Szechenyi Bridge and Castle Hill at twilight.

Széchenyi Chain Bridge

Budapest


Arguably the most striking of all the bridges in Budapest, twin-towered Széchenyi Chain Bridge, which is named in honour of its initiator, István Széchenyi, is particularly beautiful when lit up at night. The city's oldest span was actually built by Scotsman Adam Clark, who enjoys one of the few places reserved for foreigners in the Hungarian panoply of heroes.

When it opened in 1849, Chain Bridge was unique for two reasons: it was the first link between Buda and Pest, and the nobility – previously exempt from all taxation – had to pay up like everybody else to use it.

Transportation

  • tram: 2, 19, 41
  • bus: 16, 105

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Budapest attractions

1. Ferenc Deák Statue

0.12 MILES

On the southern end of V Széchenyi István tér is a statue of Ferenc Deák, the Hungarian minister largely responsible for the Compromise of 1867, which…

2. Gresham Palace

0.15 MILES

This sumptuous art nouveau building facing the Danube across V Széchenyi István tér, with its gold tiles, mosaics and celebrated wrought-iron Peacock…

3. Clark Ádám tér

0.22 MILES

Clark Ádám tér, the square named after the 19th-century Scottish engineer Adam Clark (1811–66) who supervised the building of the Szécheny Chain Bridge …

4. Museum of Applied Hungarian Folk Art

0.23 MILES

This small museum focuses on folk art from around Hungary. There are impressive collections of fine textiles and embroidery, wood and bone carvings,…

5. 0km Stone

0.24 MILES

What looks like an elongated concrete doughnut hidden in the bushes off Clark Ádám tér is the 0km stone. All Hungarian roads to and from the capital are…

6. Eugene of Savoy Statue

0.3 MILES

To the southeast of the Habsburg Steps entrance, just in front of the Royal Palace, stands a statue of Eugene of Savoy, the Habsburg prince who wiped out…

7. Pesti Vigadó

0.3 MILES

This Romantic-style concert hall, built in 1865 but badly damaged during WWII, faces the river to the west of Vörösmarty tér. Reopened in 2014 after a…

8. Turul Statue

0.31 MILES

To the east of the Habsburg Steps entrance to the palace is a bronze statue from 1905 of the Turul, a hawklike totemic bird that supposedly impregnated…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "hungary/budapest/parliament-and-around/attractions/szechenyi-chain-bridge/a/poi-sig/412672/1329733",
      "destination": "Budapest",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Hungary",
      "city": "Budapest",
      "position": "superzone"
    }