Often you would identify European capitals especially in central Europe to have common characteristics. Having travelled in the region in the past 3 months I would have to disagree.
Upon your visit in Budapest you are overwealmed by the old, beautiful buildings surrounding the city. If you are a lover of old, abandoned buildings you will deffinitelly see some of those in the capital of Hungary.
My trip there was after the Vienna one. Taking the train from Vienna, in less than 3 hours you are in Budapest. Upon arrival in Keleti station, making our way outside to the metro station which is located directly outside, I came to see the station, which even though is very much to my liking in terms of architecture I was surprised to see the state of it.
Ofcourse this was not the case for all buildingings as outside the surrounding builndings were more looked after.
I must say that being in Vienna 3 hours before, to me the city looked quite different than the Austrian capital. Although Budapest is very nice and I would deffinitely recomment it as a holliday.
Arrival-Day 1
Arriving via train in Keleti is quite easy as you can reach it from a number of neighbouring countries like Austria, Slovakia or Chzech republic.
Upon arrical we were able to go outside and get the metro which even though is the second oldest, it will take you to most places at least those of interest.
Reaching our hotel which was centraly located, we decided to take advantage of the afternoon after our check in and we decided to walk across the chain bridge which was build to connect Buda and Pest. We decided to get a quick snack and coffee first and we were lucky enough to be staying close to the famous Gerbeau cafe, a famous place in Budapest. Now I cannot stress enough how deliscious their deserts are and how nice and unusual their coffees are. I tried the chestnut puree and must say it is one of the best deserts I have ever had. Their selection of coffees is also excellent as there are many to chose from, making the capuchino, latte and espresso seem 'poor' in taste.
Since we were fortunate enough to have a good weather, it was a really pleasant walk crossing the bridge and enjoy the view from the bridge which I must admit the photographs do not do her justice. When you stand on the Pest side of the chain bridge you can see the Buda castle which the National gallery and history museum is located and on your right Fishermans Bastion.
We chose to take the hill up to Fishermans Bastion as it was late afternoon so we would be able to walk around as long as we wanted as there is no entrance like the Buda castle which closed at 6.00pm.
Walking up the hill, we reached Fishermans Bastion and the view was more than beautiful. Directly opposite you can see the parliament and the rest of Pest.
The view is equally beautiful during the day and night so I would recomend late afternoon so you can experience both.
Fishermans bastion is where the Fishermen used to have the fish market, build in the 19th century. It is often compared to the Disney castle and it is made of 7 turrets representings the 7Hungarian tribes which founded Hungary. It is considered one of the top attractions and is within walking distance from the Buda castle. Although on the top balconies there is a fee, it is free to walk around the rest.
If you are visiting in the morning you can plan to have some time to spend on the region and walk all the way to the castle and visit the gallery and history museum. We ended up not visiting at all but it walk all the way to the castle and made it down on foot although there is a lift and escalator. I prefer to walk around as I think you can get to the place you are visiting better and enjoy it more but for those you are not into that or have less time in their hands to get to see everything, there is the Funcinular lift.
Having walked all the way across from Fishermans bastion to the castle, we made it down and walked along the Danube river till reaching the chain bridge again and crossed over.
Day 2
The second day consisted of the big bus hop on - off tour so we can get a feeling of Budapest and learn some history behind what we saw! We passed the Eliazabeth bridge named after the emperess Sisi of Austria and we got off at hero square and since the day was as nice the second day we visited the Vadjahunyad castle right behind the heroe square. Although it is a breathtaking experience to walk around it, in the gardens and around the castle, I must say the only thing worth seeing inside the castle was only to see what the architecture is like on the inside and maybe for wine-lovers the basement offering a little history on the wine tradition Hungary has. If you are not into that then to be honest is not really worth going in. Having said that, it is a must to go and walk around it as it is sooo beautiful. Although we didn't go, you can visit a public bath nearby as Hungary is really famous for them. It is deffinitely on my to do list for next time I visit as I was a little reluctant to do that on the first week of March!
