Monument to Mihaly Vörösmarty
Vörösmarty was an important Hungarian poet and writer. He also made a name for himself through his Shakespeare translations into Hungarian as defined by ehotelat. He was born on December 1st, 1800 and died on November 19th, 1855 in Pest . The anniversary of his death deeply moved the residents of the city and the day became a national day of mourning. The setting of his most famous poem – Szózat (Appeal) – usually ends the celebrations for the Hungarian national holiday on March 15th. His monument stands in the middle of Budapest – in the Pest district – on Vörösmarty tér (Vörösmarty Square) of the same name , where you have a beautiful view of the monument and the square from a well-known cafe.
It should be mentioned that after his death Ferenc Deák (see above) became the guardian of his children.
Monument to József Eötvös
His full name is Baron József Eötvös of Vásárosnamény. He was born on September 13, 1813 in Buda. Eötvös died on February 2, 1871 in Pest.
Eötvös is considered one of the most important Hungarian writers and one of the leading theorists of the revolution of 1848. He even became minister of culture under the liberal Prime Minister Lajos Batthyány. He also shone with his extraordinary art of rhetoric. In protest against what he believed to be a too radical political style by Lajos Kossuth, he moved to Munich in 1848, but returned to Hungary in 1851. Here he became president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1866.
In the government of Gyula Andrássy he was reappointed the office of minister of culture in February 1867. At his instigation, the National Assembly passed a law on equality for Jews in 1867.
The statue in his honor was erected on May 3, 1879 on Eötvös Square in Pest.
Monument to Gábor Sztehlo
Sztehlo was a Lutheran pastor , who lived from 1909 to 1974 and by which it had managed some 2,000 Jewish children and adults from the Hungarian fascists – to save and to give the orphans later a home – the Arrow Cross.
In 1972 he was named “Righteous Among the Nations” at the Yad Vashem Memorial in Israel.
The Arrow Cross Party was founded in 1939 by Ferenc Szálasi (1897-1946). With massive support from Nazi Germany, the Arrow Cross members established a National Socialist government from October 16, 1944 to March 28, 1945 in parts of Hungary that were not occupied by the Red Army, and murdered tens of thousands of people. It should be mentioned that Szálasi was hanged in public in Budapest on March 12, 1946, along with others.
Baths
In Budapest you should definitely not miss a visit to one of the beautiful – if somewhat antiquated – thermal baths. Here is a small selection.
Gellért Bath
The most famous of them all is a beautiful Art Nouveau bath, which opened its doors near the Liberty Bridge in 1918.
There you will find, among other things, thermal steam baths for men and women, carbon dioxide and salt baths, as well as an indoor whirlpool bath. The outdoor pool is open in summer.
Address: XI. Kelenhegyi út 4-6
Opening times: daily
9 a.m.- 5 p.m. www.gellertfurdo.hu
Király-Bad (Königsbad)
The oldest of the baths was built between 1565 and 1570 and expanded in the 18th century. It’s in a small park. You can find thermal baths and steam baths here
. Address: II. Fö utca 84
Opening times
men; Mon, Wed, Fri 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Women: Tue, Thu: 6:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sat 6:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lukács Bath
The bath, built at the end of the 19th century, has 17 hot springs that supply the thermal steam bath, hot air chambers, steam chambers and a fountain.
Address: II. Franel Leó út 25
Opening times
Mon-Sat from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Sun from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Széchenyi Bath
The beautiful bath is located in the city park and was built between 1909 and 1913. Thermal steam baths, steam chambers, carbon dioxide and salt baths can be found here. There is also an outdoor pool and a children’s pool. The pool is known for the fact that pensioners, but also others, like to play a game of chess in the water. Address: XVI. Allatkérti krt. 11 opening times
Daily 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., from October 1st – April 30th, Sat and Sun only until 5:00 p.m.
Bridges
The city has nine bridges that cross the Danube and connect Buda and Pest, among others.
Chain Bridge
Budapest has 9 bridges over the Danube. The oldest and most famous of these is certainly the Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd). The bridge was built at the suggestion of the Hungarian reformer Count István Széchenyi (1791-1860), whose name it also bears. The design for the bridge came from the British engineer William Tierney Clarkt (1783-1852). The construction management was the responsibility of his namesake Adam Clark. The 375 m long and 12.5 m wide suspension bridge was opened to traffic on November 21, 1849. The bridge is a car, bicycle and pedestrian bridge.