The Great Reformer

This statue of the great reformer Istvàn Szechenyi (1791-1869) looks over the Danube from his place in the wall, the river which he spanned with the first permanent bridge, now named after him. He was a politician, theorist, writer and one of the greatest statesmen of Hungary. An example of his reforms was the establishment of the Academy of Sciences by donating the annual income from his estates.

For Freedom and Truth

István Bibo was acting Minister of State for the Hungarian National Government during the 1956 revolution. Rather than escape he stayed at the Hungarian Parliament building waiting to be arrested by the Soviets as they crushed the rebellion. During that wait he wrote his famous proclamation "For Freedom and Truth". Not far from the Parliament building this bust can be found on the bank of the Danube.

" The Hungarian people have already sacrificed enough of their blood to show the world their devotion to freedom and truth. Now its up to the world powers to demonstrate the fore of principles embodied in the United Nations Charter and the strength of the world's freedom-loving peoples. I appeal to the major powers and the United Nations to make a wise and courageous decision to protect the freedom of our subjugated Nation."

A Wicked Witch

When walking around in Budapest you sometime get the feeling that a wicked witch has been throwing her wand around turning passers-by into bronze statues. This one of a girl and a dog on the bank of the Danube is an obvious example of that feeling, as she and the dog is caught in mid-action by artist Dávid Raffay.

A Night in Budapest

The view from Castle Hill in Budapest on the Buda side of the River Danube is magnificent, especially at night as the city and the Chain Bridge is lit.

Chaining Buda and Pest

One of the main sights in Budapest is this, the Chain Bridge lit at night. The suspension bridge from 1849 was the first permanent bridge to span the River Danube in Budapest and its official name is Széchenyi Lánchíd after one of its main backers, István Széchenyi. Tomorrow I'll show you another photo of this beautiful bridge from the Castle Hill on the Buda side.

On Both Road and Water

Whenever I get to a new city, I try the local hop-on-hop-off sightseeing buses if they have them. The same in Budapest where it was a traditional type with a recorded guided in multiple languages. Often the tickets also include a river cruise, but then you have to change into boat at some stage. Not so for the sightseeing bus on the photo though, it's an amphibian bus, so it'll take you on both a road trip around the city and on a river cruise on the Danube as well without you having to change vehicle. Next time that'll be on my list.

Looking over the Danube

The Danube River divides the city of Budapest into two parts, Buda on the western bank and Pest on the eastern bank. The walks along this great river cries out for these quiet moments where you can just stand and look into the distance, contemplating life's ups and downs.