The Parliament: Exploring one of the most beautiful parliaments in the world (Last Part)

In the last two articles I have written about some places of interest which are situated near the Parliament of those which are found in the Lajos Kossuth ter where the Parliament stands. But to get a better and closer look of the Parliament, you need to go a bit further and perhaps spend a little in the process.

So what is the best way to get up close and personal to the Hungarian Parliament? The exterior of the Parliament only gives us half of the story about the Parliament. It only presents us but only the apparent beauty that is at its best external. As they say when you look at true beauty, it is not enough to dwell with the surface alone because the interior is equally if not more important than the interior. Apart from this aesthetic reason, if you missed the interior during your visit, you are missing more than half of the story. So if you want to complete your Parliament journey, you ought to get inside the Parliament itself.

And that was I exactly did that day. If the exterior of the Parliament is a classic thing of beauty, the interior is an unforgettable splendor. The magical charm it possesses is enough to hold audience in spellbound.

Let me digress a bit with my central focus of discussion and this picture as an incidental part of my Parliament trip. This photo was taken just ten steps away from the Parliament. It is staring at the Danube river. A life-size statue, it is taller than me. I wonder who this man is and what could have been in his mind while holding his hat and givinga fierce look towards the Danube river.

Just sitting in this bench with the Parliament as the background is a whole lot stress reliever. As you can see in this photo I was just having my time, trying to savour every moment. The Parliament is full of surprises and it is beautiful in every inch. When I was told that the Parliament is second to none to magnificence and splendidness, they are surely sharing a graining of truth. I was drowning in the sea of beauty of a superb structure built more than a hundred years ago relishing the past and getting a slice of history. The November autumn breeze may be a bit nasty, but I just ignored it as I forgot myself while I was at the midst of an endless beauty of a classic beauty that is Parliament.

The Visitors’ Centre

I was very lucky to have met a Hungarian local whom I befriended and toured me along the Parliament. He tagged me along the Visitor Center, which was entirely new to me and which I have not visited in my previous tours in the Lajos Kossuth ter. We were lucky to have witnessed a free exhibition which was made accessible to the public last 2015. This is open for all so I recommend you to drop by in here before getting inside the Parliament.

It was actually Monday morning when we went there and the weather was so inviting. We did not have any intention whatsoever to enter the Parliament itself as we were crowded out by a great number of people whom I believe were there to get a look of the Parliament’s famed beautiful interior. Be that as it may, we were lucky though to have seen free exhibitions in a museum near the Visitor Center. So what are there to see in the Visitor Centre Exhibition? You would be able to immerse yourself with the history of the Hungarian National Assembly which really has started with some political upheavals until it became matured democratically and developed its own democratic institutions. These upheavals in the establishment and formation of Hungarian National Assembly, I believe, is but understandable given the fact that the country went through a Communist regime. It is but a young democratic government. Decades ago, Hungary was gradually re-establishing itself under the auspices of a new governmental system. Considering that it has no democratic culture in the past, it needs to develop one and gradually train its leaders to this type of government.

Another interesting thing to see in the exhibition is a detailed historical account of the establishment and construction of the Parliament itself. By means of the photos taken by some artists and through the short and engaging narratives, you will come to learn and discover the interesting facts starting from the conception and eventual realization of this project. Did you know that the architect and/or builder of this edifice went blind and passed away without having seen the final product of his artistry? Yes, you heard it right!

And who would not forget what happened some six decades ago when Hungarians launched an uprising against the Soviets who occupied the country after driving away the Nazis from their land. This revolt which came to be known as the 1956 Hungarian Uprising resulted to thousands of lives who sacrificed for the higher and nobler cause for freedom. It was really an educational trip for me. I have learned a lot about the political and sociological history of this amazing country in Europe in so short a time.

To join or not to join the guided tour

While going around some of the interesting structures in the Lajos Kossuth is free, there is a fee for admission in the Parliament when the country’s Parliament is not on its official legislative business.

Who does not want to see the interior of the Parliament? You will miss half your Budapest trip without getting inside the Parliament. You may be spending a few hundred forinths but the sights that you would be able to see are certainly without price.

Some say that it would be good to hire a tour guide who will do the walking through the interior of the Parliament and relaying relevant historical narratives while visiting every interesting sight inside the Parliament. Others prefer to just enter the Parliament and discover for themselves what are there to see inside the building.

On my part, I opted to DIY, that is, do-it-myself. I had already read beforehand about the artifacts and cultural objects inside the Parliament and affirm for myself what I have read through actual empirical encounter with these artifacts, objects or works as I explore the interior.

Whether to hide a tour guide or not, it is all up to you. But I would certainly recommend you paying fee to get inside the Parliament.

One tip that I can give you is to eat and have a full stomach before you go there so that you would not go hungry while strolling in the Parliament. It would also be good to urinate first in the public toilet near the Visitors’ Centre before you enter the Parliament. It is free.

Another equally significant tip that I can share you is that of buying your ticket well ahead of time. You can book a ticket online. While I essentially recommend this for tourists like you is in order to skip the long queue that usually takes a lot of your time, effort and patience.

The highlights inside the Parliament

The interior of edifice is like a magical palace. It is replete with so many objects, artifacts and works of art that have been preserved through the ages to serve as memento of the rich and colourful Hungarian history. Through the efforts of the past and present generations to keep them in posterity for the future to appreciate and understand the past, the Parliament lives up to the expectations as the country’s premier repository and bulwark of information of Hungarian history, tradition and culture.

Striking and dazzling, the crown jewel occupies the centerpiece of the hall. It is absolutely a national treasure for Hungary. It has been said to be the crown worn by its first king, Saint Stephen. Hungary has a glorious history of monarchy and this is very apparent not only to its majestic castles and palace but also to some edifices which were formerly part and parcel of the symbolisms and insignia of the nobility in the country.

Equally must-see visits inside the Parliament are the Congress Hall and the Assembly Hall. The building has around sixteen (16) pillars, each represent a Hungarian ruler. I noticed that this construction is symbolical showing the fact that each Hungarian ruler serve to strengthen and reinforce the very foundation of Hungarian political history. The interior is arranged with a great sense of balance and symmetry, arranged masterfully to give place to the two houses of the Hungarian Parliament: the Lower House and the Upper House. The former represents the Assembly Hall and the latter the Congress Hall. To strike the balance between the two, there is a Delegation placed in the centre.

The interior of the building is full of splendor and they are further accentuated and made more attractive by tapestries, paintings and other pieces of arts which were masterfully placed to each in its own location! What a wonderful and beautiful motley these works are when combined! I was so filled with happiness that I can not literally hide them with smiles and at the same time I was awe-struck as evidenced by some moments of silence every time I get to look at a very interesting piece and when this piece of history is related or anchored to some historical events, I could not help but conclude that the history that men embroidered were put together and will be forever remembered through some works of arts or objects of history which serves as living memories of the things that has been. History makes look behind to learn somethin from it. Getting a tour inside the Parliament is an investment for education. It enables you to look at the past with some amazing curiosity and look at the future with some optimism.

It is only unfortunate that I could store in my infallible memory the things that I have seen inside the building as taking a picture is prohibited. Nonetheless, the mental images that I recorded in my mind will be forever remembered and I could even make share these stories to other people and repeat them to little folks over and over again during moments of tedium and boredom.

 I would certainly recommend you visit the Parliament. Get to see both its exterior and interior. Explore its magical surroundings. Enjoy meeting locals and tourists alike. There are lots of great things to see in the Parliament. They only await for you to get them discovered. Budapest truly serves as the country’s great crown jewel!

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