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Szechenyi Chain Bridge

Budapest's Oldest Bridge

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge over the Danube in Budapest, built in 1840. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is 375 meters long, with two-way traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways, from which you can look out over the Danube and its two banks. The lion statues at each of the abutments are the symbol of the bridge.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge on the Budapest Danube, named after its initiator and financier, Count István Széchenyi, who was delayed for a week in 1820 by bad weather on his way to his father’s funeral. He hired the British architect Adam Clark and built Budapest's First Permanent Bridge, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge was built in 1840 and took nine years to complete, when Buda and Pest were still two cities across the river from each other. It can be said that the appearance of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge gave a strong impetus to the process of merging Buda and Pest.

Manywhere Trivia:
Before the Széchenyi Chain Bridge was built, temporary pontoons would be erected between the two banks, which had to be removed in winter due to ice floes on the water and rebuilt the following year.

The 375-meter-long bridge has two-way traffic lanes and pedestrian walkways, so you can Enjoy the Beautiful Scenery of the Danube, and landmarks such as the Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion, and Buda Castle in the Buda district on the right bank, and the Hungarian Parliament Building in the Pest district on the left bank.

Stone Lions of the Bridge

The bridge is built with two Triumphal-arch-style Towers to support the weight of the suspension cables and the bridge body. Two majestic statues of lions at each end have become the symbol of the bridge. To the east of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, there is another urban green area called Széchenyi Square, where leisurely citizens and children can always be seen under the bronze statues in the lawn.

The elegant shape of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge is impressive, and the best place to get a full view of the bridge is the Buda Castle Observation Deck to the west side of the bridge.

Buda Castle

The Royal Castle as a Palace

Situated on the top of a hill on the west bank of the Danube, Buda Castle is a symbol of Hungarian royal power that began around the 15th century and was almost razed to the ground during World War II, and the existing buildings were rebuilt after the war. Inside Buda Castle are the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.