Then & Now Tour in Budapest with Roman Ruins
See the city’s most beautiful sights from the Roman Era till the modern days
5 Hours
Back in the 1st century AD, when Roman Empire was at its greatest, the region around Budapest was the north-eastern corner of the Pannonia province. Here the Romans put their provincial capital and through their rich remainded heritage we can get insight how they lived in the far flung provinces.
The ruins of the ancient city of Aquincum can be found today in Budapest. It is believed that Marcus Aurelius may have written at least part of his book Meditations at Aquincum. The city had around 30 000-40 000 inhabitants by the end of the 2nd century, and covered a significant part of the area today known as the Óbuda district. People living in the settlement could enjoy the achievements of the Empire, like central heating in the houses, public baths, palaces, or amphitheatres for social events.
Steps of the tour
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The tour starts on the bustling Pest side. We take you along the most interesting downtown streets and the nicest promenade of Budapest, Andrássy avenue passing by St. Stephen's Basilica, the Opera House and splendid groups of buildings during the tour.
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At the Heroes' Square we stop to take a look to the statues of the most important heroes of Hungarian history. Heroes’ Square is Hungary’s biggest square, complete with historical statues and famous museums.
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We will have a look at the impressive House of Parliament, which is Budapest’s most revered building in the government district, also counted as the symbol of the city.
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Proceeding by the Margaret Island we arrive up to the Castle Hill. The fabulous Castle District with the panoramic Danube view are parts of the world heritages. Here we can find the amazing, medieval sights within walking distance, the Fishermen’s Bastion, Matthias Church, the Royal Palace and many other historical sights are waiting for the visitors.
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You can have a breathtaking view onto the entire city from the Citadel, a former military fortress, built on the highest point of the city, during the Austro – Hungarian Monarchy.
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Finally we arrive in the 1 900 years old Aquincum Civil Town. Its lapidarium, including stone monuments found in the Aquincum area, is the largest in Hungary, and perhaps (outside Italy) one of the largest in Europe. The highlights of the collection, which has around half a million items, are the carved stones, the fresco collection, and a reconstructed, water-operated organ, which was made in 228.
Since 2005, there are two „chronoscopes” set up in the area, they were developed by Hungarian engineers. If you look into them, you can see what was there instead of the ruins, according to the current view of historians.