The outside of the Hungarian Parliament building in Budapest is one of the most photographed buildings in the world – both day and night. Seeing it illuminated at night with its reflection dancing on the river water is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Yet, I am surprised when people who have visited Budapest could not tour the inside because they waited too long to take a simple step early on in their trip to book a tour. It really is such a shame to miss the opportunity to tour inside this magnificent building.
The outside of the building is neo-gothic architecture but once you step inside, it suddenly turns eclectic. All the elements are different but are harmonious and beautiful …. and all of that together is extremely magnificent.
The building was inaugurated in 1896, which marked the 1000th anniversary of Hungary. However, it wasn’t fully completed until 1902. It has 691 rooms (you obviously will only see a few) and 29 staircases – that’s a total of 12.5 miles of stairs (don’t worry, you won’t climb all of them). It was constructed with 40 million bricks, ½ million precious stones and 88 pounds of gold. It definitely lives up to its title of “World’s third largest parliament building”.
The guided tour begins with the spectacular main staircase and hall. The impressive walls and ceiling are covered in embossed gold and gives an immediate impression of grandeur. The stairs are decorated with statutes made from cast-zinc but resemble Gothic wooden figures. Beautiful frescoes of symbolic figures are painted on the ceiling, so make sure to glance up every once in a while.
When you reach the top of the stairs, you enter Dome Hall which is the structural and spiritual heart of the building. This room alone gives you a brief history of Hungary as statues and coats of arms from all the rulers are placed around the interior.
The central hall in the dome is also home to the Holy Crown of Hungary and the crown jewels. Since the 12th century, these have been used for the coronation of the Hungarian rulers. The stories behind these relics are equally as impressive as the jewels themselves. They were lost and stolen many times since the first king, King/Saint Stephen, was crowned. For many years after WWII, the Crown Jewels were held at Fort Knox Kentucky for safe keeping from the Soviets. They were eventually returned to Hungary in 1978. Sadly, I have no pictures to share here as photos were not allowed in this section, so you will just have to visit to see these magnificent treasures for yourself (plus a picture just wouldn’t do them justice).
On your way to see the Upper House Hall, you will be able to see some of the grand lobbies where Parliament members used to (and still do) wait. The lobbies are filled with beautiful columns with ornate gold tops and are lined with beautiful stained-glass windows. Detailed work throughout the building is beyond impressive. I found the detailed “cigar holders” and ashtrays interesting (there are over 100 of these throughout the building) where members would put down their cigars and come back to them later. Hard to imagine there were not any fires throughout the years!
The Upper House (Assembly) Hall is equally impressive as the other rooms. The lavish gold and wood carved walls and ceiling are stunning. It’s hard to believe that this is a government building but indeed it is – laws are actually decided here and members of the five political parties argue their cases to one another (yes you heard me right…5 parties…we can hardly even manage two). My advice is to book this tour early on in your trip just in case parliament is in session making it closed to the public
We made our way to the Parliament Museum where interesting relics and artifacts about the building are kept. You are free to spend as much time as you like learning more about Hungarian and Parliament history. For example, did you know that during the communist era, a large red star was added just near the dome of the building but was removed after the communist downfall? You can see it along with other relics in the display room.
English tours are offered three times a day and are about an hour in length. It is definitely worth seeing as part of a sightseeing day in Budapest. Book ahead on-line at (https://www.jegymester.hu/eng/Production/480000/Parlamenti-latogatas). So the next time you see a photo of the outside of this magnificent building, you can imagine the beauty of the inside as well (but make sure to see the real thing if you are ever in Budapest…it’s so worth it).
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