The Danube Corso: promenading on the Pest embankment

About The Danube Corso: promenading on the Pest embankment

By the ULTIMATE Budapest Editorial Team

The Danube Corso, the riverside promenade of Pest between the Chain Bridge and Elisabeth Bridge, has been the place to see and be seen since the 19th century. Today it is the best place in the city to walk with the Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion and Gellért Hill across the water.

A promenade for a new city

In the 19th century, as Pest grew into a great city, its embankment became a fashionable promenade lined with grand hotels and cafés. The Banks of the Danube are part of Budapest’s UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Vigadó

The Pesti Vigadó, designed by Frigyes Feszl and opened in 1865, is a concert hall whose richly decorated façade dominates the Corso. Liszt and Wagner both performed here.

From the Corso, Buda looks like a stage set.

The view

From the Corso you look across to Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church, with the Chain Bridge on one side and Gellért Hill on the other. On the railings near the Vigadó sits the Little Princess, a bronze figure by László Marton.

Tram 2

Tram 2 runs along the embankment, and its route is one of the most scenic tram rides in Europe.

Our advice: walk the Corso at dusk, when the lights come on across the river, then continue north to the Parliament and the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The Danube Corso: promenading on the Pest embankment before you go.