Liberty Statue in Budapest

The Szabadság Szobor or Statue of Liberty in Budapest, Hungary, was first erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi forces during World War II. Its location upon Gellért Hill makes it a prominent feature of Budapest's cityscape. The 14 metre tall bronze statue stands atop a 26 metre pedestal and holds a palm leaf. Several smaller statues are also present around the base, but the original monument consisted of several more originally that have since been removed from the site and relocated to Statue Park. The monument was originally designed by Zsigmond Kisfaludi Stróbl.

Bratislava Castle

Bratislava Castle, the landmark overlooking the capital, was built in 9th century. It stands on the hill above Danube river.

Bratislava Castle, the landmark overlooking the Capital, was built in the 9th century. As an agelong symbol of the city, it proudly stands on the hill above Danube river. Eleven kings and eight queens were crowned in Bratislava in the past. No wonder that the castle is a popular part of excursions through the city.

Bratislava Castle's silhouette is created by four wings, each with a corner tower. For two centuries the south-west tower (jewel's tower) housed the Hungarian coronation jewels.

The area in front of the castle is called Yard of Honor. It is bordered by two triumphal gates and guard houses of the imperial guard.

Csesznek Castle in Hungary

Csesznek Castle is situated in Veszprém county of North- West Hungary. It was constructed in 1263 by the orders of Baron Jakab Cseszneky, a personal sword bearer of the King Bela IV.

 The village has existed since the first half of the l3th century. Its castle was probably built after the years of the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241-42. The history of the castle closely correlate with that of the one-time noble landed gentry families. It had several owners through the history; it was also in Turkish hands for a couple of years. It had an important role in Rákóczi's war of independence and was unsuccessfully besieged several times. In the castle there is a memorial of the poet and gallant warrior of the marches, Wathay Ferenc, whose father was captain of the castle for a long time.

Trenčín castle

The castle was built over a settlement site that had existed from the Bronze Age through times of Celts and Germanic tribes to the Slavic settlement. In the times of the origins of the Ugrian state a royal castle had developed out of the older Great Moravia hill-fort-roost.

The oldest stone construction of the castle is the pre-Romanesque rotunda, which dates back to Great Moravia period. At the end of 11^th century a stone tower was erected (donjon,bergfrid). One story and a ghotic brick coat were added after 1270. By its conic convergence toward the peak, it represents a singular feature of the castle architecture. It is a midpoint of the castle acropolis and the most dominant part of the city skyline. Within a short distance, individual castle palaces were built.  The palaces were connected to the extension function of the castle - first as a defense function then as an administrative and residential function.  It is thought that Matúš palace is the oldest palace, built at the beginning of the 14th century, from which, however only one wall has been preserved. Today, the wall is a part of the Barbora palace. The castle was the seat of Matúš Čak of Trencin (around 1260-1321), who made it his residential castle and the center of his extensive domain called “Matúš’s land” or Terra Mathei. Matúš Čák of Trencin, at that time, the most powerful Ugrian magnate, ruled over the whole Slovakia and a sizeable part of the Zadunajsko region. More than 50 castles and several districts were in his possession. Not only did he take properties from his weaker noble rivals, he robed the royal dominium as well. He didn’t spare the sacral property either, which brought him, as a result, clerical curse and declaration of interdict over his properties. Supposedly, he also produced his own coins, however none of which have been found. Perhaps it was a rumor created by his numerous enemies. His death on March 18, 1321 meant the collapse of his “kingdom” and the basis of many legends and tales. His grave has never been found and has become a popular quest with various romantics, adventurers, treasure seekers and serious historians. According to a story Matúš Čák of Trenčín was buried in a shell, silver and gold coffin along with vast treasures. There are skeptics however, due to the similarities of this story and those of the death of   “the whip of God”, the king Atila. After his death, Trenčín castle became the property of the Ugrian crown and king Karl. 

 

 

Budapest Parliament

The building is 268 m long and 118 m wide across the centre. It occupies 18.000 square metres on the surface and 473.000 cubic metres of space. About 50 five-story apartment blocks could fit into the Parliament, just to give you an idea about its vastness.
Budapest Parliament is the third largest parliament in the world. Today it seems too big for such a small country, but at the time of its construction Hungary formed part of the Habsburg Empire, that stretched from the Tatra Mountains to the Adriatic.
The Parliament has 691 rooms. The length of all the stairs together measures about 20 kilometers. The most impressive is the grand staircase.
The building contains spacious halls. The central dome’s height reaches 96 m.
The building has 27 entrance gates. 90 statues and the coats-of-arms of various cities adorn the exterior. There are 152 statues and pictures of national fauna. The decorations needed about 40 kg 22-23 karat gold.

Condor Liberation

 The Condor Ferries fleet consists of four vessels: The Condor Liberation and Condor Rapide - high speed fast car ferries, the Commodore Clipper - a purpose-built conventional ferry designed for a year round life-line service and Commodore Goodwill, a freight only vessel. 

CONDOR LIBERATION

The highly anticipated Condor Liberation is the first of its kind in Northern Europe. With space for up to 880 passengers and 245 cars, it will make for a totally new onboard experience.

Onboard Facilities

• Spacious air-conditioned passenger lounges
• Guaranteed seat for everyone
• Three tiered seat options
• Horizon lounge for a premium experience
• Casquettes restaurant serving delicious hot meals
• Duty-free shop
• Ocean Club
• Children's TV room

Technical Specifications
Completed	2010
Service Speed	35 knots
Length	102 metres
Beam	27.4 metres
Max Draught	4.5 metres
Crew	30
Guest Capacity	880
Max Car Capacity	245
Seats	880