Heroes' Square - Hosok tere, Budapest

Heroes Square was built to honor some of the great men of Hungary's History following 1000 years in the Carpathian Basin. Also known as the Millenium Monument, this is at the end of Andrassy Ut, which is packed full of things to do and see.

According to legend, the archangel Gabriel appeared to St Steven offering him the crown of Hungary. Therefore, the column in the center portrays Gabriel with the Crown of St Stephen. At the base of the column are the equestrian statues of the seven tribal chieftains who led the settlement in 896 AD.

The other individual statues recognize various great Hungarians from throughout their history. These include Kings of the Arpad Dynasty, leaders of the 1848 national movement, leaders of the anti-Hapsburg movement.

This square was finished in 1929 and therefore does not include any of the leaders of more recent generations.

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Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere ) is a big square, a bit far from the center situated close to City Park that worth a visit anyway (it includes the famous Széchenyi thermal baths).

On both sides of the square you can see important museums (Museum of Fine Arts and Hall of Art) but getting out of the metro we saw the impressive Millenium Memorial that dominates the square that faces 2 other buildings, one of them is the embassy of Serbia (where Imre Nagy went for sanctuary in 1956, it was the embassy of Yugoslavia at that time). The monument is a huge structure for sure and worth to be seen from distance but also from close so to see the details.
At the top of the 36meter high column is the statue of Archangel Gabriel that holds the crown of Stephen I, the first king of Hungary.

The monument was finished in 1929, many years after the one thousandth anniversary of Hungary that took place in 1896! As in many other countries you can see a large stone cenotaph that represents the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There are two long colonnades with figures from Hungarian history, most of them political, monarchs etc. At the top of the colonnades you can see aligorical figures, statues representing War, Peace, Knowledge, Glory, Work, Prosperity.
I took some extra pictures as I was waiting for the Museum of Fine Arts to open…

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Heroes' Square is a beautiful Hungarian square on the Pest side. This square and its statues depict Hungarian history for the visitor. On top of the main column is Gabriel, who is also holding the famous St. Stephen's crown. At the bottom of this column are seven Hungarian tribal chiefs including Arpad. The statues behind the column show various times in Hungarian history and include such figures as Stephen I, Bela IV, Matthias Corvinus, and Lajos Kossuth. Heroes' Square is in a great location: it is surrounded by the Varosliget (city park), two large art museums, and Andrassy ut, which contains many excellent shops and restaurants. It is a nice place to take photographs (especially at night or in the snow) or to just sit down and relax. This square is now somewhat of a meeting place for young people in the afternoon or evening (after school). I recommend this site as a must-see to anyone visiting Budapest because it is like a national monument.

There is a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Heroes Square. When I was there there was a sentinel from the Hungarian Armed Forces, though my understanding is that there is normally not a guard. (Thanks to all those who answered in forums for this information)

Interestingly, this memorial has undergone a number of changes over the years. At first the changes were only changing the name, and widening admission requirements.

After 1945 under Soviet influence Memory Day was cancelled.

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At the end of the long and leafy Andrassy Utca lies the suitably grand Heroes' Square. Here the city commemorates the leaders of the seven tribes who founded Budapest with seven statues of each.

The square was constructed to celebrate the city's 1000th anniversary in 1896. More recently it has been a place to celebrate the city's rebirth, after years of isolation behind the Iron Curtain. In 1989 a quarter of a million people filled the square for the reburial of Imre Nagy, a former Prime Minister of Hungary who was executed for his part in the revolution of 1956.

The square, along with Andrassy Utca and the park behind it are all part of a protected UNESCO World Heritage site. Adjacent to the square are also two of Budapest's finest museums: the Museum of Fine Art and the Palace of Art.

Note: My son was born at the MAV hospital a few hundred meters from Heroes Square.

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The posh Andrassy utca ends at Heroes' Square, a massive gathering area that also serves as the main entrance to City Park. Here, you won't be able to miss the Millenium Monument, where a thirty-six metre tower features the Archangel Gabriel, and he is surrounded by fourteen important Hungarian statesmen (such as King Stephen and Matthias Corvinus). At one point in time a spot was even being held for a woman- Maria Theresa- but ultimately her spot was filled by another "hero". Imagine the square in 1989, when a quarter of a million people crowded in for the reburial of Imre Nagy (he of the statue on the bridge in Liberty Square).

Finishing Adrasy street there is a monument and the square named to commemorate heroes, who were fighting for Hungary and other famous people. On the top of the central and the highest column is the statue of Saint Gabriel.

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Hosok Tere or Heroes Square is located at the end of Andrassy Street and in front of the City Park. Sculptures of Hungarian heroes are on display here. On the left are the kings of Hungary while on the right are its generals. Incidentally, Matthias Corvinus who stands on the right was also a king. In the middle of the heroes is a column topped with the arcangel Gabriel. In his right hand he holds the Holy crown of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. In his left he holds the Hungarian Cross, a symbol given to St. Stephen by the Pope. In front of the column is a large stone cenotaph surrounded by an iron chain. The cenotaph is dedicated "To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence." Hosok Tere is a beautiful square which the people of Budapest are very proud of.

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At the end of Andrassy ut the street opens to a wide square which is called "Hero's square". It was created end of the 19th century on occasion of the millenium celebrations 1896. The square is sort of the entrance gate to the city park Varosliget. Right in the centre of the square is the Millenium monument located (which was finished only 30 years after the celebrations). A 36 m tall column is in the middle, on top a statue of Archangel Gabriel with the crown of King Stephen and the cross, symbols for the Christianization of Hungarians und King Stephen. Arcades with allegoric figures to both sides finish the monument.

The northern side of the square is occupied by the Museum of Fine Arts, the southern side by Art Exhibition hall (neo-classicistic style from 1895, temporary exhibits).

Unfortunately I did not have time to explore the city park. It looked like a nice romantic place.

The townhouses at the end of Andrassy ut and on Hero's square seemed to be in surprisingly bad condition given the location which is sad to see due to the (once) beautiful architecture.

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At the end of Andrássy Avenue is Hősök tere, or Heroes Square, next to City Park. It contains the Millennium Monument, begun at the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Hungary in 1896 (although it was not completed for 33 years), which depicts the leaders of the seven original Magyar tribles along with numerous other famous historical Hungarians.

Atop the central column is a figure of the Angel Gabriel holding a cross and the crown of St Stephen (first king of Hungary).