Parliament is another sight to visit in Budapest, Hungary. In 1902, after a mere 17 years of construction, Hungary presented itself with what was then the largest parliament building in the world. An architectural echo of the Houses of Parliament of London, this neo-Gothic edifice expressed the country's robust self-confidence at the beginning of the 20th century. Since World War II, when Hungary's House of Lords was abolished, members of Parliament have convened only in the southern wing of the building. During the communist era, they convened hardly at all - only eight days a year, in fact, to rubber-stamp the laws drawn up by the Party. Parliament is fronted by several monuments to the nation's lost struggles: the wars for independence in 1703, 1848 and again in 1956. The parliament building is chained off here, but a guard or tour guide should let you in to buy a ticket. Note that no tours are given when ceremonial events or sessions of parliament are taking lace.
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