Széchenyi Chain Bridge

If you open a travel catalogue of Budapest or Hungary, you are going to see at least one picture of the Chain Bridge in it. It became a symbol of the city which was the first permanent bridge over the river Danube in Hungary.

Both sides of the Bridge are guarded by two lions.

The English William Tierney Clark designed the bridge and the main architect was the Scottish Adam Clark, whose name bears the square at the foot of the bridge on Buda side.

The bridge was built in 1839-1949 from private donations. It is an interesting fact that it was opened by Haynau (The Hyena of Brescia), an Austrian general, who finally defeated the Hungarian troops at the end of the (1848-1849) Hungarian War of Independence and brutally retaliated for the revolution.

LInks of the links of the chain:

During the World War II. the retreating German troops destroyed all the bridges in Budapest over the Danube including the Chain Bridge. Only one pillar survived the demolition. The bridge was rebuilt and reopened in 1949.

Love locks on the bridge:

Hungarian National Gallery is in the background in the Buda Castle.

I took the photos today as I was walking in the city. The weather was quite terrible, first it was snowing then it turned to raining, so the whole city was really grey.

This post is my entry to # architecturalphotography at @photocontests by @juliank.