Parliament Building

Parliament Building (Országház) is the third-largest parliament in the world, and was built as part of the country's Millennial commemorations in 1896. It stretches a massive 268 metres in length, and contains 691 rooms. The direct translation of its name from Hungarian means “House of the Nation”.

The local architect Imre Seindl, who designed and built it in a striking position on the banks of the river Danube, was inspired by the governmental buildings at Westminster in London.

The building is constructed in a Gothic revival style, with numerous turrets and arches, and a fantastic Renaissance revival dome. The outer walls play host to a huge array of statues of royal figures and prominent personalities from the armed forces, numbering a total of 90.

Photographers will love the contrast of the red dome with the sky during the daytime, while bright white and multi-coloured lights shine on the walls with a pleasing reflection on the river after dark – all making for great pictures. If cameras aren't your thing, or you'd like to pick up some postcards, there are plenty of souvenir shops nearby.

The interiors contain a glittering 40 kilogrammes of gold decoration in their Baroque and Renaissance styling. The layout of the building includes two chambers designed for different houses of parliament in separate wings, with the 96-metre tall, hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided) central hall connecting them. This room contains sculptures of Hapsburg monarchs along with rulers of Hungary and Transylvania.

Parliament Building is open during the daytime when not in use by the politicians, and there is a fee for entry. You can also visit on Monday afternoons or Tuesday mornings to take in a plenary session – this must be reserved ahead of your visit. There is a 50-minute tour available in a number of languages, including English, and this is also best booked before your arrival due to limitations in availability.

Take the underground or the tram to Kossuth Lajos Tér, or travel here by bus or trolley.