNESCO heritage site.This line ( also known as Line 1) has been in operation since 1896.

The word Millennium signified the 1000th year the Magyar tribe settled in Hungary. The picture is of one of the stops along Andrassy Avenue. I'll post another picture of the metro above ground.  It's pretty silent as it chuggs along the road. I saw at least 2 cruising  along.  I didn't get the chance to sit in it. NO Forinths and they do not accept Euros and I wasn't too keen on changing money because we had such limited time here.

Andrassy Avenue

Andrassy Avenue, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

This avenue received its name after Count Gyula Andrassy who was Hungary's prime minister between 1867 to 1871. He supported the building of this road. And this avenue has been a World Heritage Site since 2002. I was here very early in the morning so all the shops were closed. I was determined I should walk down this avenue having researched a little before my visit. It's 2.5km long so I didn't make it to the end because I had to be back by half eight for the start of the meeting. Aargh!

House of Terror

House of Terror, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

It is on the list of interesting things to see on Tripadvisor Budapest. The name is a little scary. The house of terror was opened in 2002. This building is located at Andrassy Avenue Budapest. It commemorates the victims of both the communist and Nazi regime in Hungary. The present building was previously the Nazi headquarters. In 1945 the Soviets overthrew the Nazi regime and used this building for their headquarters. They also used the torture chambers below. I didn't know this was the House of terror when I took this picture. But there was a emotional pull towards it. And a reluctance to go nearer.