Monuments in Budapest, Budapest

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This is a very moving memorial to the Jewish adults and children who were massacred on this spot by the Fascist Arrow Cross Regime in Hungary during the second world war. The victims were taken to this spot and forced to remove their shoes and coats before being machine gunned and their bodies thrown into the Danube. Their coats and shoes were then earmarked for use by German civilians.

The spot is now marked by dozens of pairs of tossled shoes cast in iron alongside the Danube. Very touching.

The Turul is a giant bronze eagle clutching a sword displayed on Castle Hill next to the Hapsburg steps entrance to the Buda Palace. It looks down over the Danube and Pest. Unfortunately because it faces away from the square it is difficult to see the front of it up close.

The Turul is apparently from Hungarian folklore and was supposed to have raped the grandmother of Prince Arpád who lead the Magyars onto the lands that are now Hungary. Therefore the Turul was claimed to have sired the first dynasty of Hungarian kings (the Arpáds).

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The shoes found here on the waterfront are actual shoes worn by victims of the Arrow Cross and Nazis. During 1944 and 1945 Jews were routinely shot in back of the head and dumped into the Danube, mostly while chained to one another. The shoes are bronzed and you'll find baby shoes along with adult shoes. Some shoes are so worn out that you can almost see and feel the misery that these people went through. There are also two plaques commemorating the victims, one in English and the other in Hebrew.

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The 1956 revolt against Soviet control is seen as one of the most important events in Hungarian history. It was seen as typical of the Hungarian spirit to stand up to bigger enemies, like the Ottomans, and typical of the rest of Europe's indifference to Hungary's brave struggle. The whole incident is treated with great importance and respect.

A striking memorial to the 1956 revolt can be found on the edge of the City Park, just left of Heroes Square. It shows a series of beams, starting as rusty iron and transforming into gleaming glass as it breaks through the hard stone ground in a sharpened point. I'm not sure what it's supposed to mean, but it makes for some cool photographs.

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A somewhat controversial monument, due to it being considered ugly and expensive, the Time Wheel has been left in an unloved spot, hidden behind the Palace of Art Museum off Heroes Square. The monument was built to celebrate Hungary's accession to the EU, and is made from 60 tons of granite, steel and glass.

It's main function is to countdown the year, with the glass "sand" pouring from one half into the other so that it empties at exactly midnight on New Year's Eve. At that point the whole 60 tons is turned over and the timer starts all over again.

The first time I saw this beautiful piece I was very moved.

It lost none of its impact on a second viewing.

The weeping willow, created by Imre Varga, lies in the park dedicated to Raoul Wallenberg at the rear of the Dohany Synagogue. Access to the park seems to be only via the synagogue itself, but you can see the memorial through the railings on Wesselenyi Utca.

The branches sway gently if there is a breeze, as a real tree would. And each of the many, many leaves is inscribed with the name of a Jewish family who died in the Holocaust.

Both times I visited I saw many people posing for photographs in front of this memorial, with wide smiles. I'm not really sure why but that simply felt wrong to me.

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This Holocaust monument is not especially easy to find.....nor easy to access.

It lies on the riverside, on the Belgrad Rakpart in Pest. To find it, make your way to Vigado Ter, then cross the busy roads and tram lines until you are right beside the river. Look upstream towards Margit Hid (bridge).

Depending on where you finally managed to cross the road, you may see dark blobs on the riverbank. As you get nearer, you will realise they are cast-iron shoes....mens', women's, children's.

Hundreds of Jewish adults and children were killed on this spot by the facist Arrow Cross. Their bodies were thrown into the river, their shoes and clothes taken to give to Germans.

The monument has been there since 2005. There are a couple of plaques set into the riverside to explain its significance.

Francis II Rákóczi (sometimes you see the older spelling, Rákóczy) was one of a long line of proud and brave Hungarian nobles who opposed Hapsburg rule and sought to liberate Hungary from the grip of the Austrians. In the early 1700s, he was the Prince of Transylvania (Erdély in Hungarian) and he led an unsuccessful revolt against the Hapsburgs. Although his wealth was confiscated after the revolt failed, the spirit of independence he exuded lived on and helped feed the 1848 Revolution, which eventually led to the creation of the Dual Monarchy.