Friday 12th June

We explored the area around Varosliget (City Park), where some of the finest buildings and widest boulevards in the city focus upon the massive Millennium Monument.

To get there we walked the length of Andrassy Street, the long and wide boulevard from the city centre. This is thought to be Budapest’s most exclusive address. It is lined with restaurants, theatres and designer label shops as well as the State Opera House.

The Millennium Monument is one part of Heroes’ Square where Communist demonstrations once took place but the square predates all of this as it was originally built for the millennium celebrations of 1896 when the one thousand year anniversary of the conquest of the region by the Magyars established the first settlement.

At the top of the 36 metre column is a statue of the Archangel Gabriel who is thought to have offered the crown to St Stephen.

  

At the foot of the column are 7 chieftains representing the seven tribes of Hungary.

Behind the monuments is the city park with lakes, up-market restaurants, some of which are set on islands and also the Budapest Zoo.

We will complete our visit with our evening at the Monk’s Bistro which serves simple and tasty fair at a good price!