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Earl István Széchenyi, the iconic Hungarian statesman asked and was granted permission from Joseph Franz I. to donate his collection related to Hungary to the Hungarian people.

This happened in 1802, which year can be considered as the foundation of the National Museum. In 1847 the institute got its housing building when the museum with columns and a tympanon in the front was built based on the plans of Mihály Pollack, the eminent figure of Hungarian classicist architecture. The museum played a great role in the revolution and war of independence of 1848-49. On March 15 in 1848, a mass gathering and Sándor Petőfi – poet of the nation- reading out his National Song (Nemzeti Dal) said to have been the starting event of the revolution. From that time on, the National Museum has been not only the house of the main Hungarian collection, but also the symbol of national freedom and of social changes in the eye of the Hungarian people.

There’s an infamous building at 60 Andrássy Street, which houses the House of Terror Museum. Opened in 2002, it commemorates the eras and victims of two terror regimes in Hungary.

The address is an infamous one because in 1944 this was the nest of the Arrow Cross Party members, who tortured Jews, and then from ‘45 onwards it served as the headquarters of the communists, who tortured those who were deemed as the enemies of the communist regime. Not only were these people tortured in order to make a confession, but many of them were also killed.

The neo-renaissant building was renovated inside-out, and has become a monument. The black passepartout running around the facade with the caption ‘Terror’ makes the building stand out of its surroundings and at the same time, the building still befits the adjacent houses.

A new, modern green park in the capital city is the new source of entertainment and regeneration lately: this is the Kopaszi dike in Újbuda.

What can you do in the ten-acre area surrounded by the River Danube? You can go for a picnic, read, lie in the grass, play badminton, play with frisbee, play tag, walk your dog (in the selected areas). There’s a running track, sports fields and a canoe dock. Kids’ Bay, a high-standard Playhouse is recommended for children, where there are kids’ programs as well. The ascending rows of terraces at the northern part offer a magnificent view of the city and the river. Also, you won’t suffer from hunger if you forget to take sandwiches with you: there’s a row of restaurants awaiting the visitors, with a few bistros among them.

The building was first built in the 1800’s on the order made by Baron József Brudern, in the fashion of a contemporary Parisian building – hence the two names.

The eye-catching masterpiece at Ferenciek Square (Ferenciek tere) was probably finished in 1912 and praises the hands of Henrik Schmal and Pál Lipták. The house is decorated by maiolica and eosin – made by the famous Zsolnay porcelain producer manufacture-, raw brick and a crystal glass dome. It is indeed rich in ornamentation: the somewhat oriental facade is in part covered in red copper and glass mosaic, there are French balconies with cast-iron or stone bars, and statues. Inside you will find mosaic tile floors, colored leaded glass windows. The building used to house a bank, shops, a travel agency and a few flats on the top floors. By today, all the shops, banks are gone, and the building is for sale.

City Park Ice Rink has been open for the public since 1870 already.

Its establishment is linked to the Skaters Union of Pest who achieved that the skaters may occupy part of the City Park Lake every year. At first there was only a wooden hut but it burnt down. Following this, a magnificent skate rink building was erected, which is standing today. It has been renovated and modernized recently, therefore there’s a long line of people queuing in front of the entrance in wintertime. But it’s surely well-worth the waiting since we can circle the ice rink at a beautiful setting: next to the Vajdahunyad Castle in the City Park, in the vicinity of Heroes’ Square and the Palace of Arts. When dusk approaches, giant reflectors are switched on to light the rink. You can eat and drink here, or have a little rest next to some hot tea or mulled wine. This great rink is not only available for the public, it also hosts various sports events: The European Championship of Speed skating in 2012 was held here, then there were the “speed skating “ weeks ending with a national combined championship, followed by “World Bandy Championship Week”, an event promoting this sport in Hungary.

The internationally-known factory unit was developed from the iron-foundry founded in the territory of the Roller Mill of Pest.

The reconstruction of the monumental factory buildings, that is the architectural works of the  Millenaris Park was awarded with the Europa Nostra Award in 2002. The Millenaris is to be founded in the second district, just behind Mammut shopping center. It has entrances also from Lövőház Street, Fény Street and Marcibányi Square. There are many programs and concerts here, especially for children, but also exhibitions such as the Invisible Exhibitions open all year.

The Hall is 44 meters wide, 188 meters long and 31.5 meters high- quite impressive.

Built under the egis of historic eclecticism, its style is Renaissant, and was opened in 1884. Cast iron ornaments, inside works of famous painters embellish this monument. You will find the statue of Gábor Baross, former minister of transport, in front of the building. Actually, It’s been there since 1898. Today, the space around most of the station is in a hectic state due to the construction works of the new metro line 4.

Central Market Hall (Great Market Hall, or Nagycsarnok in Hungarian) is a monument building in Vámház körút, and this is the biggest market hall in the city.

The floorspace of the building is about 10 000 m2. It was built at the end of the 19th century at the bank of the Danube. At the time, the scows packed with goods swam right under the market place through underground channels. It was built together with the neighboring University of Economics based on the plans of Samu Pecz professor at the university,, and was finished in 1897. It is covered by quite a huge iron roof, which is covered by the colored tiles from the famous Zsolnay factory in Pécs. The building itself is one of the most beautiful examples of historical brick architecture in Hungary, and following its reconstruction it won the most eminent international prize in architecture, the FIABCI Prix d’Excellence in 1999. The market hall offers the most inviting goods and the biggest selection, starting from fresh vegetables through meats to spices and real home-made dried pasta. In addition, there are various programs, such as weeks of different nationalities when their products gain emphasis and you can see singers, dancers and other related programs as well in the course of your shopping on a Saturday morning here.

Liberty Square is located downtown, district V Lipótváros, in the the business district.

This is one of the most beautiful squares in Budapest: whichever direction you look from this multiple-angled square, you will see magnificent buildings, most of which are freshly renovated or cleaned. At the roof level there are sculptures, nicely decorated facades, on the pavement level there are police wardens and running-by dogs and a playground, below there is a four-level carpark. The latest installment at the square are an interactive fountain and a statue of Ronald Reagan erected in 2011. The interactive fountain is extremely popular: one can walk in its flat square-shaped territory and the water jets up when stepping off certain stones and stops when stepping on them.

The funicular of Castle Hill is a special railway in the 1st district of Budapest, one of the ways to get to the Castle.

A major part of the Danube vista in Budapest, it is listed on UNESCO world heritage. The bottom terminal is right at the Buda end of Széchenyi Chain Bridge, next to the Tunnel, while the upper terminal is between the Castle and Sándor Palace. The first inclined railway was built in 1862 in Lyon, and the one in Buda was built based on this model only eight years later. The tracks are 95 meters long and the total difference in levels is 50 meters. The Budavári Funicular was first operated by steam engines, and after recovering damages suffered during World War II, it re-opened in 1986, now operated by electricity.