7 Bridges of Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is one of the most beautiful capital cities in Europe. We love how people are actually surprised after their trips how beautiful it actually was! Now, if you’re here, you want to learn about this beautiful city. Which Budapest bridge do you want to learn about? Or you just want to find which are the bridges in Budapest? We’re going to talk about the 7 bridges you can find, such as the Chain Bridge Budapest and Elisabeth Bridge Budapest Hungary. You can also find out some interesting facts about these, like about the Budapest Chain Bridge lions.

The 7 Bridges in Budapest, Hungary

When you hear the phrase Budapest bridge, if you’ve seen the city in pictures, or you have already visited, you will think straight away about the Chain Bridge Budapest. And why wouldn’t you, since this is the most famous, and most beautiful of the bridges in Budapest.

We’ll also reveal some interesting facts about the Liberty Bridge, but also about the Budapest Chain Bridge lions. Moreover, we’re going to give you some tips on what can you do around the most famous bridges in Budapest. Not all of them, but the neighborhood of some bridges, such as the Elisabeth bridge Budapest Hungary has a lot of things to offer.

1. Arpad Bridge

We’re going to start from North and going down South one by one. Arpad bridge is the northern Budapest bridge. Well, at least it was once. Now there’s another bridge more up north, the Megyeri Bridge, but that’s literally at the edge of the city, and it’s designed specifically for traffic around the capital.

Árpád Bridge or Árpád híd, in Hungarian, is connecting across the Danube on the northern side of Buda, the district of Óbuda (district III) with Angyalföld on the Pest side (district XIII). Up to the opening of Megyeri Bridge, the Arpad Bridge was the longest bridge in Hungary (2km). On the side of Óbuda, you can find the Szentlélek Square, from where the main square of Óbuda as well as the Óbuda, Vásárhely, and the Kassák Museum.

From Szentlélek Square, you can also take a bus or the HÉV (a type of city train) to get to the Roman baths museum, the Aquincum. Also, Margaret Island and Óbuda Island are connected to Árpád Bridge.

On the Pest side, from the station Árpád híd Pesti Hídfő, you can take the Metro Line 3 (Blue Metro) that’s taking you all the way into the city center. Óbuda is really charming, especially its main square and that area, so if you’ve got spare time, you should check that out, or the Roman remainings as well!

2. Margaret Bridge

If you’re looking for the most beautiful bridges in Budapest, well Margaret Bridge is definitely one of them after Chain Bridge Budapest. The bridge in Hungarian is called Margit híd, and it’s located on the south side of Margaret Island, connecting District II on the Buda side, with one of the most important roads on the Pest side, the Szent István Körűt. This is the boulevard that’s embracing basically the whole city center of Budapest. Everything that’s important to see starts on this road, that’s going all the way to the Petőfi Bridge, forming a semicircle around the downtown.

Margaret Bridge is significant since it’s a three-way bridge, that’s bending in the middle, where the road is to reach Margaret Island. It was designed by Ernest Goüin, a French engineer and it was built between 1872-1876. Margaret Bridge is the second after the Árpád Bridge going south, and it’s also the second oldest bridge in Budapest.

3. Szechenyi Chain Bridge

And now the 3rd Budapest bridge heading from north to south, the beautiful Széchenyi Chain Bridge Budapest. This is definitely the most beautiful bridge in the city. The Chain Bridge was commissioned partially by count Széchenyi István (Stephan Széchenyi) and designed by the English engineer, William Tierney Clark. Now, the builder was the Scottish Adam Clark, and the square on the Buda side of the bridge is named after him.

On the Pest side, you can see the Grashem Palace, that’s now a Four Seasons hotel and the Hungarian Academy of Science. Also from Chain Bridge the St Stephan Basilica isn’t far away, or you can also take the tram that’s running on the side of Danube, and it’s offering the most beautiful view over the Buda Castle, the bridges, and the Gellert Hill.

Budapest Chain Bridge history in short

The Chain Bridge was opened in 1849 while in Hungary there was a revolution against the rule of Austria. If you have a good look, you will see that the Széchenyi Chain Bridge Budapest resonates with the Tower Bridge in London, though this was built 40 years earlier. The Chain Bridge was considered one of the modern world’s engineering wonders. Széchenyi Chain Bridge became the symbol of national awakening (revolution), and the symbol of advancement.

Unfortunately during WW 2, while the German army was retiring from the Eastern front line, they have destroyed all the bridges in Budapest, leaving as last ones the Chain Bridge and the Elisabeth Bridge Budapest Hungary. They were rebuilt after the 2nd World War, during communism.

Budapest Chain Bridge lions

The Budapest Chain Bridge lions were designed by Marschalkó János, a Hungarian sculptor. Now, these lions got a lot of attention since if you’re standing on the road or the pedestrian walk, you can’t see if the lions on the Chain Bridge have tongues or not. For a long time, everyone was talking about the sculptor, and how he didn’t make a good job, because the lions don’t have tongues.

