If you are interested in architecture or just don’t want to miss one of the most amazing buildings of Budapest, visit the stunning interior of the 2nd largest Parliament of Europe, with the 1000 years old crown jewels of Hungary. The building was constructed to commemorate the 1000 year’s anniversary of the Hungarian’s land taking. It’s a wonderful piece of architecture.
For a thousand years the Hungarian National Assembly had no permanent seat. The idea of a permanent building only came at the beginning of the 19th century.
The Parliament is enchanted by numbers: The dome of the Parliament is 96 meters high, and since it was inaugurated in the year of the millennium, the thousandth anniversary of our land-taking, it is intended to symbolize the year of the conquest (896). The 96 also echoes in the number of stairs in the main staircase, leading to the Dome Hall. Also, the building has 365 smaller or larger towers, the number of days in a year.
The building can only be visited with the guided tours organized by the Parliament Visitor Center. Purchase your tickets in advance online to avoid the long queues at the cashiers. There are several tours a day in different languages, such as in English, Spanish, Russian or German.
Insider hint: For the best photo of the Parliament cross the river to Batthány Square (take the underground line number 2 from Kossuth Square). From Buda the building shows its real beauty!