Celebrating Hungary’s heroes
Look up. And then keep looking up. Who is that on top of the Millennial Column in Heroes’ Square, Budapest? It’s a statue of Archangel Gabriel, soaring 118 feet (36 metres) above you.
This impressive column is part of the Square’s centrepiece, the Millennium Monument. Built in 1896, it marks the 1,000th anniversary of the Magyar conquest – and the leaders, chieftains and important figures who created modern Hungary.
More than a monument
Look around Heroes’ Square and you’ll see two impressive buildings. The Palace of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art could have been transplanted from Ancient Greece – the square is filled with statuesque columns and solid classical angles.
If the big names in art are your thing, you’ll love viewing works by Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Goya, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Dürer and Rubens - beautifully displayed in the Palace of Fine Arts. If you’d prefer something less formal, pop over to the Palace of Art for some fascinating temporary exhibitions.
All this and more is easily within reach when you choose a Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off Budapest City Tour.
Other interesting facts about Heroes’ Square, Budapest
- The square only received its current name in 1932, three years after the Millennium Monument was completed
- Pope John Paul II preached to the people of Hungary in Heroes’ Square
- A well in Heroes’ Square provides hot water for two bath houses in the city
