Budapest

Buda.  Pest.  Danube.

We just returned from a long weekend in lovely Budapest!  The weather was pretty balmy too, no need for big winter jackets, hurray!  Unfortunately, we had to wait over an hour for our luggage at the airport as they brought it to the wrong terminal, sigh!  Therefore, we arrived to the hotel later than expected, but it was in a great location near St. Stephen’s Basilica and a bunch of restaurants, so we were able to quickly find something to eat.  It was a very lively Friday night and the nearby bars were spilling with people on the sidewalks, smoking and drinking, in full “party” mode.  There were also loads of people drinking in the park (the police don’t care as long as you keep the noise down).

On Saturday we joined a (free) morning walking tour, which was quite popular (they divided us into 3 groups of approximately 25 people).  It was an insightful and entertaining 2.5 hour walk about history, society, architecture, statutes and what Hungarians are actually like.  Our group was full of international students studying abroad, so Matt and I felt somewhat “old”, ha!  We started on the flat Pest side near the Danube and then walked across the Chain Bridge to the hilly and medieval Buda side, winding our way through the cobbled streets to the Royal Palace, St. Matthias Church and ending at the castle-like like Fisherman’s Bastion, which provided stunning views of Pest (although it was hazy).  

 

 

 

 

After the tour ended, Matt and I filled up on lunch and then walked over to the Liberty Statue on Gellert Hill.  Yes, we walked a lot on Saturday and keep meaning (but forgetting) to bring our GPS watch to capture our distance!  We were so taken with the architecture and buildings in Budapest -- baroque, neoclassical, eclectic and art nouveau . . . how majestic!

Luckily, the predicted rain on Sunday was just a short drizzle so we enjoyed our walk up the elegant Andrássy Avenue to Heroes’ Square.  Dedicated to “the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of [our] people and [our] national independence,” this square is one of Budapest’s grandest landmarks.  We also walked through the City Park behind the square which hosts another castle of some sort, a church and the famous Szechenyi  Bath.  

There were tons of statues throughout the city, most of which you could rub for good luck.

Interestingly, several statues were covered in shrouds and fountains were drained to protect them against the winter months.  However, one big statue that was covered when we arrived was miraculously uncovered when we left, hurray! 

After Heroes' Square and Matt's fill of rubbing statues for luck, we back-tracked to The House of Terror, a jarring museum that documents the dictatorial oppression Hungary faced during its fascist and Stalinist regimes. Once the headquarters of the ÁVH secret police (similar to the Soviet Union's KGB), the building was the site of the brutal interrogation and torture of countless political activists and dissidents throughout the 20th century. 

By this time, we were ready for lunch and found a great burrito street kitchen (Burrita Bar) we had passed previously.  The “build your own” burrito was tasty, filling and authentic, just like home!  It was actually a cute place.  

 

Afterward, we walked down one of the pedestrian streets to the big Parliament building on the Danube.   Unfortunately, it’s undergoing some deep-cleaning and renovation and parts were covered with scaffolding.  However, our views of Parliament from the Buda side on Saturday were fantastic.

 

Staying on the Pest side, we walked through the Jewish quarter to Szimpla, a popular “ruin pub”.  A ruin pub is usually located in huge abandoned buildings and filled with eclectic thrift-shop décor with random objects hanging from the ceilings.  When we visited, they were hosting a mini-farmer’s market on the ground floor.  It seemed more shabby than chic, but definitely interesting!

Since we heard over and over that no visit to Budapest, the “City of Baths”, is complete without a dip, we gave in.  I would’ve preferred something more private, but the hot water was indeed relaxing and felt great on our tired feet.  We both slept well on Sunday night!

On Monday morning we awoke to glorious sunshine and visited the Great Market Hall, a large three-story building full of stalls selling local foods and wares.  We then had a sweet treat at the opulent New York Café before heading back to the airport.  Budapest was really amazing and quite economical!