Page 86 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

84  BUD APEST AREA B Y AREA AROUND P ARLIA MENT  85

1 Parliament Dome
The ceiling of the 96-m- VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Hungary’s Parliament, the country’s (315-ft-) high dome is Practical Information
covered in an intricate
largest building, has become a symbol of design of Neo-Gothic Kossuth Lajos tér. Map 1 C3/4.
Tel (1) 441 44 15. 8 English 10am,
Budapest. A competition held to choose gilding combined with noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm daily
its design was won by Imre Steindl, who heraldic decoration. (subject to parliament sessions).
based his plans on the Houses of Parlia­ & discounted rate for EU citizens.
7 - ∑ parlament.hu
ment in London, built by Charles Barry in Transport
1837–47. Steindl’s rich Neo­Gothic master­ Parliament Visitor Centre v 2, 2A. q Kossuth tér. @ 70, 78.
piece, constructed between 1885 and The Neo-Gothic northern façade of the
1904, is 268 m (880 ft) long and 96 m parliamentary building overlooks the contemporary
(315 ft) high, and contains 691 rooms. Visitor Centre’s entrance, which houses educational
exhibitions in state of the art surroundings.
. Domed Hall
Adorning the massive pillars
that support Parliament’s
central dome are figures of
some of Hungary’s rulers.
Tapestry Hall
This room, on the
Danube side of the
Domed Hall, has a
tapestry depicting
Prince Árpád, with
seven Magyar leaders
under his command, as
he signs a peace treaty
and takes an oath.

. Deputy Council Chamber
Formerly the lower house, this
hall is where the National
Assembly now convenes.
Two pain tings by Zsigmond
Vajda, specially commis-
sioned for the building,
hang on either side of the
Speaker’s lectern.
Old Upper House Hall
This vast hall is virtually a mirror image of
the Deputy Council Chamber. Both halls
have public galleries running around
a horseshoe-shaped interior.

The main entrance
on Kossuth Lajos tér
KEY
1 South wing
2 Danube façade Main Staircase
3 The Royal Insignia, excluding the The best contemporary
Coronation Mantle (see p102), is kept artists were invited to
Gables Lobby in the Domed Hall. decorate the interior. The
Almost every corner of the Lobbies, the venues for political sumptuous main staircase
Parliament building features discussions, are to be found 4 North wing features ceiling frescoes by
gables with pinnacles based along corri dors beneath the 5 Tickets can be bought at gate 10 Károly Lotz and sculptures
on Gothic sculptures. stained-glass windows. by György Kiss.
For hotels and restaurants see pp264–269 and pp276–285

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