An absolute icon of the Budapest cityscape, the Szechenyi Chain Bridge spans 375 metres over the Danube River. The suspension bridge connects Buda and Pest into the Hungarian capital locals and visitors know and love today.
At the time of its 1849 construction, the Chain Bridge was regarded as a modern wonder of engineering. It was the first permanent bridge to cross the Danube River and therefore became central to life in Budapest. Named for the wildly influential statesman, Count Istvan Szechenyi, the bridge is illuminated each night, sometimes in varying colours.
Rooted on the Pest side of the Danube River, the Szechenyi Chain Bridge crosses the legendary waterway to reach the funicular rail to Buda Castle. The bridge is about a 15-minute walk south of the Hungarian Parliament Building, and a 20 minute Metro ride up Andrassy Avenue to Hősök tere or Heroes’ Square.
The lion statues at either end of the Szechenyi Chain Bridge might look familiar. The bridge’s chief designer was an English engineer, William Tierney Clark, and the bridge’s appearance relied heavily on popular British designs of the day. Though the Chain Bridge was built first, its lions are often compared to the more famous cats at Trafalgar Square.