If you are into art the location offers two big museum on the left and right of Heroes square.
The place is accessible both by the hop on - off big bus tour and metro station. We got back on the bus and got off Andassy which is the second longest road along with Champ Ellysses in Paris and is where the aristocrasy once lived. Getting off on Andassy we visited the House of Terror. The building was an ordinary block of flats till WW2 where the Nazi soldiers made it into offices and after the end of the war it was overtaken in 1945 by the Soviets which went in and made into not only offices but also had the basement to keep prisoners.
It can be a sensitive visit as it the exact place many freaky things happened but for those who are interested in history, is a must see. The place is a museum now dedicated to victims and offers videos inside of people talking about their experiences and you can see the actual instruments, offices etc of those who had their offices there. It can get upsetting going down the basement as the actual torture rooms are. Even so it is worth a visit.
Trying to cheer ourselves up, we though that moment was a good opportunity to visit the famous New York cafe. This is a must visit as it has been described in the past as the most beautiful cafe in the world. The ceilings are painted and the walls are full of carvings, statues in gold, blue. The food is also worth eating as I had a really big plate of tasty pasta in a really low price. This is not only pretty place with great atmosphere but it is cheap as well.
Day 3
Having walked around the previous day, we decided to take a trip outside Budapest and visit the picturesque village of Szentendre. It is only 30minutes away although we were unfortunate enough to visit on a day where railworks made us have to catch a bus first and then train but was still worth visiting. The village has many souvenir shops which can be cheaper than Budapest and has nice cafes either next to the lake on the bottom part or hidden in the small cobblestone streets.
We spent about 3-4 hours shopping, walking and making a short stop for a coffee and desert as we had done every day - twice a day.
We made our way back to Budapest and caught our big bus again (As we had a 48 hour ticket). We made our way towards the centre to see and walk around St Stephens Basilica which is a beautiful building. We then decided to make it to the Jewish quarter on foot as it was still day time andwe got to the area just when it started getting dark. We then took a 2 minute walk and got to Szimpla. This is one of the famous ruin pubs in Budapest and is a must see. Ruin pubs are bars which are build in ruin buildings within the Jewish quarter. The bar we visited was so big and interesting.
Day 4
Being our last day, we decided not to spend all day running around sightseing. We decided to take it easy and visited the Keperesi cemetery. Now that may sound creepy but it is actually one of the must see sights in Budapest. It is the most famous cemetery in Budapest and is within walking distance from Keleti station. The reason it is famous is not only because of its size which you can use a map visiting, but there are many famous personalities like emperors, artists etc burried there. The statues used in the graves are something extraordinary.
Having spent over 2 hours, without managing to wallk around it all, we made it back to the city centre and visited the museum of applied arts which was a really nice building although the exhibitions were a little mixed eg: chinese culture, ottoman empire etc.
After our short visit there we made it back to the centre
to eat. I have to admit I tried a really interesting dish of tagliatel pasta with pears! I would have never imagined it but I can safely say it was quite yummy! If you get off at the metro station Ferenc ter making it towards Harley Davidson, the restaurant is right on the corner before you turn right towards Harley Davidson .
During that time there was a street market where there was not only food but also very nice mulled wine, local produce and sweets!
The last day was an opportunity to walk on the main street in the city centre
where the shops are. Although there were a lot of shops I found the souvenirs especially in some to be overpriced and did not shop anything as I was planning to shop for Palinka, the local liquir made in many flavours from the airport as I only had a carry on and would not be allowed liquids of more than 100ml to take through.
Walking around though and taking a left turn somewhere I came across a building which I had seen photos of and wanted to see anyway but hadn't got around to it. The building was Parisi Udvar. Now as I said at the begining of the post, Im sooo into old abandoned or ghost places (hence the cemetery).
What I saw was something else.
Now the photo does not do it justice and those taken from the inside are quite dark to see detail but this building is so beautiful inside. It has wooden carved staircases which you cannot go up as they are locked. The ceiling is tall and the interior is so carefully designed taking you to a different time designed in an art deco style build in 1913.
