Budapest River Cruise
River Cruises in Budapest, Hungary
  • Cruise
    • Night Cruise Budapest
      • 6.30 pm Guided Cruise
      • Goulash Cruise in Budapest with Live Music
      • 8.15 pm Guided Cruise
      • 9/9.30 pm Light Dinner Cruise with Live Music
      • 9 pm Guided Cruise
      • 9pm Budget Evening Cruise
      • 9pm Snack Cruise with Unlimited Drinks
      • 9.30 pm Guided Cruise
      • 10 pm Cruise & Dinner or Drinks
      • 10pm Boat Party Cruise
      • 10.15 pm Guided Cruise
      • Budapest Night Cruises with Audio Guide
    • Dinner Cruise Budapest
      • A La Carte Dinner Cruise
      • Dinner Cruise & Bar Piano
      • Buffet Dinner & Gypsy Music
      • Dinner Cruise & Folk Dance Show
      • Light Dinner Cruise with Live Music
        • Light Budapest Dinner Cruise with Live Piano Music
        • Light Budapest Dinner Cruise with Folk Dance Show
    • Daytime Cruises Budapest
      • Daytime Guided Sightseeing Cruises in Budapest
      • Midday Boat Ride
      • Lunch Cruises
      • 2pm Cruise & Guide
      • 3.30 pm Cruise & Guide
      • 4 pm Cocktail Cruise
      • 5pm Cruise & Guide
      • 6.30 pm Cruise & Guide
      • Bus Tour & Cruise Package
    • Wine Cruise Budapest
      • 7 Tier Wine Tasting Cruise
      • Budapest Wine Cruise & Parliament Tour
      • Hungarian Dinner & Wine Tasting Cruise in Budapest
    • Cocktail Cruise Budapest
      • Cocktail Cruise Budapest
      • Private Cocktail Cruise for Small Groups
    • Beer Cruise Budapest
      • Craft Beer Cruise
      • Snack Cruise & Unlimited Beer
      • Craft Beer & Szechenyi Bath
      • Afternoon Beer Cruise
        • Beer Cruise Booking
    • Boat Party Budapest
      • Budapest Night Boat Party Cruise
        • 10.30pm Boat Party Booking
      • Halloween Parties
    • Cruise & Show Budapest
      • Dinner & Folk Show
      • Folk Show & Cocktail Cruise
      • Folk Show & Wine Cruise
      • Folk Theater + Night Cruise
    • Late Night Cruise
      • Goulash Cruise in Budapest with Live Music
      • 9.30 pm Guided Cruise
      • 10pm Late Night Cruise
      • 10.15 pm Guided Cruise
      • Boat Party & Booze Cruise
    • Tasting Cruises
      • Wine Tasting Cruise
      • Craft Beer Cruise
      • 7pm Cruise & Chocolate Tasting
    • Cruise & Parliament Tours
      • Budapest Lunch Cruise & Parliament Tour
      • Budapest Wine Cruise & Parliament Tour
      • Budapest Dinner Cruise & Parliament Tour
      • Budapest Budget Cruise & Parliament Tour
      • Budapest Cruise & Parliament Tour
    • Budapest Lunch Cruises
      • 2 pm Lunch Cruise
      • Lunch Cruise & Parliament Tour
      • Snack Cruise
      • 2pm Wine Cruise
    • Sunset Cruise Budapest
      • January Sunset Budapest
      • February Sunset Budapest
      • March Sunset Budapest
      • April Sunset Budapest
      • May Sunset Budapest
      • June Sunset Budapest
      • July Sunset Budapest
      • August Sunset Times Budapest Hungary
      • September Sunset Budapest
      • October Sunset Budapest
      • November Sunset Budapest
      • December Sunset Budapest
    • Easter Cruise Budapest
    • Danube Bend Tours
      • Danube Bend Tour with Lunch
      • Danube Bend Day Trip
      • Attractions of Danube Bend
    • Szentendre Tour
    • Aug 20 Cruises
    • Fireworks Cruise Budapest
      • Fireworks Cruise & 4-Course Dinner
      • Fireworks Cruise & Gypsy Music
      • Fireworks Cruise & Retro Music
      • Fireworks Sightseeing
      • Fireworks Boat Party
    • Christmas Cruise Budapest
      • Budapest Christmas Eve Cruise
      • Budapest Christmas Day Cruise
        • Booking Christmas Day Cruise
      • Budapest Boxing Day Cruise
      • Mulled Wine Cruise in Budapest
    • New Year’s Eve Budapest
      • NYE Party & Show
      • NYE Dinner & Piano
      • NYE Dinner & Folk Show
      • NYE Dinner & Retro Party
      • NYE Boat Party
      • NYE Student Party Cruise
      • NYE A La Carte Cruise
    • New Year’s Day Budapest
    • Valentine’s Day Cruises
      • A La Carte Valentine’s Cruise
      • Valentine’s Cruise & Bar Piano
      • Valentine’s Cruise & Gypsy Music
      • Valentine’s Day Wine Cruise
  • Dinner
    • A La Carte Dinner Cruise
    • Dinner Cruise & Bar Piano
    • Dinner Cruise & Gypsy Band
    • Dinner Cruise & Folk Show
    • Light Dinner Cruise with Live Music
      • Light Budapest Dinner Cruise with Live Piano Music
      • Light Budapest Dinner Cruise with Folk Dance Show
  • Private
  • Times
    • Budapest Cruise Calendar – Aug
    • Calendar Winter
  • 2 in 1
    • Parliament Tour & Cruise
    • Wine Cruise & Bath Entry
    • Cruise & Castle Tour & Funicular
    • Evening Walking Tour & Cruise
    • Booze Cruise & Pub Crawl
    • Cruise & Chocolate Museum
    • Dinner Cruise & Market Hall
    • Danube Bend Cruise & Bus Tour
    • Segway Tour & Cruise
  • Booking
  • Contact
Home » Budapest Cruises » Budapest Danube Sights » Bridges on the River Danube Budapest
Bridges on the River Danube Budapest

