On May 19th, we finished our tour of Budapest. In the afternoon, we transferred to the 5-star AmaWaterways Certo and had time to explore the ship after checking in to our assigned room. After dinner that evening, we enjoyed the ship's Illumination Cruise on the Danube River. Later, we returned to the dock; and the ship officially set sail down the river early the next morning.
This blog has photos from our last day in Budapest prior to the cruise on the Danube River.
Our Fun For Less group was in two buses for
our final day sightseeing in Budapest before beginning the cruise.
(Sam)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Matthias Church
"Church of Our Lady of Buda"
A Roman Catholic church in Budapest in front of the
Fisherman's Bastion.
Originally built in 1015, the current building was constructed in the
second half of the 14th century and
extensively restored in the late 19th century.
It is one of the city's most prominent buildings.
The roof is covered with hand-made Zsolnay ceramic tiles.
It is one of the city's most prominent buildings.
The roof is covered with hand-made Zsolnay ceramic tiles.
Matthias Church - the oldest church in Budapest.
It was used as a coronation church by
It was used as a coronation church by
Hungarian kings for centuries;
also a mosque for over 150 years by the Ottoman Turks;
previously owned by Franciscans and also Jesuits;
now a Catholic church with holy masses, concerts, weddings,
and thousands of tourists.
It was the first place where Franz Liszt's Coronation Mass was played.
This led to the monarch's generous support of the royal organ's renewal.
This organ became a public attraction with its unique, powerful sound
and hosts organ and classic music concerts quite frequently.
Statue by the church of King St. Stephen on horseback.
Very little remains of the original church;
only the foundations, columns, and some walls date back to the thirteenth century.
During the siege of Budapest in World War II,
the city suffered heavy losses.
Fortunately, some of the church's valuables managed to evade the damage,
including the painted window glasses, which were hidden
during the war and can be still seen in their original form
on the southern side of the church.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Fisherman's Bastion
Built from 1895 to 1902.
Has 7 turrets to represent the 7 Hungarian tribes
who founded the present day country in 895.
Gets its name from the guild of the fishermen who protected it
during the Middle Ages.
It was a rainy, cool morning with times using an umbrella.
Statue of King Stephen I
Between the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion stands
a statue of the first christian king of Hungary, St. Stephen.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heroes' Square
at the gateway to Budapest's City Park
Millennium Column
Is at the center of Heroes' Square in Budapest.
The column is surrounded by the seven original Magyar chieftains
and topped with a statue of the archangel Gabriel.
The Magyar chieftains were the tribal leaders who brought the Magyar people
to the land that is now Hungary around 896 A.D.
and ruled Hungary for some 400 years.
Two colonnades display 14 emblematic figures from Hungarian history
and form a semi-circle around the center column.
The statues are of men whose lives had major impacts on
Hungary's history.
The first statue at the left is of the nation's founder, Saint Stephen,
who was the first King of Hungary and the first devout Christian to lead this country.
The 7th statue is of Louis the Great, the son of Charles I,
who was one of Hungary's most powerful monarchs of all time.
At the height of his power, he established an empire
encompassing most of Eastern Europe and beyond.
The 14th and last statue is of Kossuth who became
the leader after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848;
but despite several impressive victories,
the Magyar army was defeated in the summer of 1849.
Kossuth died decades later in exile.
Shoes on the Danube Bank
Memorial of sixty pairs of iron shoes created in memory
of the many thousands of Jewish Hungarians
shot by Budapest's Arrow Cross militia during World War II,
and then their bodies were cast into the river.
Most were shot in December 1944 and January 1945.
Hungarian National Gallery
Located in several wings of the Buda Castle.
Has the largest public collection of Hungarian fine arts that
offer insights through beautiful paintings into the history,
every-day life, and rural landscapes of Hungary.
Our local guide in Budapest
holding the Fun For Less flag.
Hungarian Parliament Building
as seen up close in the daytime.
Monument to Istvan Tisza
Outside the Hungarian Parliament building.
Prime minister of Hungary between 1903 and 1905
and again from 1913 to 1917.
He was prime minister when Austria-Hungary entered into World War I.
He was later assassinated during the revolution in 1918,
the same day Hungary terminated its political union with Austria.
This is a replica of the original statue that was erected in 1934
and destroyed by the Communists after World War II.
Statue of Francis II Rakoczi
In front of the Hungarian Parliament building.
He was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the
Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince
of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Colorful red poppies seen in several locations.
Kossuth Memorial
A public monument dedicated to former
Hungarian Regent-President Lajos Kossuth
in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building
on Lajos Kossuth Square in Budapest.
The memorial is an important Hungarian national symbol
and scene of official celebrations.
