UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hungary
Budapest
Budapest has three world heritage sites by itself. The World Heritage Board of the UNESCO declared the area in the Buda side between the Chain Bridge (Clark Adam Square) and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics standing on the banks of the Danube. This area includes the Gellert Bath, the Gellert hill with the Statue of Freedom and the Citadel, as well as the buildings of the Buda Castle Quarter.
On the Pest-side The Houses of Parliament, the Roosevelt Square in front of the Chain Bridge, and the Vígadó are also protected. The four bridges, Margit Bridge, Chain Bridge, Erzsebet Bridge and Freedom Bridge found on this section of the Danube are also the part of the World Heritage Site. One of the reasons of the Board for choosing this location was that the Budapest Banks of the Danube show the different periods of the history of the Hungarian capital, as well as being an exceptionally beautiful urban landscape.
Most of the public and private buildings of the Buda Castle Quarter are listed monuments. In the centre of the Buda Castle Quarter is the Church of Our Lady, most commonly known as the Matthias-Church. The neo-roman Fisherman’s Bastion was built in 1903 on the walls of the middle-age fort; with the Matthias-Church behind it the two buildings together are one of the symbols of the capital.
The Buda Castle is one of the most well-known cultural centres of the country: its buildings give home to the Budapest History Museum, which includes some parts of the medieval fort, the National Szechenyi Library, the Hungarian National Gallery and the Ludwig Museum. The first stone-built theatre of the country, the Castle Theatre can also be found here.
On the Pest side of the Danube, opposite the Fisherman’s Bastion is the imposing neo-gothic building of the Parliament, which was dreamt up by Imre Steindl. It practically rises out of the Danube; the building is the largest Parliament house in Europe. Another special value of the capital is the Chain Bridge – the first stone bridge of the Danube – and the Gresham Palace found right near it. The Gesham Palace is a masterpiece of the secession in Hungary. The nearby hall of Hungarian Academy of Sciences is a beautiful neo-renaissance building. Heading southwards we can see another exceptional view: the building of the Pesti Vigado is the symbol of Hungarian romantic architecture.
The “first” World Heritage Site detailed above was extended by the Board during their 2002 conference held in Budapest; at his time the Andrássy Road, the Heroes’ Square, the Millennium Monument, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Műcsarnok and the Millennium Underground – the oldest one on the continent - were added to the World Heritage Site list.
The Andrassy road and its historic surrounding area, where building work started in 1872 and finished in 11885, was given a place on the list of World Heritage Sites in 2002. The avenue is the eclectic architectural climax of the era which saw Budapest became a world city, the gallery of architectural styles of the second half of the 19th century. It is dominated by the neo-renaissance style, but there are also neo-baroque, classicist, secessionist and romantic buildings too. Emphasized by its triple-proportion, Andrássy Road connect the city centre with the green of the Városliget park: it starts as a wide city-centre main road with mansion houses, then it gradually expands and becomes greener to end up in an avenue surrounded by villas that runs into the Heroes’ Square. Another attraction of the Andrássy Road is the Millennium Underground, which is the oldest metro on the continent and second oldest one in the world.
Aggtelek Caves
There are 200 bigger/smaller caves in the area of the Aggtelek National Park. UNESCO declared the area part of the World Heritage in 1995 among several area from Slovakia as well. The area include the longest cave in Hungary, the Baradla (25km). The carst cave was developed around 2million years ago. There're many tourist trails on the surface, as the National Park is perfect for hills hiking around on the border of Hungary and Slovakia.
Join us on a single day tour to Aggtelek
Holloko
Holloko is small village around 100km away from Budapest with 400 inhabitants. The old and new village on the UNESCO list from 1987. What makes it so special? The living folk heritage. There are 67 peasant house, which looks the same as it used to be in the 19th century. You can enter into the small houses and you can get back in time, see how they lived and what they do in the 19th century in Hungary, with original tools. Another things to see is the Castle of Holloko.
Join us on a folklor tour to Holloko and further...
Tokaj
Tokaj is famous for its wine. Thanks to its unique microclimate the area is really a winecountry. Many cellars, vineyards. UNESCO declared area include several villages from the region such as Tokaj, Bodrogkeresztur, Bodrogkisfalud, Mad, Mezozombor, Ratka, Szegi, Tarcal, Tallya but several wine cellar included as well as Ungvari cellar from Satoraljaujhely, Rakoczi cellar in Tokaj, Koporosi and Galamboshegyi cellars in Herczegkus and Oremus and Winemuseum cellars in Tolcsva.
Best time to visit during harvest time in autumn when there're many wine and grape festivals, but the river Bodrog and the Zemplen mountains offers great opportunity all year long to take a few days and discover the region.
Hortobagy
The Puszta. Hortobagy is the largest grassy open plain region in Europe. Hortobagy National Park offers home for many many birds, which lives among the waterholes and swamp area. The smaller/bigger lakes great spots for fishing as well. You can take rest in any of the Csarda's, which is a kindda restaurant next to the road. The Csarda offers hungarian puszta style of food, sometimes accommodation as well.
Hortobagy, the largest village in the region has the biggest bird hospital in Hungary as well as museum of the puszta heritage. Here you can find the picturesque Nine Whole Bridge which is home for open market during Aug.
Mohacs, Busojaras
Busho walking in Mohacs is an annual carneval event in February, hold 6days. The masked people try to scare away winter and welcome spring. It takes place in Mohacs, which is a small town south of Budapest near Pecs.
Pannonhalma
Pannonhalma, The Benedictine monks who founded the abbey had a long historical significance with the development of Hungary. From their settling there in AD 996, they were instrumental in converting the Hungarians, in establishing the first school in Hungary, in producing the first document written in Hungarian, and in promoting and uplifting the local culture. Lying only a stone throw from Gyor on a hilltop, it is an easy to go destination.
The archabby building including an arboretum with more than 400 different species, one of the biggest library in Europe (with more than 350.000 books), a famous winery as well.
Lake Ferto
Lake Ferto is lying on the austrian/hungarian border. The lake is part of the Ferto Hansag National Park and on the UNESCO list since 1979 as a biosphere reservation area. It is the biggest alkaline lake in Europe, with many unique birds can be found nowhere else.
Lake Ferto is popular among eco tourists. You can bycicling around the lake on paved road, and the beaches popular as well during summer. As there're no border control anymore, you can bike to Austria and back, or sail your boat from one to other end.
Pecs
Pecs was one of the cultural capital of EUrope during 2010. Pecs is the city of culture with turkish, roman heritage, great museums (Zsolnay porcelain), mediterrain atmosphere. And it is only 200km from Budapest
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