Bridges on the River Danube Budapest

The city of Budapest is divided by river Danube: the calm, peaceful Buda and the bustling, always busy Pest are separated by the Danube but connected to each other by 8 beautiful bridges, each with its own story to tell.

Budapest Fireworks by Miroslav Petrasko

Budapest Fireworks by Miroslav Petrasko

These bridges are not only famous for their structures but also as historical monuments and you can take a look at them on our different cruises.

They all shared the same fate, having been destroyed during the WWII and then rebuilt years later.

Let us take you along this beautiful river from bridge to bridge as if on a cruise.

 

Liberty Bridge

Built in 1894 as part of the series of ceremonies organized to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of the Magyars (Huns) in the Carpathian Basin.

Budapest Night Cruise on river Danube

Liberty Bridge/ Photo by Miroslav Petrasko Photography

When driving on to the bridge from either side, two large pillars are seen and on top of each is the mythical Turul bird.

Unfortunately, Liberty Bridge (Szabadsag Hid), as all the other bridges in Budapest, was blown up in 1945 by retreating German troops and then rebuilt and reopened in 1946, but, due to a lack of paint, it only regained its dark green colour 40 years later.

As Liberty Bridge is the shortest bridge in Budapest, you can easily walk across it over the River Danube in a couple of minutes. Having then reached the Buda end of the bridge, you get to Gellert Square at the foot of Gellert Hill, hosting Hotel Gellert and Gellert Spa being famous for its thermal water.
Check out this famous thermal spa, its world-famous massages and other services.

Do as the locals do, and watch the sunset from Liberty Bridge as it passes down behind the mountains and if you cannot have enough of it, enjoy the sunset in Budapest on the Danube from one of our river cruises.

 

Chain Bridge

Designed by the English engineer T.W.Clark, this construction is the first in many things. It was the first permanent bridge between Pest and Buda, taking over ten years to build. At that time this suspension bridge was the longest in Europe.

