Lánchíd

The stone lions of the Lánchíd are being restored pestbuda , pestbuda.hu , Budapest , Chain Bridge , Stone Lion , News

Changing Chains – 12 elements of Chain Bridge to be modified during reconstruction Chain Bridge has been completely closed, and its renovation has begun in earnest. The 172-year-old bridge has been remodelled several times, first in 1914-1915, then it was rebuilt after World War II, and most recently, it underwent major renovations in the second half of the 1980s. So now the iconic structure of the capital is being renewed again. But what work will be done on the Chain Bridge over the next two years?

Missing historical elements of Chain Bridge to be restored during renovation The bridge will be closed to road traffic for 18 months from the beginning of summer this year, while pedestrians will not be able to cross the river on its pavement from the spring. The stone lions and missing historical elements will be restored during the renovation. Public lighting on the structure will be modernised with LEDs, and the bridge's illumination will also be updated to facilitate different colour changes.

A bridge of legends – Mythbusting the stories about Chain Bridge The lions have always had tongues, and the bridge is not a copy of another structure in England, not was it named after Széchenyi in 1899. There are several urban legends about Budapest’s oldest permanent river crossing, and some have even made their way into professional writing, despite being untrue. Join Pestbuda on an adventure to separate fact from fiction and uncover unique facts about this outstanding, unparalleled structure in Budapest, Chain Bridge.

A bridge without a name – How Chainbridge in Budapest had no name Chain Bridge in Budapest had no official name until 1915 and is still known simply as Chain Bridge in everyday use. However, Lajos Kossuth proposed in 1842 at the laying of its foundation stone that the bridge be named after his great political rival, István Széchenyi, the aristocrat who initiated the construction. Others hoped to name the first permanent crossing between Buda and Pest after princes and princesses. Still, the Ministry of Finance that owned the bridge accepted none of these recommendations. Finally, Széchenyi's name was carved into the structure in 1915, when it was fully rebuilt during the First World War.

How have the bridges of Budapest changed after their construction? Pestbuda's summary presenting the reconstruction of the Chain Bridge in 1914 received many comments about the bridges of Budapest, their modifications and redesigns. Please join us on a glance through which bridge has changed in the decades since its construction.

The Chain Bridge Purchase – 150 years ago the State bought the Chain Bridge What is now a famous Budapest landmark, the Chain Bridge, was originally constructed by a private company and opened in 1849. In return, the company received a range of financial benefits from the state, including the right to charge everyone for crossing.