Before he died, he shared his response to his haters saying “I wish your wife had a tongue the same way as my lions! You’d be tortured!” With this, he meant, that the lions actually did have tongues, just from the road you can’t see it, and since they are giant sculptures, they have big tongues. So with his message he meant, that if their wives would have such a big mouth, men would be massacred.

4. Elisabeth Bridge

Now after the Chain Bridge Budapest, here comes the Elisabeth Bridge Budapest, which if we’re heading south, it’s the next one in the line. Elisabeth Bridge is one of the most important bridges in Budapest, and it’s the third newest bridge in Budapest. The bridge got its name after Elisabeth of Bavaria, the most popular queen and empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You can find her statue on the Buda side near the bridge! The queen had the nickname Sissi, and usually, when people talk about Elisabeth of Bavaria, they refer to her as Sissi.

As I have mentioned, all the bridges of Budapest were destroyed at the end of WW2. The original Elisabeth Bridge was built in the 19th century, and a completely simple, non-decorated version was rebuilt in the 60s’. Now, what to see around Elisabeth bridge?

On the Pest side, you can find the March 15 Square, that’s a venue related to the previously mentioned Hungarian revolution of 1848-1849. If you’re heading to the Buda side, you can easily hike Gellert Hill, to the St Gellert statue, or even to the top, to the Ciutadella and the Liberty Statue. It’s really worth the hike since the view over Budapest is just amazing!

5. Liberty Bridge

Liberty Bridge, one of the spookiest, yet most beautiful Budapest bridges. Right after the Elisabeth bridge in Budapest, our next in line is the Liberty Bridge, that’s called in Hungarian Szabadság híd. You can find on the Pest side the Fővám tér (square) where you can visit the famous Great Market Hall, one of the best things to do in Budapest!

Now, on the Buda side, you’ll find the Gellért Square, which is at the foot of Gellért Hill. Here you can find the famous Gellért Spa and the hotel. If you want to hike to the top of Gellért Hill, there’s a path from this site as well! Now, if we head back to the Pest side, the bridge is really close to the Hungarian National Museum, as well as my university, that’s one of Hungary’s famous universities, the Eötvös Lóránd University of Science. Also, next to those you’re basically in the center of Budapest, so many other things to do are on the nearby streets!

The Liberty Bridge originally was built as part of the Millenium World Exhibition at the end of the 19th century. If you have a close look, the bridge features Hungary’s coat of arms adorned on its sides, as well as mythological sculptures. Liberty Bridge was the first of those rebuilt after WW2.

For some reason, unfortunately, this bridge is really popular for those who try suicide, or they actually committed suicide over the last decades. Maybe it’s the name, “Liberty” the reason?

6. Petofi Bridge

Our next on the line for bridges in Budapest is the bridges in Budapest Petőfi Bridge, named after one of the most famous Hungarian poets, Petőfi Sándor (Alexander Petofi). His old name has Horthy Mikós Bridge, after the Hungarian governor, Horthy Mikós, who’s one of the most important politicians of the 20th century.

Petőfi Bridge is also a really simple bridge, with no ornaments, and it’s the southern connection of the earlier mentioned Boulevard that’s closing a semicircle around Budapest downtown. On the Buda side, just a few minutes away, you can see the famous University of Technology and Economics Budapest, and its main building, from where the 1956 revolution in Budapest against Russian communism started.

7. Rakoczi Bridge

The last Budapest bridge in the line, the southern one, Rákóczi Bridge, that was called up until a few years ago Lágymányosi Bridge. This one was opened in 1995, and the plans for the bridge were made by Tibor Sigrai. It’s a bridge used mostly for transportation, especially as it’s really out from the center of Budapest.

The bridge was renamed after the Hungarian noble family, the Rákóczi family, who were ruling and incorporating important roles during the history. During the independent principality of Transylvania in the 16th and 17th centuries, 4 members of the rulers of Transylvania, since the biggest part of Hungary was occupied by Turkey, the Hungarian royalty retired to Transylvania.

Around the Rákóczi Bridge though, you can visit the new Hungarian National Theatre that was opened in 2002, but also the Palace of Arts that was opened in 2005, both on the Pest side.

Wrapping up the 10 most beautiful bridges in Budapest Hungary

Budapest is really rich in history, and as I’m a Hungarian who studied history, and specialized in Hungarian national history, you must understand why I’ve added to all the bridges in Budapest some history notes too! We’ve covered the most beautiful Budapest bridge, the Chain Bridge Budapest. Here we also spoke about the Budapest Chain Bridge lions and their story. We covered Elisabeth bridge Budapest Hungary, and all the remaining 5 bridges of Budapest. We hope you’re leaving our page with a better knowledge, and you’ll enjoy your time in Budapest!