| The Széchenyi Lánchíd (Chain Bridge) is the central point of Budapest. From here, hilly Buda is to the west and the plains of commercial Pest are to the east. A steep climb in the Sikló, the 19th-century funicular, leads to Buda’s Várhegy (Castle Hill), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where many attractions are clustered. Szentháromság tér (Trinity Square) is at the heart of the district and usually thronging with tourists. Nearby is the mosaic-roofed Mátyás templom (Matthias Church), fronted by King Stephen’s statue and the fairytale Halászbástya (Fishermen’s Bastion), with the best views of Pest – particularly of the Országház (Houses of Parliament). A mass of museums are housed within Budavári Palota (Buda Castle Palace), first built by Béla III, following the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, and reconstructed over the centuries. South of the Chain Bridge lies Gellért-hegy (Gellért Hill), named after Bishop Gellért, who was (as legend has it) rolled off the hillside in a barrel for converting the Magyars to Christianity. At the summit are the Liberation Monument and Citadella, a Hapsburg fortress built to subdue the Magyars after the 1848-9 revolution. Nearby are some of Budapest’s oldest spas – the Rudas and Rác baths – enjoyed during the Turkish occupation (1526-1699), as well as the Hotel Gellért, which was built in 1913. |