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

Some special Towers

A collection of towers on Széchenyi Island

As the main event marking Hungary's thousand-year statehood, the Millenary Exhibition in the City Park was opened by Emperor Francis Joseph 1 himself. A major attraction of the exhibition was the "Group of historic buildings” raised to plans by Ignác Alpár on Széchenyi Island in the middle of the artificial City Park Lake. The neighbourhood had plenty of sights and recreational facilities to offer. Besides exhibitions presenting the achievements of the country’s industry, agriculture and arts, there was the famous (or infamous) Ancient Buda Castle, the entertainment centre from which today's Fun Fair descends, as well as the Zoo, various night clubs, music halls and cafés.

Ignác Alpár’s architectural display was not originally made of durable materials. However, it became so popular with the public that it was rebuilt in a permanent form in 1904-08.

Among the buildings displayed in scale-down replicas are the Castles of Vajda- hunyad and of Segesvár, the Zápolyas’ Chapel in Csütörtökhely, the Catherine Bastion of Brassó and the Gödöllő Grassalkovich Castle. The "Torture Tower” by the entrance is a collection of architectural details found on various bastions standing in Upper Hungary.