News 24.03.2021.
Covid-19 related news of Hungary
As we have shared in our previous blog articles, Hungary is fighting against the 3rd wave of the coronavirus pandemic at the moment. Sadly, today is the second day when the number of the victims is around 250 people ( all together since the outbreak of the epidemic it is about 19 000 Hungarians that passed away because of Covid-19 ).
There are about 1.7 million Hungarian people who got vaccinated with the first dose of the 5 vaccines that we are using and there are about 495 000 people who got the second jab as well. Read the latest official news here:
http://abouthungary.hu/news-in-brief/coronavirus-heres-the-latest/
Since there are still a lot of restrictions in power, we do not run our daily free tours in Budapest until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.
News of Budapest – closure & renovation of the Chain bridge
As we have mentioned in one of our previous blog posts, the first and most iconic bridge of the Hungarian capital on the river Danube, the Chain bridge is being renovated starting from this month. They closed the pedestrian part already on the 17th of March; cars and buses can still run on it, but it is going to be shut down completely in a little while. The renovation works will last until about the end of the year 2023. This is the reason why we will have to divide our General Budapest Walk into two parts: we will have a General Pest Walk and a General Buda walk in the selection of our free walking tours in Budapest. More details later when the reopening of the country comes close enough…
In the foreground: The Chain bridge spanning between Buda (left) and Pest (right)
Now, let’s see a couple of details about our beloved Chain bridge!
It is literally a ‘chain bridge’, which is a historic form of suspension bridges: they used chains or eye bars instead of wire ropes to hold the bridge deck.
The Chain bridge sits on the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of the Hungarian capital. It was designed by the English engineer called William Tierney Clark and built by the Scottish engineer Adam Clark. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in our country, opened in 1849. It is a 172 years old this year!
The bridge’s full name is Széchenyi Chain bridge. It also has the name of István Széchenyi, the Hungarian politician and nobleman who initiated and supported its construction. At the time of its construction, the bridge was regarded part of the modern world’s engineering wonders.
It meant an enormous significance in the country’s economic, social and cultural life, just like the Brooklyn Bridge in New York and the US. The Chain bridge became a symbol of national awakening, advancement, and the linkage between East and West.
You will be able to hear more about and see this wonder on our free tours later on when we are back on track again… 🙂
