Budapest has proved to be an amazing city brimming with architectural marvels and spanned by some beautiful bridges. Did not spend nearly long enough here and would like to return one day for a more in-depth visit. The city came to life in 1872 when the three formerly independent cities of Buda, Óbuda (Old Buda) and Pest were amalgamated to become the commercial, administrative and industrial centre of Hungary under the one name, Budapest.

Some of the sights we saw;

The Jewish Quarter is a historic and architecturally rich area located not far from St. Stephen's cathedral near Andrassy Avenue. This is where over 70,000 Jews lived and died during the WWII. The Great Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. The buildings and the courtyards of this Synagogue include the Heroes' temple, the Jewish Museum, the Jewish Cemetery and the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park. Make sure you don't miss the heartbreaking "weeping willow" monument behind the synagogue.

The Gellert Baths were built between 1912 and 1918, and till this day, they remain one of the most beautiful spas in Budapest. They have since been renovated a number of times, with the recent renovations taking place in 2006/2007. These baths are said to contain healing waters, and they are fed by hot springs that rise from deep within the Gellért Hill.

Castle Hill is a fortress that was built by the Habsburgs after 1849. It has been a military checkpoint, a prison, an anti-aircraft missile launch pad, and now it's a great tourist attraction that you simply must visit when in Budapest. It is located on top of the Gellért Hill, which is on the Buda side of the river.

The Hungarian Parliament building is one of Budapest's most famous landmarks. It was completed in 1904 and is the third largest parliament building in the world. It is a magnificent example of the Neo-Gothic architecture, although it displays some Baroque and Renaissance characters too.

St. Stephen's Basilica is no doubt one of the most beautiful buildings in Budapest. It is the largest church in Budapest, and it's easily recognizable by the amazing dome roof. It was inaugurated in 1906 after taking over 50 years of construction. This is mostly attributed to the fact that the dome collapsed in 1868 during construction and it had to be started again from scratch.

The Heroes' Square is another great place to visit on your trip to Budapest and is home to the iconic Millennium Monument. The Millennium Monument is a 36-meter column that was unveiled in the 19thcentury. It features a depiction of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars, who are believed to have led the Hungarian people from central Asia to the Carpathian basin. The Millennium Monument is crowned by a figure of the Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian crown. There are also impressive buildings with beautiful old architecture on either side of the square.

The chain bridge, called the Lánchid in Hungarian, is one remarkable piece of architecture in Budapest. It spans from the Danube Clark Ádám tér on the Buda side to the Széchenyi István tér on the Pest side. It was the first bridge ever to connect Buda and Pest, and it was completed in 1849. At that time, it was actually considered one of the wonders of the world.