The House of Parliament in Budapest - National Assembly of Hungary
N 47° 30.428 E 019° 02.740
34T E 352834 N 5263373
Parliament Building in Budapest - the seat of National Assembly of Hungary (Országgyulés) in one of the most striking Capitol buildings in Europe and is also the landmark "number one" in the Hungarian capital.
Waymark Code: WM8A4Q
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Date Posted: 02/26/2010
Views: 120
Parliament Building in Budapest is one of the most striking and famous landmarks in the Hungarian capital. The immense Parliament Building is located on the Pest bank of the Danube River, stretching nearly 260 m between Chain Bridge and Margaret Bridge. Building is the seat of the Hungarian Parliament, which is known as the National Assembly of Hungary (Országgyulés). This important attraction of Budapest is the country's largest building, and one of the largest Parliament buildings in all of Europe.
The Parliament, a giant neo-Gothic structure with distinct Byzantine features, has a beautiful façade and a high dome that soars about 95 m. These sky-high domes of the Parliament Building in Budapest make it one of Budapest's tallest buildings, and you will easily be able to pick it out in the skyline from points all over the city, whether you are at Fishermans Bastion, Gellert Hill, or sliding down the Danube on a river cruise.
The Parliament is richly decorated. The decorations required a total of approximately 45 kg of gold, but gold isn't the only thing of value inside the building. Also inside the Parliament Building in Budapest are the Hungarian Coronation Regalia, including the Holy Crown, orb, scepter, and a Renaissance sword. The building's 691 rooms and 10 courtyards feature ceiling frescoes by Károly Lotz, grand staircases, stained glass, glass mosaics, and hundreds of sculptures inside and out, including representations of Árpád and Stephen I.
The design of the Budapest Parliament Building was chosen through a competition. One unique feature of the building is the large central hall, which has sixteen sides, and is adjoined by giant chambers. Construction of winner Imre Steindl's design began in 1885, inaugurated in 1896, and was completed in 1904. Sadly, the building's architect went blind before the construction was finished. Interestingly, two of the losing designs also were created nearby for other uses. If you visit the Ethnographical Museum and the Ministry of Agriculture, you'll be visiting those designs.