Check out the most beautiful bridges of Budapest – PHOTOS

Hungary’s capital, Budapest, is a beloved tourist location for many people from all around the world. Its ambience is unique, and there are a lot of things you must visit.

As with most European cities of its age, it is built near a river, and Budapest in particular is cut in half by the Danube, making sure the city is not without any interesting bridge to see. In this article, we collected five of the best-looking bridges in Budapest.

I. Széchenyi Lánchíd – Széchenyi Chain Bridge

Naturally, the Chain Bridge is the one that takes the crown, being the most iconic of the bridges, and also because, over the years, it became one of the main symbols of Budapest, apart from the Parliament. 

It was also important as it was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary and was first opened in 1849. At the time,

the bridge was considered one of the modern world’s engineering wonders.

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It was designed by William Tierney Clark and built by Adam Clark. Unfortunately, during WWII, it was demolished, but it was later rebuilt in 1949.

It connects Széchenyi (formerly Roosevelt) Square, adjacent to the Gresham Palace and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on the Pest side, with Adam Clark Square near the Zero Kilometre Stone and the lower end of the Castle Hill Funicular, leading to Buda Castle on the Buda side.

Unfortunately, it is currently closed due to renovation.

II. Margit híd – Margaret Bridge

Margaret Bridge

Margaret Bridge is one of the most unique bridges of Budapest because it is a three-way bridge connecting Buda and Pest while also linking Margaret Island to the capital.

It is the second-northernmost bridge, and after the Chain Bridge, it is the second-oldest public bridge in Budapest.

The designer was a French engineer, Ernest Goüin, and it was built between 1872 and 1876. Uniquely, its two parts meet at a 165° angle at Margaret Island. According to some sources, it has such an unusual angle because the extension to also connect Margaret Island was hastily added to the design.

The bridge’s two ends are Jászai Mari Square in Pest and Germanus Gyula Park in Buda. All the bridges of Budapest were blown up by World War II Wehrmacht sapper troops, so this one needed reconstruction after the war, too. It is said that the original steel pieces were excavated from the Danube and were used during the reconstruction of the bridge. It was also renewed between 2009 and 2011.

In addition to the Chain Bridge, you have the best view of the Hungarian Parliament from Margaret Bridge.

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III. Szabadság híd – Liberty Bridge

Liberty Bridge
Source: Wikimedia Commons / KovácsD

It is located at the southern ends of the centre of the capital, connecting Gellért Square at the foot of Gellért Hill (Gellért Spa and Hotel Gellért are also found here) on the Buda side with Fővám Square where the Great Market Hall can be found on the Pest side. Interestingly, in the past, it was the shortest bridge in Budapest’s centre but was the first bridge to be reconstructed after WWII.

It was designed by János Feketeházy and was built between 1894 and 1896 as part of the Millennium World Exhibition. The bridge was originally named after Emperor Franz Joseph who also inserted the last silver rivet into the iron structure of the bridge.

Although it is a different construction, it resembles a chain bridge and features art nouveau design with sculptures of mythological creatures, such as the Turul, and Hungary’s coat of arms on its side.

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IV. Erzsébet híd – Elisabeth Bridge

Elisabeth Bridge at night /pixabay/

The bridge is located at the narrowest section of the Danube in the Budapest area, spanning only 290 metres. It is named after Elisabeth of Bavaria, a popular queen and empress of Austria-Hungary, whose bronze statue is located in the middle of a small garden by the bridge’s Buda side. Its Pest end is March 15 Square.

Its main “attraction” is the location of the Buda side connection at Döbrentei Square with the monument of Saint Gellért, a sculpture of Queen Elisabeth, and the Rácz Baths and Rudas Baths are also nearby.

As mentioned before, the original, flamboyant Erzsébet Bridge, just as many other bridges all over the country, was blown up during World War II by retreating German sappers. Interestingly, this is the only bridge in Budapest that could not be rebuilt in its original form.

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The current bridge was built between 1961 and 1964, and its lighting has been created by renowned Japanese lighting designer Motoko Ishii. Japan also contributed 120 million forints (€ 343,000) to the costs.

V. Megyeri híd – Megyeri Bridge

Megyeri Bridge
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Tamás Mészöly

Although not located in the centre of Budapest, and it represents a more modern design, it is an important bridge connecting the two halves of Budapest over the Danube. It is an integral part of the M0 ring road around Budapest.

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The interesting fact about this bridge is that it actually consists of five different bridges. The most notable of these is the 591-metre-long bridge structure over the Great Danube branch, which is the first real cable-stayed bridge in Hungary.

Megyeri Bridge
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Stipkovits Fülöp

In total, it is 1,862 metres long and has a height of 100 metres. It was opened in 2008, and despite controversy around naming it, the poll was disregarded and named Megyeri Bridge. As the Hungarian Geographical Name Committee explained, the bridge connects Káposztásmegyer and Békásmegyer.

Source: Daily News Hungary