The Parliament of Budapest is situated by the Danube river on the Pest side of the city. This beautiful building is probably the most photographed building in Budapest. It’s definitly one of the most important symbols of the city. It overlooks the city from its position by the river. When on the opposite side of Danube, the Parliament building is such an awesome sight. I never felt I got tired of looking at it. When I was in Budapest for the first time, I only saw the building outside, because it was closed for visitors. On my second visit in september last year it was open and I finally got the chance to look at it on the inside.
When we arrived at the modern and spacious Visitor Centre we bought the tickets. While waiting for our turn to join a guided tour in English, we could enjoy looking at photos of the Parliament on a screen. A large screen on one of the walls showed a film of Parliament seen from above (filmed with a drone). While watching the film I started to take photos of the screen, but ended up filming the film with my phone.
To see the building from above like on the film, gives a good impression of the size and the exquisite details that shows the mix of baroque, Neo-Classical and renaissance architectural styles. There are a high number of gables and spiers. In fact, there are 365 tower spiers around the building - just as the number of days in a year. The size of the building: 268 m in length,123 m wide ang total hight of the dome is 96 m. Futhermore, it has 30 entrances and 10 courtyards! I didn't walk around the building to count the 30 entrances though. Watch the film and imagine 365 spiers…
The architect Imre Steindl designed the building in 1863, inspired by the British Parliament in London. But it took almost 20 years before it was completed (1885-1904). But then it is the 3rd largest Parliament building the world. Before independence Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The Parliament was built to underline this independence. The Prime Minister has his office somewhere in the building and it's also here somewhere his conferences take place.
The interior is just as impressive. The photos are from the guided tour. The building contains 691 halls/rooms, magnificent decorations with statues, frescoes and the Holy Crown of Hungary. There are tapestries adorned along stairs and corridors. Works of art that are found here are made by Hungarian artists. In the central hall we saw the Holy Crown (no photos allowed).
The tour didn't take us to the library, but we were told it contains about 500.000 books and documents. The last room we visit before end of tour, was the Hungarian National Assembly.
On our way out we walk through a museum and gift shop. The red star was placed on the top of the building during the communist era. Now it's kept in the museum. In less than hour we only saw a few of the 691 rooms. Still, we were able to get a good impression of this magnificent building.
The beauty that the Parliament represents gave us joy and we felt uplifted as we left. A huge and exquisite building complex. The plan was to continue along the Danube and see a monument from WW II in memory of the Jews who were killed during the war. It is so low/ small and not in any way flashy. But in all its simplicity, it did make a greater impression than the Parliament. But in a different way.
You know you are there when you see a crowd standing still, looking down. This must be one of the smallest monuments I've seen. Here on the banks of the Danube this memorial contains 60 pairs of shoes facing the river. Some stand neatly next to each other, others are partially overturned. Women's shoes, men's shoes and children's shoes. Some visitors have placed candles beside a pair of shoes. Others have laid down flowers or placed sweets in a pair of children's shoes. People walk around quietly looking at the shoes. A couple bends down and to place a small flower next to a pair of shoes.
During the winter of 1944 -45, those who once owned the shoes were picked up and lined up along the river. They were asked to take off their shoes and face the river. They were shot. Only their shoes remained.
In 2005, a filmmaker and a sculptor created the monument. The impact it has on the visitor becomes in a way a great contrast to the size. It was a huge contrast to the Parliament. Budapest has other monuments in memory of the 600,000 Hungarian Jews who died during WWII that is worth visiting. Budapest. I will keep coming back.
Sources: guided tour
https://www.parlament.hu/web/visitors
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