After a walk last night, we were a little acquainted with the inner city location of our accommodation, and chose this morning to walk to the famous Chain Bridge, and then up the hill to the castle.

We learned that this bridge was the first to cross the Danube between the old cities of Pest and Buda, built in 1849. Prior to this, people either crossed over ice in winter, or boats in summer, and in the 19th century by pontoon bridge. But when industrialist István Széchenyi couldn’t cross the river to get to his sick father, he donated the money needed to build this bridge.

The pairs of lions at each of the abutments were added in 1852. It is popular culture in Hungary to point out that the lions in fact have no tongues.

But like much of historic Budapest, the bridge is a reconstruction, as it was destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt in time for the anniversary in 1949.