With just two magnificent towers supporting the structure with giant iron chains, Chain Bridge is an unmissable sight of Budapest. The chains gave the bridge its name, Lanchid, Hungarian translation for chain bridge.

Chain Bridge by Simon Greig

Chain Bridge by Simon Greig

People used to joke that it was built so that the bridge could be dragged into the tunnel during the rain.
The history of Chain Bridge (Lanchid) is just as rich as its ornaments. Stone lions guard the bridge on either side.

Professedly, the sculptor threw himself in the river when, during the opening ceremony, a spectator said that the lions had no tongues. In reality they do have tongues, they are just not visible and the sculptor lived happily ever after.
Although it is the oldest bridge in Hungary, being built in 1849, it still is the most magnificent and most photographed bridge in Budapest. It became an international sensation within a blink of an eye and is still one of the symbols of Budapest.

 

Rakoczi Bridge

Budapest Rakoczi Bridge Night Cruise

Budapest Rakoczi Bridge Night Cruise photo by Dian

It was originally planned for the 1996 World Expo and, interestingly, debates surrounded its naming both during the construction and then several years later, as well. This was the first bridge in Budapest named after a place – it was called Lagymanyosi Bridge until 2011- and not a person.
The Rakoczi Bridge (Rakoczi Hid) is the second newest bridge in Budapest opened in 1995 and its current name refers to a noble family playing an important part of the Hungarian history. Not only the name but its design stirred serious arguments among locals, some of them even saying that the red poles of the bridge look like red oil pumps.

 

Petofi Bridge

Petofi Bridge by Artur Herczeg

Petofi Bridge photo by Artur Herczeg

The bridge is named after one of the most revolutionary and romantic poet of Hungarian literature, Sandor Petofi.

This bridge is highly likely to be voted as the least inspiring structure of the bridges of Budapest, but with the vibrant A38  club – the reincarnation of a Ukranian stone-carrier ship currently voted one of Europe’s coolest clubs – being by the foot of Petofi Bridge, the area is an important venue in both Budapest’s cultural life and transport.

 

Elizabeth Bridge

Elisabeth Bridge

Elisabeth Bridge

Named after Queen Elizabeth (known as Sissy), the beloved and respected empress of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy assassinated in 1898 by an anarchist.

Although, the original and decorative looking bridge was built at the end of the nineteenth century, it sustained damage in WWII leaving Elizabeth Bridge beyond repair.

Unfortunately, the communist era did not wish to restore its beauty, therefore the new, modern looking bridge, reconstructed in 1961, is completely lack of any ornamentation, but has nonetheless a graceful appearance thanks to its slender cables, color and structure.

 

Arpad Bridge

Arpad Bridge Budapest photo by Istvan

Arpad Bridge Budapest photo by Istvan

Arpad Bridge is named after the leader of the seven tribes of Magyars who rode into the Carpathian basin in the 9th century.

The bridge, which is in connection the tips of Margarete Island and Hajogyari Islands (the venue of the famous Sziget Festival), is not exactly a sheer example of beauty, but it is one of the capital’s main transport links.

Megyeri Bridge

The longest and newest bridge of the capital city, opened in 2008, is a cable-stayed construction that constitutes an important section of the M0 ringroad.

Megyeri Bridge River Danube Budapest at Sunset

Megyeri Bridge River Danube Budapest at Sunset photo by Jan Fidler

An online poll on the naming of the bridge caused both national and international controversy and received widespread media attention when American comedians Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart won, while Miklos Zrinyi, Hungarian poet, statesman and military leader became only third.

