Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
remainsofthemedievalpalace
are reached from the basement via an eighteenth-cen-
tury cellar spanning two medieval yards on a lower level. A wing of the ground floor of King
Sigismund's palace and the cellars beneath the Corvin Library form an intermediate stratum
overlaying the cross-vaulted crypt of the
Royal Chapel
and a
Gothic Hall
where lute
con-
certs
are held. In another chamber are portions of red marble fireplaces and a massive portal
carved with cherubs and flowers from the palace of King Mátyás. Emerging into daylight,
bear left and up the stairs to reach yet another imposing hall, with a view over the castle ram-
parts.
The Sikló
Daily 7.30am-10pm, closed every other Mon • 1100Ft one-way, 1700Ft return; Budapest Card not valid
Between the Royal Palace and the Sándor Palace stands the upper station of the
Sikló
, a
nineteenth-century
funicular
that takes you down to the river and the Lánchíd. Constructed
on the initiative of Ödön Széchenyi, whose father built the bridge below, it was only the
second funicular in the world when it was inaugurated in 1870, and functioned without a
hitch until wrecked by a shell in 1945. The wooden carriages, replicas of the originals, are
now lifted by an electric winch rather than a steam engine; they're divided into three sections
at different heights to give as many people as possible a view (the bottom compartment gives
the most unimpeded views). Capacity is limited, however, so in summer you can expect to
queue to go up. In the small park at the foot of the Sikló stands
Kilometre Zero
, a zero-
shaped monument from where all distances from Budapest are measured.
The Víziváros
Inhabited by Fisherman, craftsmen and their families in medieval times, the
Víziváros
(“Watertown”),betweentheVárandtheDanube,becamedepopulatedduringtheseventeenth
century, and was resettled by Habsburg mercenaries and their camp followers after the Turks
weredrivenout.Thefollowingcenturysawtheneighbourhoodgraduallygentrified,withsol-
id apartment blocks meeting at odd angles on the hillside, reached by alleys which mostly
consist of steps rising from the main street,
Fő utca
. Some of these are still lit by gas lamps
and look quite Dickensian on misty evenings.
The Széchenyi Lánchíd
Themajestic
Lánchíd
(ChainBridge)hasaspecialplaceinthehistoryofBudapestandinthe
hearts of its citizens. As the first permanent link between Buda and Pest (replacing seasonal
pontoon bridges and ferries), it was a tremendous spur to the country's economic growth and
eventual unification, linkingtheruralhinterland toEuropeancivilization sothatBudapest be-
came a commercial centre and transport hub. The bridge symbolized the abolition of feudal
privilege, as nobles (hitherto exempt from taxes) were obliged to pay the toll to cross it. It
