Parliament (Orszaghaz), Budapest

Touring Parliament should be near the top of your "Must See" list as the interior is nothing short of exquisite. However; don't just show up as we did hoping to go right in. English language tours are offered only at 10AM , 12PM and 4PM and fill up quickly - especially in the summer. Tours last about 50 mins and cost 2520 HUF or about $14 USD. If you are facing the back of the building (not the Danube side), the ticket office is located just to the right of the central complex. You have to queue up to buy tickets; get your ticket and tour time and queue up again. Have a "Plan B" ready for how to spend your day - we were assigned the 4PM tour and it was FULL.

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There is a very unique museum/exhibition in Budapest. Its partly about the classical Mafia in Sicily and USA and partly about the drug sitation in Budapest. Italian friends told me to see it, for it's very authentic. I was rather sceptic when they recommended it to me, but I am glad I finally went to see it. I prefered the drug-market part. I never thought drug is penetrating our world this much. Ask for guiding if you go there, they will tell you shocking things. And they open up your eyes to see drug addicts among your friends or relatives.
The museum is very close to the Parliament, on the street starting in front of the Parliament.

On Kossuth Lajos ter just north of the entrance to Parliament is an eternal flame dedicated to those who lost their lives during the 1956 revolt against Communism. This was one of the most brutal acts in the history of the world.

On October 23, 1956, students and workers gathered and made demands on the Communist regime. The AVO (Secret Police) was sent in and eventually opened fire on the crowd. When the Hungarian police arrived and heard of the shootings, they gave up their weapons to the protesters. The Soviet armies were called in and many of the soldiers joined the resistance.

The premier who couldn't control the revolt was replaced by Imre Nagy, who immediately took sides with the revolution and announced Hungary was withdrawing from the Warsaw pact, forming a new government, and demanded the Soviet troops leave Hungary.

The Soviet troops withdrew, but not all the way back to the USSR. They waited for reinforcements at the Hungarian border and on November 4, returned to Budapest and attacked with full force. Nagy broadcast over the radio to announce the attack, while radio transmissions were heard all over the West with pleas of HELP! Nobody answered.

Many of the Soviet soldiers had no idea where they were and didn't know this was a revolt against Communism. Those who did not carry out orders were executed on the spot. One soldier who took a detour to avoid running over women and children blocking the street with his tank was killed. Eventually, the Soviets began taking over.

When the revolt was over, almost 30,000 rebels were dead, 200,000 fled to the West leaving everything behind. Rebels who stayed were executed. Nagy found refuge in the Yugoslav embassy but was later captured, put in jail, and executed.

Soviet leader Khrushchev sent resources to the Hungarian people to prevent another uprising, saying "We will shut their mouths with goulash".

The website below is an excellent paper written about the Revolution in 1956.

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No building in Budapest is more famous than the Imre Steindl-designed Parliament, which was finally completed in 1902. It now stands as the largest building in the nation, and the largest Parliament on the continent. When Parliament is not in session this massive building is open to the public, though it can be hard to get a much-coveted spot on one of the tours. Check the official website (linked below) for information on tour times, languages, costs (free for EU citizens!) and days of operation. Although this huge building has nearly thirteen miles of hallways and seven hundred rooms, you'll only get a peek on a guided tour. A highlight will be your glimpse of the Crown of St. Stephen (yes, THAT St. Stephen, of St. Stephen's Basilica), which has survived for nearly one thousand years and is now kept at the base of the main staircase.

Construction of this popular sight began in 1885, the architect was professional, had seen lot of architecture styles of Europe. The style is neo-gothic. The best view of this palace can be seem mostly only from another bank of Danube river. At the night time it is illuminated by lights very much.

I have seemed United Kingdom Parliament only in the pictures, but this building in Budapest looks very similar with it in some ways.

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The Hungarian Parliament Building (Hungarian: Országház, literally country house) is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest. It lies in Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube, in Budapest. It is currently the largest building in Hungary[1], and the largest Parliament in Europe.[2]

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In Lajos Kossuth Square on the bank of the Danube, the Hungarian Parliament building stands out as one of the architectural landmarks of Budapest. Construction began in 1885, and it was completed in 1904. The building was built in Gothic Revival style with a symmetrical facade and a central dome. It is currently the largest building in Hungary -- the largest Parliament in Europe -- and the third largest Parliament in the world.

Guided tours of the Parliament are available. The current price for an adult is HUF 5000 (but the fee is waived if you show an EU passport).

Budapest has the third largest parliament building in the world, and the first one with air conditioning, according to our guide. There are bullet holes in the building opposite the parliament because the protesters from the 1956 revolution were shot down in Parliament Square. Today the square has a simple black monument and a flag with a hole in the middle. (The flag at that time had a red star in the center.)