Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Both Hősök tere (Heroes' Square) and the Városliget (City Park), at the end of
Andrássyút,werecreatedinthelatenineteenthcenturyforthenationwidecelebrations
of the millennium of the Magyar conquest of Hungary, but as neither was ready on
time, the anniversary was rescheduled for the following year, 1896, ever since. Aside
fromtheparkitself,thechiefattractionsaretheMuseumofFineArtsandtheromantic
Vajdahunyad Castle, followed by a wallow in the Széchenyi Baths. It's also the setting
for Budapest's wonderful zoo, the circus, and a handful of other museums, the best of
which is the Transport Museum. Further out lie the city's most important stadia, and
one of Budapest's Art Nouveau masterpieces, the Geological Institute.
ARRIVAL
Városliget
The best ways to reach the Városliget from the centre are on the yellow #1 metro
line or bus #105, but trolleybus #74 from the Dohány utca Synagogue, #75 from the Margít
híd and #72 from Arany János utca metro station are also useful.
The stadium district
To reach the stadium district, catch trolleybus #75 or the red #2 metro
line from the centre of town to the Puskás Ferenc Stadion stop.
Hősök tere
The enormous ceremonial plaza of
Hősök tere
is flanked by two galleries resembling Greek
temples. At its centre is the
Millennary Monument
- Budapest's version of Nelson's
Column in London - consisting of a 36m-high column topped by the figure of the Archangel
Gabriel who, according to legend, appeared to Stephen in a dream and offered him the crown
ofHungary.AroundthebasearefiguresofPrinceÁrpádandhischieftains,wholedtheseven
Magyar tribes into the Carpathian Basin. They look like a wild bunch; one of the chieftains,
Huba, even has stag's antlers strapped to his horse's head. As a backdrop to this, a semicir-
