Budapest
The Hungarian Parliament Building is one of the largest parliaments in the world. White and full of turrets and spikes, it is mirrored in the Danube from the Pest bank.
A palace for a new capital
In 1873 Buda, Óbuda and Pest joined together into a single city. A few years later the parliament decided to build a grand new home, facing the Danube.
The design of the architect Imre Steindl was chosen. Work began in 1885 and was fully completed only at the end of 1904.
What to look at from outside
The building is 268 metres long and 123 metres wide. In the middle rises the dome, 96 metres tall, surrounded by stone turrets and spikes.
The main façade faces the river. The official entrance, with its grand staircase, opens instead onto Kossuth Lajos tér.
The crown beneath the dome
Beneath the dome, in the central hall, the Holy Crown has been kept since 2000. It is the crown of the kings of Hungary.
The crown also appears on the coat of arms of the state. It has a small cross on top, bent for centuries: every Hungarian recognises this detail.
A palace never truly finished
With all its carved stones, the building needs constant care. That is why there is almost always scaffolding somewhere.
