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Budapest

The Bridges of Budapest, Chain Bridge

Highlights

The Bridges of Budapest, Chain Bridge

The neighbourhoods of Buda and Pest are connected by nine bridges. The first bridge was built between 1839 and 1849. This Chain Bridge (Lánchíd) is considered to be the most beautiful in the city. The bridge connects Clark Adam Square (Clark Ádám tér) in Buda with Roosevelt Square (Roosevelt tér) in Pest. Adam Clark built the bridge to a design by William Tierney Clark, who were not related.

The bridge was in danger of being blown up before the official opening during the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs. What did not happen then, the Germans still did in 1945. To stop the advancing Russians, they blew up the bridges over the Danube. The Chain Bridge was quickly restored and reopened in 1949, exactly one hundred years after its first official opening.

The two pillars of the bridge have the shape of antique triumphal arches and on both sides the bridge is guarded by stone lions. Especially in the evening you have a beautiful view from Pest on the bridge and the illuminated Castle Hill behind it.

The Elisabeth Bridge (Erzsébet Híd) was built between 1897 and 1903. At the opening it was the longest suspension bridge in the world. After the destruction by the Germans, the bridge was rebuilt to the original design. This also happened with the Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) which was originally called the Franz Joseph Bridge, after the Emperor of Austria. During the restoration, all decorations were preserved. On the pillars of the bridge, for example, you can see so-called Turul birds, symbols from Hungarian mythology.

Between the Elisabeth Bridge and the Liberty Bridge, along the Pest-side promenade, you have the most beautiful view of the Buda district and several special attractions in Budapest.