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Preplanned City Guides and Travel Itineraries

Chain Bridge

On this page you find practical information, photos and videos about Chain Bridge.

Chain Bridge features in these preplanned City Guides:

3-day Budapest City Guide5-day Budapest City Guide

Why visit / Interesting facts:

  • One of the most beautiful bridges of Europe
  • Architectural masterpiece

Time required: 20 minutes

Public transport:

  • Metro Line 1: Vörösmarty tér station

Address:

Photos: (see more photos)

Photo: mararie

Things you need to know:

  • Chain Bridge was the first permament bridge over the Danube connecting Buda and Pest and setting the unification of the two cities in motion
  • Count Istvan Szechenyi came up with the idea of a permanent bridge after being stranded in Pest for weeks because of the hard winter of 1820
  • Construction, financed by Szechenyi, begun in 1836 and finished during the Hungarian War of Indepencence against Austria in 1849. The first ones crossing the bridge were Hungarian soilders
  • Szechenyi collapsed mentally in 1848 and was unable to see his dream come true
  • The Germans blew up the bridge in the siege of Budapest (1945); it was rebuilt in its original form by 1949, 100 years after its first opening
  • The bridge takes its name after the huge chains that hold it up
  • Two lions guard the bridge on both bridgeheads. According to the legend the sculptor jumped in the river after a boy pointed out on the official opening ceremony that the lions had no tongues

What to do there:

  • Admire the beautiful Adam Clark Square and the tunnel passing under the castle at the Buda side of the bridge
  • Do not miss the two stone lion statues guarding both bridgeheads
  • Walk along the marvelous bridge and enjoy the splendid view over the city
  • On the Pest side admire the Roosevelt square with its imposing buildings such as the Hungarian Academy of Science and the Gresham palace

Tips & Insights:

  • The beautifully illuminated bridge and the surrounding scene is a highlight of any visit to Budapest

Chain Bridge features in these preplanned City Guides: