Free tour of Budapest: Wonderful Pest Side

At the scheduled time, we will meet at the California Coffee Company, right next to the imposing St. Stephen's Basilica, to begin our free tour of the Hungarian capital. First, we will admire the façade of this Catholic cathedral - the largest church in Budapest. 

From there, we will walk toward Liberty Square, where we will view the Monument to the Victims of World War II. We will also see another sculpture here that sparks some controversy and we will discuss Communist Hungary.

Next, we will arrive at Kossuth Lajos Square, which surrounds the Hungarian Parliament—an iconic national landmark. This majestic building is a World Heritage Site and is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Europe.

After admiring the square and the Parliament, we will walk along the bank of the Danube River to view the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, the Chain Bridge, and across the water the beautiful Buda Castle. We will then make a brief stop at Erzsébet Square, built in honor of Elisabeth of Bavaria, the legendary Empress Sisi.

We will continue to Deák Square, home to the Lutheran Church of Budapest and a monument to its pastor, Gábor Sztehlo, who saved around 2,000 children and adults during the Holocaust.

Finally, we will reach the entrance to Budapest's Jewish Quarter, where the last visible remnants of the ghetto wall can still be seen.

We will conclude our free tour of Budapest at this final location, after a two-and-a-half-hour walk.