A city shaped by water

A visit to Budapest would be incomplete without exploring the Danube. Starting in Germany's Black Forest and ending in the Black Sea in Romania, its main course flows through or forms part of the borders of 10 countries, four of which have their capitals on its banks: Vienna in Austria, Bratislava in Slovakia, Budapest in Hungary and Belgrade in Serbia.

In Budapest, the river flows from north to south, dividing the city into Buda on the west and Pest on the east. A sightseeing cruise offers an easy way to take in many of the Hungarian capital's best-known landmarks.

Margaret Island

A narrow island 2.5 kilometers long in the Danube and a green retreat from the bustle of central Budapest, the island takes its name from Margaret, a 13th-century Hungarian princess and daughter of King Bela IV, who lived in a convent on the island.

Much of the island is covered by parkland, mature trees and walking paths, alongside a musical fountain, a water tower, a rose garden, swimming facilities and thermal hotels. Ordinary cars are largely excluded, allowing visitors to explore on foot, by bicycle or aboard small sightseeing vehicles while enjoying views of both Buda and Pest.

Szechenyi Chain Bridge

Spanning the Danube, the Szechenyi Chain Bridge is one of Budapest's most recognizable landmarks. Opened in 1849, it was the first permanent bridge to connect Buda and Pest, helping bring the two sides of the city together. Its massive iron chains, stone lions and views of Buda Castle form one of the city's classic landscapes. After dark, lights trace the bridge's elegant outline and shimmer across the river below.

Fisherman's Bastion

Fisherman's Bastion stands on Castle Hill on the Buda side of the city. Built around the turn of the 20th century, it is known for its white arcades, pointed turrets and neo-Romanesque architecture. Its seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in the late ninth century. The name is generally associated with the guild of fishermen believed to have defended this section of the medieval city walls. From its terraces, visitors can look across the Danube toward the Chain Bridge and the Hungarian Parliament Building.

Shoes on the Danube Bank

The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial on the Pest side of the river, close to the Hungarian Parliament Building. Conceived by film director Can Togay and created by sculptor Gyula Pauer, it was unveiled in 2005. Sixty pairs of iron shoes in styles from the 1940s line the riverbank, commemorating Jews who were ordered to remove their shoes before being shot during World War II, their bodies falling into the Danube. Visitors frequently place flowers, stones and candles among the shoes in remembrance of the victims.