Árpád, Heroes Square, Budapest

Arpad, Heroes' Square, Budapest

Hungarians like their statues large and exceedingly fierce. This is Árpád, founder of the Hungarian nation, leading the charge for the seven Magyar chieftains, at the Millennium Monument.

Like much of what’s currently on show in Budapest, the Monument was created in a spurt of nationalist fervor in the late 19th century. Construction began on the 1000th anniversary of the tribes’ arrival (1896) and was completed in 1900. For a lyrical portrait of the red-blooded, violet-scented city at that time, check out Budapest 1900: A Historical Portrait of a City and Its Culture by John Lukacs.