The Chain Bridge which connects Pest to Buda in Budapest is an iconic bridge guarded by two lions on each end where both cars and pedestrians can cross. Like the other bridges in Budapest, the Chain Bridge was destroyed by the Nazis at the end of World War II, but was quickly rebuilt. May 11, 2016

A view of the Pest side, the Chain Bridge and the Danube River as I’m heading up the funicular on the Buda side of Budapest. The funicular first opened in 1870 gives gorgeous panoramic views of the Pest side of Budapest. May 11, 2016

A view of the massive Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest from the Buda side. May 11, 2016

Me at the Holy Trinity Statue next to the Matthias Church on the Buda side of Budapest in the Castle District. Built between 1710 and 1713 to celebrate the end of the plague. The sculpture at the top represents the Holy Trinity. It sits on a sturdy pillar decorated with statues of little angels and – below – large statues of saints. The column rests on a large pedestal adorned with bas-reliefs and the Hungarian crest. May 11, 2016

A view of the high alter of the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. The church is a colorful feast for the eyes from the tiled floors to the painted columns and roof. May 11, 2016

An ornate bowl and the colorful interior of the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. May 11, 2016

Me standing by one of the huge and colorful pillars inside the Matthias in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. May 11, 2016

The colorful floor tiles of the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. May 11, 2016

The ornate wooden confession booth inside the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest. May 11, 2016

More of the colorful floor tiles of the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. May 11, 2016

Between the Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion stands a statue of the first Christian king of Hungary, St. Istvan or St. Stephen. He is shown mounted on a horse, atop an ornate pedestal decorated with reliefs. May 11, 2016

The Fisherman’s Bastion, located behind the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest was built at the site of an old rampart that, during the Middle Ages, was defended by the guild of fishermen, who lived nearby. A combination of neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque architecture, the Fisherman’s Bastion with its turrets, parapets and climbing stairways, was built between 1899 and 1905. The bastion is made up of seven towers – each one symbolizing one of the seven Magyar tribes that, in 896, settled in the area now known as Hungary. May 11, 2016

Officially named the Church of Our Lady, this famous Roman Catholic church landmark on the Buda side called Castle District in Budapest, Hungary, is better known as Matthias Church. It is named after the much-loved 15th-century Renaissance king, Matthias Corvinus, who expanded and embellished the building by adding the towers and getting married here twice. Matthias Church is without hesitation as stunning inside as it is outside. Destroyed and rebuilt several times in the 800 years since it was founded by King Bela IV, today’s version, restored after World War II, is an ornate and colorful splendor. May 11, 2016

The Fishermen’s Bastion, located behind the Matthias Church in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, was never used for military defensive purposes, it was created for only decorative reasons. The building has many turrets, terraces, parapets and stairways offering an exceptional view of the Pest side and the river Danube. May 11, 2016

A view of the Hungarian Parliament Building from the Fisherman’s Bastion in the Buda Castle District of Budapest, Hungary. May 11, 2016

A statue of Attila József (1905-1936), a noted Hungarian poet, sits on the steps by the Hungarian Parliament Building gazing across the Danube River in Budapest. May 11, 2016