Szablyár Péter: Sky-high - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2007)

Churches; Towers; Domes

■ The dome «structure of the Basilica

of Budapest and the thousands of visitors here were able to celebrate the building's centennial anniversary at the church restored to its original splendour.

Onlookers held their breath to watch as the 9.25 ton great bell was lifted into the tower on the southern fagade. Its resonant sound can be heard all across Budapest at noon every day ever since.

With its roof-space compartmentalised, the great southern tower received a new function when the treasury, the music library, the rehearsal rooms and a recording studio were moved here.

During reconstruction, an eight-person lift each was installed into the southwestern tower and the crypt. It is by way of this, or a spiral staircase opposite, that one can ascend to the base of the dome and then, via several two-flight and spiral stairs, reach the dome space itself. The huge expanse of space, the meticulously restored steel structure of the dome, and the access and service stairs present one with an astonishing sight.

From the dome space, one can step outside to the observation terrace on the cornice, which offers a splendid view. There is just one element of Budapest’ familiar panoramas that we would look for in vain — the "blue Danube", which from this point cannot be seen. Otherwise we can admire a truly singular constellation of sights, well worth the trouble of ascending those few hundred stairs.

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