June 1, 2017 Budapest River Cruise

Recent Posts

  • Goulash Cruise in Budapest with Live Music
    Goulash Cruise in Budapest with Live MusicJuly 6, 2020
  • Evening Wine Cruise Budapest Booking
    Evening Wine Cruise Budapest BookingApril 9, 2020
  • Goulash Cruise in Budapest with Live Music Booking
    Goulash Cruise in Budapest with Live Music BookingMarch 7, 2020

Popular Posts

  • Budapest Candlelit Dinner Cruise – A La Carte Dinner
    Budapest Candlelit Dinner Cruise – A La Carte DinnerAugust 20, 2013
  • Cocktail Cruise Budapest
    Cocktail Cruise BudapestFebruary 14, 2019
  • Budapest Late Night Danube River Cruise
    Budapest Late Night Danube River CruiseMarch 25, 2013

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cruise & Guide

Budapest Cruise Booking button
Budapest Sightseeing CruisesBudapest Sightseeing CruisesBudapest Sightseeing CruisesBudapest Sightseeing Cruises

Budapest River Cruise Topics

April Danube Cruises Budapest August Danube Cruises Budapest Budapest August 20 Budapest Autumn Cruises Budapest Boat Party Budapest Boat Rental Budapest Booze Cruise Budapest Christmas Cruises Budapest Crucero Navidades Budapest December 24 Budapest December 31 Budapest Dinner Cruise Budapest Europa Cruise Budapest Fireworks Budapest Fun Budapest New Year's Eve Danube Cruise Budapest Night Cruises Budapest Private Boat Rental Menus Budapest Special Events Budapest Winter Danube Bend Tours Danube River Cruises December Danube Cruises Budapest Fall Cruises February Danube Cruises Budapest Fun Things to do in Budapest Hungarian National Holiday January Danube Cruises Budapest July Danube Cruises Budapest June Danube Cruises Budapest March Danube Cruises Budapest May Danube Cruises Budapest November Danube Cruises Budapest October Danube Cruises Budapest Red Bull Budapest Danube River Cruise Budapest River Danube Cruise Budapest Romantic Budapest Cruises September Danube Cruises Budapest Spring Cruises Summer Cruises Sunset River Cruise Budapest Tasting Boats Budapest VIP Cruises Winter Cruises

Budapest River Cruise & Guide

  • Snack Cruise with Unlimited Drinks Budapest
    Snack Cruise with Unlimited Drinks Budapest June 7, 2016
  • 9.30 pm Sightseeing Budapest Boat Tour on the Danube
    9.30 pm Sightseeing Budapest Boat Tour on the Danube April 8, 2015
  • 3.30 pm Afternoon Sightseeing Guided Cruise in Budapest
    3.30 pm Afternoon Sightseeing Guided Cruise in Budapest April 7, 2015
  • 7.30 pm Cruise on Budapest Legenda Boat
    7.30 pm Cruise on Budapest Legenda Boat April 1, 2015
  • 9pm Night River Cruise in Budapest
    9pm Night River Cruise in Budapest April 1, 2015
  • 6.30 pm Guided Evening Cruise in Budapest
    6.30 pm Guided Evening Cruise in Budapest March 19, 2015
January 2021
M T W T F S S
  « Jul    
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Budapest River Cruise & Show

  • Light Dinner Cruise with Live Music
    Light Dinner Cruise with Live Music October 12, 2019
  • Light Budapest Dinner Cruise with Live Piano Music
    Light Budapest Dinner Cruise with Live Piano Music October 3, 2019
  • Budapest River Cruise & Fireworks on the Danube  – Aug 20, 2020
    Budapest River Cruise & Fireworks on the Danube – Aug 20, 2020 June 15, 2019
  • Budapest River Cruises – Aug 20,  2020
    Budapest River Cruises – Aug 20, 2020 May 3, 2019
  • Budapest NYE Cruise & Magician Show
    Budapest NYE Cruise & Magician Show December 27, 2017
  • Fireworks Dinner Cruise & Retro Music in Budapest 2019
    Fireworks Dinner Cruise & Retro Music in Budapest 2019 July 30, 2017
Streetcar by Liberty Bridge Day Budapest River Attractions John Morris
Copyright © 2018 BudapestRiverCruise.com. All Rights Reserved