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Monday, December 26, 2016

Országház - Hungarian National Assembly

The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary. It is located on the bank of the Danube river and is a popular tourist destination in Budapest. The Parliament building is the third largest Parliament building in the world!!! 

The inside of the building is breathtakingly stunning and the interior is jaw-droppingly gorgeous!!!

Ceremonial Stair Hall
It is 265 meters long and 123 meters wide. Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 19 passenger and freight elevators, 29 gates, 27 staircases, and 691 rooms (including more than 200 offices). 

Ceremonial Stair Hall
With its height of 96 meters, it is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica. The number 96 refers to the nation's millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary in 896. 

The construction of the Parliament building began in 1885. The following year, the country inaugurated its 1000th anniversary in 1896. The construction was completed in 1904. Forty million bricks were used in the building process as well as half a million precious stones and 40 kilograms of GOLD!!! 

Lounge of the Chamber of Representatives
The Parliament Building is in the Gothic Revival style. The building is structured symmetrically, consisting of two absolutely identical parliament halls out of which one is used for politics, and the other one is used for guided tours, conferences, and other political activities. While moving from one room to the others, the sense of direction gets easily lost... The dome, located in the center of the symmetry, is Renaissance Revival architecture


Lounge of the Chambers of Peers
Before 2014, Hungary's (blended) electoral system was among the most complicated in Europe; it saw the election of Members of the National Assembly six times as of 1990. The system was reformed by Act CCII of 2011 on the Election of Members of the National Assembly with provisions first implemented during the 2014 general elections. That spring, Hungarian citizens elected 199 Members of Parliament (106 MPs from single-member constituencies and 93 MPs from party lists) to a four-year term, voting directly by secret ballot based on universal and equal suffrage.


The Dome Hall
At the heart of the symmetrical building, located is the hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided) central Dome Hall. There you witness the Holy Crown of Hungary (also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen) that has been displayed there since 2000. The Holy Crown has been stolen, hidden, lost, recovered, and taken abroad many times!!!

Holy Crown of Hungary
If you are interested in visiting there, information is available here

It is utterly worth visiting!!! Highly recommended.






At last, I would like to acknowledge Ms. Struve for her generous guidance!!!

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

New York Kávéház in Budapest

New York cafe (Kávéház in Hungarian) is said to be the most beautiful and most beloved coffee house in Budapest, Hungary. 



Do I agree with that?

Yes. It looks like a museum in Italy!




It used to be the popular salon among (snobbish) creators.


It has an American name, and Italian design, serving the multicultural cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. 



Classic dishes like Beef Goulash, Fishermen Soup, Chicken Leg Paprikash-style, Wiener Schnitzel, and Grilled Foie Gras are served along with famous desserts such as Dobos, Sacher, and Eszterházy cake.


The menu is available here.


Live orchestra music is awaiting you.


The café is part of Boscolo Budapest, a five-star hotel.