Basilica of St.Stephen (Szent István
Bazilika)
 V. Szent István tér 33,
Tel: 317 2859, Website: www.basilica.hu,
Open (mass times): 7am-9am, 5:30pm-8pm daily,
Metro: M3 Arany János utca/M3
Bajcsy-Zsilinszky u
The Basilica of St. Stephen (which stands on the square of the same name) is Budapest's largest
church holding more than 8000 worshippers.
Designed by Jozsef Hild in 1845, work only began in earnest in 1851. However,
Hild died before the project was complete, leaving the task of overseeing its construction to
architect Miklós Ybl. During an inspection, Ybl was amazed to find that huge cracks had
appeared in many of the building's outer walls. Less than a week after cordoning off the site, the
church's vast dome tilted and collapsed. The remainder was also declared structurally unsound and
demolished to make way for Ybl's neo-Renaissance design. The building, which was finally opened by
Emperor Francis Joseph in 1906, also suffered terribly from allied bombing raids during World War
II.
In the Szent jobb kápolna (chapel of the Sacred Right) lies Catholic
Hungary's most revered relic - what is claimed to be the mummified right hand of St. Stephen. For
the princely sum of 60 HUF, you can get one of the resident attendants to flick a switch, lighting
up the small glass case containing the hand. Eerie in the extreme.
 Quite rightly,
however, the inside of the Basilica has been criticized as being too
dark - there are simply not enough windows for such a large building. Consequently, it's hard to
fully appreciate the interior decoration of the church, which includes Gyula
Benczúr's
depiction of St. Stephen offering the Hungarian crown to the Virgin Mary. That
said, recent improvements - which include additional lighting in the nave and
the overhaul of the cathedral's organ - were part of a protracted restoration
programme costing in excess of $17 million USD. Most of the funding, which was
spent on the cathedral's exterior, has taken more than twenty years to complete
although, judging by the results, it was certainly worth the expense! And, with
the addition of an impressive piazza area, the Basilica is definitely a
"must see" for first-time visitors to Budapest.
Batthyány Eternal Flame (Batthyány
Orökmécses)
V. Báthory utca, Metro: M2 Kossuth
tér
The memorial flame near Báthory utca commemorates Count Lajos Batthyány, Hungarian
prime minister at the time of the 1848 revolution against the Habsburgs.
As one of the most prominent figures in the uprising, Batthyány was
immediately imprisoned after the revolt was crushed. The flame actually marks the spot of his
execution a year later by firing squad.
Budapest Zoo (Budapesti Állakert)
 XIV. Állakerti út 6-12,
Tel: 273 4900, Website: www.zoobudapest.com,
Open: Nov-Feb daily 9am-4pm, Mar/Oct Mon-Thu 9am-5pm and Fri-Sun 9am-5.30pm, Apr/Sep
Mon-Thu 9am-5.30pm and Fri-Sun 9am-6pm, May-Aug Mon-Thu 9am-6.30 pm and Fri-Sun 9am-7pm,
Metro: M1
Széchenyi fürdő, Bus 72
Completed in 1911, most of the zoo's original buildings have now been replaced, although the
elephant house near the main gate remains largely intact.
Improved funding has meant that
facilities are now on a par with standards of those in the west, with the zoo also being very
well-signed and child friendly. The attraction is open all year round, but longer hours operate
during the summer months.
Castle Hill (Várhegy)
 I. Buda, Metro: M2 Moszkva
tér, Várbusz (Castle Bus), Bus 16
It's with good reason that many guidebooks on Budapest open with a chapter on the Castle District.
The majority of Buda's principal tourist sights - which include the Royal
Palace, Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church - are situated here.
Don't be fooled
into thinking that you'll be able to conduct a whistle stop tour in a single day
though. Almost every cobbled street leads on to
a place of interest, whether it's a landmark building, a row of baroque houses or a charming
little café where locals chat, play chess, or read the early morning papers. Regarded as
Budapest's 'trump card' in attracting tourists, the beauty and historic importance of buildings
here is reflected by the fact that the entire area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
 Whilst traffic within the Castle District is supposedly limited to taxis,
buses and cars belonging to guests of the Hilton Hotel, we found it quite easy during the
Autumn
to drive up and park in Dísz tér (car parking charges do apply). In peak season
however, we wouldn't recommend you try, it's much easier to use public transport
instead.
Further details about sightseeing in the Castle District can be found in our
'guided walks' section
Castle Theatre (Várszínház)
I. Szinház utca 1-3, Metro: M2 Moszkva
tér, Várbusz (Castle Bus), Bus 16
Originally constructed as a Carmelite church in 1736, the building was later redesigned as a
theatre following the dissolution of the order by Joseph II in 1784. For a short
time it
was used by a German theatre company, although performances were given in Hungarian from 1790 onwards.
Despite being heavily damaged during World War II, the theatre retains its original baroque
façade, though sadly, the wooden gallery which survived right up until 1924 has since been
replaced by a much smaller one made from marble and concrete. Surprisingly, the theatre was
not renovated until the late-seventies, before finally re-opening to the public in 1978.
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