Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists come to the capital of Hungary to see the sights of this ancient city, which is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Eastern Europe. Most of the most interesting historical and architectural monuments are located in its eastern part - in Pest. Among them must see objects, first of all, is the Heroes' Square (Budapest). Addresses with the name of this place have the Exhibition Hall "Mucharnok" and the Museum of Fine Arts. And this is not all the attractions that are located in the Heroes' Square of Budapest.
History
Initially, on the site of the Heroes' Square of Budapest, there was a vast field. From ancient times, representatives of all sections of the Hungarian people gathered at it to participate in the decisions of important state issues. On such days, large tents were set up on the territory of the modern Heroes' Square and bonfires were burned. Historical documents have survived to this day, according to which the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest Tamas Bakots gathered the 100,000th army there, which was sent to Palestine to participate in the Crusade.
Later the area became part of the city of Pest, but even after that it was not built up for a long time. The first buildings appeared there in the first quarter of the 19th century. These were magnificent magnate villas. However, mass construction began in the early 1890s, in anticipation of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Hungary. The square was “overgrown” with beautiful buildings, and during the celebrations it could accommodate more than 50,000 people, including hundreds of guests who arrived in Budapest from other countries.
Monument to the 1000th Anniversary
In 1898, in Budapest - the capital of Hungary - the opening of a column in the Corinthian style 36 m high (with a pedestal), which today is one of the most recognizable and famous symbols of the city, took place. The authors of the monument were A. Shikedanets and D. Zala. Their artistic plan was fully realized only in 1901, when the winged figure of the archangel Gabriel with his arms raised, in which he holds a cross and a crown, was installed on the top of the column. She was supposed to remind the descendants of the legend associated with the baptism of King Stephen the Holy. According to this old legend, it was the archangel Gabriel, who appeared to the monarch in a dream, persuaded him to convert to Christianity, which contributed to the emergence of Hungarian statehood.
At the base of the monument are sculptural images of the leaders of the Magyar tribes who crossed the Carpathians in the 9th century to create a new homeland for all Hungarians.
Memorial plate
There is probably no people who would never take part in wars. Hungarians are no exception. To perpetuate the memory of those who died on the battlefield in different years, a memorial sarcophagus plate was erected in the heart of Budapest, on the surface of which a cross is carved. Its discovery took place in 1932. The memorial was originally dedicated to 661,000 soldiers and officers who did not return from the fronts of the First World War. By the way, it was after the memorial plate in honor of the dead appeared in the Hungarian capital that the Heroes' Square of Budapest got its modern name.
Colonnades
The Millennium Monument and the Memorial of the Fallen Soldiers are not all the attractions of the Heroes Square. There are also two semicircular colonnades on it. Together they create a holistic architectural ensemble, which gives this place a special solemnity. Colonnades, each of which is 85 meters long, were built between 1896 and 1929. They are decorated with allegorical figures praising the virtues of man. Between the columns there are monuments to historical figures who played an important role in the history of Hungary. Along with the figure of St. Stephen there you can see sculptural images of St. Laszlo, Kalman the Scribe, Andras the Second, Bela the Fourth, Karl Robert, Louis the Great, J. Hunyandi, M. Corvin and the four Transylvanian princes.
Art Museum
If you are planning to visit Budapest, on Heroes' Square, the description of which is presented above, you will see a beautiful building, which contains the best works of Hungarian and foreign painters, graphic artists and sculptors. The Museum of Fine Arts in the Hungarian capital was founded at the very end of the 19th century. The architects of the majestic building, reminiscent of a real royal palace, were A. Shikedants and F. Herzog. In total, the museum’s collection contains more than 100,000 exhibits, including the masterpieces of Titian, Raphael, Velazquez, Rodin, Monet, Chagall, a large collection of ancient wooden sculptures, works of ancient and ancient Egyptian art, etc. The official address of the museum is 41 Dózsa György út.
