Today's city discovery - Heroes Square

What a sunny day, spring is in the air, come and walk outside, discover Budapest with me! There are many iconic sights in the city, Heroes Square definitely belongs to those. This is the place, where during WWII the Hungarian soldiers waved goodbye to their families and they were welcomed back here as well. The square was an important historical scene in the past.

It's situated at the end of the Adrássy Avenue and its embraces a beautiful building complex in the City Park. Did you know that in the Middle Ages the area used to be a popular hunting field for the kings and a huge part of it was covered by swamp. The park project was developed only in the 18th century, when finally it belonged to the largest public parks in Europe. 

In 1896 the country celebrated the 1000th anniversary, that the first Hungarian tribe settled down in the Carpthian Basin. In the frame of the Millennium Exhibition amazing pieces of art works were open for public in the City Park. The facilities that were built at that time are still important sights today: the Millennium Monument in the middle, the colonnades and the two museums on both sides.

Millennium Monument

In the middle of the square have a look at monument with Archangel Gabriel on the top, holding the Holy Crown and the double cross in both hands, these are the symbols of statehood and apostolic kingdom. The bronze statues below feature the Hungarian tribe leaders starting with Árpád in the middle, he was the chieftain when occupying the territory.

The colonnades

The two sem-circular colonnades are dedicated to the most important leaders who played a significant role in Hungary's life. Originally the last 5 places were occupied by Habsburg leaders, however they were removed in the Soviet era. The first figure is our king, Saint Stephen who established the Hungarian state and converted the people to Christianity. This step was crucial in our history, without him the Hungarian tribes could have just disappeared in the past. The last statue is dedicated to Lajos Kossuth, a politician from the 19th century, he was playing a big role in the Declaration of Independence, therefore his figure is very much identified with freedom. He was called the "Washington of Hungary" in America, he is the only foreigner who has a statue in the United States Capitol.

King Saint Stephen

The two museums

The square's atmosphere is very much determined by the two eclectic style museums. If you are standing in front of the Millennium Monument, the Exhibition Hall is on your right hand. This place is richly decorated, the tympanum is featuring Saint Stephen, our first king. The Neoclassic-style building is dedicated to temporary exhibitions. On the other side the Museum of Fine Arts is shining in its glory, since it has been renewed and opened just lately. The eclectic architectural style is spiced up with some Greek and Renaissance influence. Inside you can check out a valuable masterpieces and historical collections: prints and drawings, collection of Egyptian Art, old sculptures and so much more.

Exhibition Hall

Museum of Fine Arts

Memorial Stone of Heroes and the bronze plaque

In the middle of the square you will find a grave and a plaque right next to eachother. The memorial stone is not a real grave, nobody is buried there but it commemorates all the Hungarian soldiers who died in the wars. The bronze plaque reminds us the first thermal spring that was found in the area and with a special technique developed by Vilmos Zsigmondy, even today this spring is one of the main sources of the Széchenyi Bath in the City Park.

Thank you for joining me for a walk at a special place, for more Budapest insider stories follow me on Instagram or Facebook!