1956 October 25 Memorial
(Narene by the statue)
This was a nationwide revolution against the
Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies,
lasting from October 23 until November 1956.
It was the first major threat to Soviet control
since the Red Army drove Nazi Germany from its territory
at the end of World War II in Europe.
The revolt began as a student protest, which attracted
thousands as they marched through central Budapest to the
Hungarian Parliament building.
One student died and was wrapped in a flag and held above the crowd.
This was the start of the revolution.
The revolt spread quickly across Hungary,
and the government collapsed.
Boarding the AmaWaterways Certo
prior to checking in and exploring the ship.
I am carrying my special cushion I traveled with
on this trip because of a fall that hurt my tailbone.
After dinner, we enjoyed the Illumination Cruise
before returning to the dock.
Early the next morning we set sail down the Danube River.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was the first place where Franz Liszt's Coronation Mass was played.
This led to the monarch's generous support of the royal organ's renewal.
This organ became a public attraction with its unique, powerful sound
and hosts organ and classic music concerts quite frequently.
Very little remains of the original church;
only the foundations, columns, and some walls date back to the thirteenth century.
During the siege of Budapest in World War II,
the city suffered heavy losses.
Fortunately, some of the church's valuables managed to evade the damage,
including the painted window glasses, which were hidden
during the war and can be still seen in their original form
on the southern side of the church.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Built from 1895 to 1902.
Has 7 turrets to represent the 7 Hungarian tribes
who founded the present day country in 895.
Gets its name from the guild of the fishermen who protected it
during the Middle Ages.
Between the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion stands
a statue of the first christian king of Hungary, St. Stephen.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Heroes' Square
at the gateway to Budapest's City Park
Is at the center of Heroes' Square in Budapest.
The column is surrounded by the seven original Magyar chieftains
and topped with a statue of the archangel Gabriel.
The Magyar chieftains were the tribal leaders who brought the Magyar people
to the land that is now Hungary around 896 A.D.
and ruled Hungary for some 400 years.
Two colonnades display 14 emblematic figures from Hungarian history
and form a semi-circle around the center column.
The statues are of men whose lives had major impacts on
Hungary's history.
The first statue at the left is of the nation's founder, Saint Stephen,
who was the first King of Hungary and the first devout Christian to lead this country.
The 7th statue is of Louis the Great, the son of Charles I,
who was one of Hungary's most powerful monarchs of all time.
At the height of his power, he established an empire
encompassing most of Eastern Europe and beyond.
the leader after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848;
but despite several impressive victories,
the Magyar army was defeated in the summer of 1849.
Kossuth died decades later in exile.
Shoes on the Danube Bank
Memorial of sixty pairs of iron shoes created in memory
of the many thousands of Jewish Hungarians
shot by Budapest's Arrow Cross militia during World War II,
and then their bodies were cast into the river.
Most were shot in December 1944 and January 1945.
Located in several wings of the Buda Castle.
Has the largest public collection of Hungarian fine arts that
offer insights through beautiful paintings into the history,
every-day life, and rural landscapes of Hungary.
holding the Fun For Less flag.
as seen up close in the daytime.
Outside the Hungarian Parliament building.
Prime minister of Hungary between 1903 and 1905
and again from 1913 to 1917.
He was prime minister when Austria-Hungary entered into World War I.
He was later assassinated during the revolution in 1918,
the same day Hungary terminated its political union with Austria.
This is a replica of the original statue that was erected in 1934
and destroyed by the Communists after World War II.
In front of the Hungarian Parliament building.
He was a Hungarian nobleman and leader of the
Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince
of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary.
A public monument dedicated to former
Hungarian Regent-President Lajos Kossuth
in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building
on Lajos Kossuth Square in Budapest.
The memorial is an important Hungarian national symbol
and scene of official celebrations.
(Narene by the statue)
This was a nationwide revolution against the
Hungarian People's Republic and its Soviet-imposed policies,
lasting from October 23 until November 1956.
It was the first major threat to Soviet control
since the Red Army drove Nazi Germany from its territory
at the end of World War II in Europe.
The revolt began as a student protest, which attracted
thousands as they marched through central Budapest to the
Hungarian Parliament building.
One student died and was wrapped in a flag and held above the crowd.
This was the start of the revolution.
The revolt spread quickly across Hungary,
and the government collapsed.
prior to checking in and exploring the ship.
I am carrying my special cushion I traveled with
on this trip because of a fall that hurt my tailbone.
After dinner, we enjoyed the Illumination Cruise
before returning to the dock.
Early the next morning we set sail down the Danube River.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next blog entry will find us cruising on the Danube River.