Exhibition Center "Mycharnok"
Those who are interested in what to see in Budapest are recommended to visit the Museum of Modern Art. It is better known as the Mucarnock Exhibition Center. The facade of the building is decorated with six columns and beautiful mosaics. It was designed by architects A. Shikedanets and F. Herzog. Its grand opening took place in 1895. The gallery does not have its own exhibition, but there are regularly exhibited collections of the best works of painting, graphics, sculpture and decorative art of the 20-21 centuries.
Varoshliget Park (Budapest)
From Heroes' Square it is easy to get to one of the most beautiful corners of the Hungarian capital. Varoshliget Park began to be created under Queen Maria Theresa in the late 18th century, after having drained the vast swamp located there. At the moment, the area of Varoshliget is 1 square. m and it is a favorite vacation spot for guests and residents of the Hungarian capital. In the park there is the most beautiful castle in Budapest near the Heroes' Square - Vajdahunyad.
This magnificent building was also built to mark the 1000th anniversary of Hungarian statehood. The author of his project was the architect Ignaz Alpar. Initially, the castle was conceived as a decoration of cardboard and wood for the performance, which is part of the celebrations dedicated to the big anniversary. In 1904, it was decided to recreate the Alpar project in stone.
Vaidakhunyad Castle bears the features of 21 of the country's most famous buildings, including the fortress of the same name in Transylvania, the citadels of Shegeshwar and Katalin, the temple in Yaka, etc. A monument to I. Alpar is installed at the entrance.
One of the outbuildings of the castle houses an exposition of the world's oldest Agricultural Museum.
Szechenyi Baths
This "thermal paradise" is one of the main attractions that Budapest (the capital of Hungary) is proud of. Baths were opened in 1913. For this purpose, a special building was built, resembling a magnificent palace.
During the Second World War, the Szechenyi baths were not affected, therefore they have survived to their days in their original form. By the way, in 1945 they became a rehabilitation site for wounded Soviet soldiers who liberated the capital of Hungary. In 1997, the complex began repairing, which allowed to modernize communications, leaving the interiors unchanged, the decoration of which the best European painters and sculptors worked at one time.
For many years now, the Cinetrip Youth Festival has been organized in Budapest in the summer, during the nights of which Szechenyi baths are open for free access to all comers.
Budapest Zoo
Those who have already been to this city unanimously say that it is impossible to get acquainted with all the famous sights of its center in one day. Among the interesting objects located near the Heroes' Square is the Budapest Zoo. Many tourists call it one of the most comfortable in Europe and highly recommend it for visiting with children of any age. The zoo was opened in 1866 and one of its most interesting first inhabitants was a giraffe, donated by the emperor of Austria-Hungary.
Today in the Budapest Zoo you can see almost 3,000 animals from different continents. The special pride of Hungary's oldest zoological garden is the world's first white rhino cub born in captivity. At the zoo there are all conditions for a family vacation, so on weekends many Budapest people come there with their whole family to have fun and interesting time all day.
"Wheel of Time"
What to see in Budapest yet? When visiting Heroes' Square, you can also see the huge hourglass of the original design, located next door. Residents of the city claim that this is the largest chronometer of this design in the world. Its height reaches 8 meters. The main feature of the watch is its automatic rotation, carried out only once a year. They were installed in 2004 in memory of Hungary's accession to the EU. The watch often broke, so the automatic mechanism is currently disabled. However, as an interesting art object, this chronometer continues to adorn Budapest.
Heroes Square: how to get there
To get into this heart of the Hungarian capital from any corner of the city is quite simple. Under it is the metro station of the same name, located on the first line. In addition, the area can be reached by land transport. For example, buses NN75, 79, 105 go to it. However, it is best to go to the square on foot along Andrássy Avenue. In this case, it will be possible to admire the beautiful buildings, among which there are many famous architectural monuments.
As you approach the square, right before your eyes, as if by magic, the Millennium Monument crowned with the winged figure of the archangel guarding the peace of Hungary will increase in size.
Now you know what you can see if you go to the Heroes Square in Budapest. Monuments and magnificent buildings decorating this corner of the capital of Hungary make an indelible impression on those who get to know them for the first time, and their photo will decorate your tourist photo album.