Buda-Pest - Twin cities on the Danube

Did you know that Budapest was two distinct cities - the hilly Buda in the West and the flat Pest in the East, separated by the Danube River? I didn't until I visited in 2017. The two cities were merged in 1873, about 20 years after the chain bridge (or blue bridge) was built in 1849. This bridge was the first to cross the Danube and is still an imposing and impressive bridge, guarded by large lion statues on each side.

Up the hill on the Buda side is the Buda Castle. The impressive palace was completed in 1265 and home to the Hungarian Kings.

There is a lovely cafe at the top where you can enjoy a coffee and a meal overlooking Budapest and the Danube.

I was taken by this religious sculpture. It's the holy trinity sculpture outside the Matthias church. The sculpture is commemorated to the people of Budapest who died from the black plague.

The parliament building of Budapest is both impressive and imposing. The first photo in this post shows the parliament building at night. I didn't have a tripod with me, so I tried to steady the camera an a pillar to get the longer exposure. The photo below is taken from the top of the hill near Buda Castle.

I really enjoyed my time in Budapest. It's a place that probably wouldn't have been on my list to visit, had my job not taken me there. But I was pleasantly surprised with the culture, friendliness of the Hungarians, and lifestyle that the capital of Hungary had to offer.

Have you been to Budapest? What did you think?

All photos are my own, taken on my Sony a6500 on walks around the city