Here's another episode of the "Must see places in..." series. Today we are showing you a few of the many really nice locations in Hungary's capital, using panoramic images provided by Norc.hu street-view panoramas. Enjoy.



Saint Stephen Basilica
It has a capacity of 8,500 people, and its foundations go three levels below the ground surface, almost as deep as the height of the imposing church. The right-hand tower houses Hungary's heaviest bell (nine tons). Hungarian Christianity's most important relic - the mummified right hand of the founder of the Hungarian State and Church, King Saint Stephen - can be seen in the chapel.



National Museum
It is said to have been founded in 1802 when Count Ferenc Széchényi set up the National Széchényi Library. This would then be followed a year later by the donating of a mineral collection by Széchényi's wife. This led to the creation of the Hungarian National Museum as being a natural history museum, and not only a library. In 1807 the Hungarian National Parliament passed legislation on the new institution.



Budapest Opera House
Designed by Miklós Ybl, a major figure of 19th century Hungarian architecture, the construction lasted from 1875 to 1884 and was funded by the city of Budapest and by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary. The Hungarian Royal Opera House (as it was known then) opened to the public on the September 27, 1884. According to measurements done in the 1970s by a group of international engineers, it has has the 3rd best acoustics in Europe after La Scala in Milan and the Palais Garnier in Paris.




Budapest Synagogue
It is the largest synagogue in Eurasia and the second largest in the world, after the Temple Emanu-El in New York City. It was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival style, with the decoration based chiefly on Islamic models from North Africa and medieval Spain (the Alhambra). The sanctuary building of Central Synagogue in Manhattan, New York City is a near-exact copy of the Dohány Street Synagogue.


 
The Parliament Building
Its construction started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, and completed in 1904. (The architect of the building went blind before its completion.) Similar to the Palace of Westminster, the Parliament Building is in the Gothic Revival style; it has a symmetrical facade and a central dome. Due to its extensive surface and its detailed handiwork, the building is almost always under renovation.




Museum of Fine Arts
The museum's collection is made up of international art, including all periods of European art, and comprises more than 100,000 pieces.The gallery holds the second largest collection of Egyptian art in central Europe.


 
Buda Castle (Hungarian: Budavári Palota)
It is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. It was established in the 14th century by the Angevin rulers of the Kingdom of Hungary, later it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. Buda Castle is part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, declared in 1987.


 
The Chain Bridge
It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest, and was opened in 1849. At the time of its construction, it was regarded as one of the modern world's engineering wonders. It has asserted an enormous significance in the country's economic, social and cultural life, much as the Brooklyn Bridge has in New York and America.



 
Váci utca
One of the main pedestrian commercial street of central Budapest. It features a large number of restaurants and shops catering primarily to the tourist market.


 
Nyugati Train Station
Nyugati Pályaudvar (Hungarian for West railway station) is one of the three main railway stations of Budapest. The station was planned by August de Serres and was built by the Eiffel Company. It was opened in 1877.