Budapest streetcars give riders a scenic view of the city’s history

Budapest, Hungary’s capital city, has a unique tram history. Not only does the city use five different kinds of streetcars, including the longest trolley in the world, but the trams in Budapest provide passengers with particularly scenic routes, according to the YouTube Channel Tramagic.

The clip above will give you a look at the yellow streetcars as they traverse the cityscape filled with greenery and ornamental architecture. Budapest’s transit system has been around for over 120 years, according to the Budapest Transport Privately Held Corporation (BKV).

Budapest was founded in 1873, following the merger of Buda, Pest and Óbuda after the Austro-Hungarian Agreement of Compromise. The metropolis’s tram system was first born of horse tramway lines, and by 1891, it had its first steam-propelled public railway, which was the beginning of Budapest’s modern trolley system, according to BKV.

Since then, passengers have been able to watch the city’s history unfold before their eyes.

“It would be hard to imagine all the things the residents of Budapest could see from the tram-windows during all these years,” BKV notes. “The Great Boulevard under construction, the House of Parliament growing out of the earth on the right side bank of the Danube, new bridges spanning over the river to connect Buda and Pest or the birth of the first underground railway of the Continent. Some years later they could see railway stations blown up, churches in ruins, the Margaret Bridge blown up and its ruins in the water or in 1956 the fights in Corvin Alley.”

Today, the streetcars are an essential part of Budapest life, but also a way for tourists to see historical landmarks and even nature. According to CatchBudapest.com, Tram Line Nr. 61 is a hidden gem where riders can get a look at “beautiful forests and enchanting houses of faraway Buda.” Meanwhile, on Tram Line Nr. 2, passengers can catch a glimpse of landmarks like Buda Castle, the Grand Market Hall, and Liberty Bridge. Then there is Tram Line Nr. 1, the planet’s longest street car, with caterpillar-like cars that passengers can walk from one end of to the other, according to WeLoveBudaPest.com.

See Budapest’s trolley network in action in the clip above!

If you liked this post, then check out this video of a Swiss hotel that looks like a moving painting.

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