I have no idea why it was left like this locked inside. You can walk in on the ground floor and see it but cannot go up as there locks. I have to say this was the perfect end to a fabulous holliday.
Leaving......
The next day I got up early to get to the airport. I was so gutted I didnt get the chance to visit a couple more places outside Budapest but also the Buda castle during day time and visit the history museum
:(. It is deffinitely one of the cities that 3 days are not enough to see. Even for those not into museums you need a full 3 days. I would say the feeling I got was that Budapest is a city to visit in the spring or summer as a Danube cruise and walk along Danube would be a wonderful experience.
Getting to the airport I managed to get my Palinka - in various flavours!!! It was not until I got back home that I realised Palinka had 40% alcohol!!!
Although the Budapest airport is about 25 minutes away from the city centre, acess is easier by taxi which costs around 9.000 HUF.
The airport although small has everything you may need-duty free ofcourse-cafes for drinks and food and other small shops, even free wifi.
Leaving Budapest my final thoughts was that the city made me a little richer in my experiences and my eyes a little more....blessed!
Upon your visit in Budapest you are overwealmed by the old, beautiful buildings surrounding the city. If you are a lover of old, abandoned buildings you will deffinitelly see some of those in the capital of Hungary.
Ofcourse this was not the case for all buildingings as outside the surrounding builndings were more looked after.
Arrival-Day 1
Arriving via train in Keleti is quite easy as you can reach it from a number of neighbouring countries like Austria, Slovakia or Chzech republic.Upon arrical we were able to go outside and get the metro which even though is the second oldest, it will take you to most places at least those of interest.
Reaching our hotel which was centraly located, we decided to take advantage of the afternoon after our check in and we decided to walk across the chain bridge which was build to connect Buda and Pest. We decided to get a quick snack and coffee first and we were lucky enough to be staying close to the famous Gerbeau cafe, a famous place in Budapest. Now I cannot stress enough how deliscious their deserts are and how nice and unusual their coffees are. I tried the chestnut puree and must say it is one of the best deserts I have ever had. Their selection of coffees is also excellent as there are many to chose from, making the capuchino, latte and espresso seem 'poor' in taste.Since we were fortunate enough to have a good weather, it was a really pleasant walk crossing the bridge and enjoy the view from the bridge which I must admit the photographs do not do her justice. When you stand on the Pest side of the chain bridge you can see the Buda castle which the National gallery and history museum is located and on your right Fishermans Bastion.
We chose to take the hill up to Fishermans Bastion as it was late afternoon so we would be able to walk around as long as we wanted as there is no entrance like the Buda castle which closed at 6.00pm.
Walking up the hill, we reached Fishermans Bastion and the view was more than beautiful. Directly opposite you can see the parliament and the rest of Pest.
The view is equally beautiful during the day and night so I would recomend late afternoon so you can experience both.
Fishermans bastion is where the Fishermen used to have the fish market, build in the 19th century. It is often compared to the Disney castle and it is made of 7 turrets representings the 7Hungarian tribes which founded Hungary. It is considered one of the top attractions and is within walking distance from the Buda castle. Although on the top balconies there is a fee, it is free to walk around the rest.
Having walked all the way across from Fishermans bastion to the castle, we made it down and walked along the Danube river till reaching the chain bridge again and crossed over.
Day 2
If you are into art the location offers two big museum on the left and right of Heroes square.
It can be a sensitive visit as it the exact place many freaky things happened but for those who are interested in history, is a must see. The place is a museum now dedicated to victims and offers videos inside of people talking about their experiences and you can see the actual instruments, offices etc of those who had their offices there. It can get upsetting going down the basement as the actual torture rooms are. Even so it is worth a visit.
Trying to cheer ourselves up, we though that moment was a good opportunity to visit the famous New York cafe. This is a must visit as it has been described in the past as the most beautiful cafe in the world. The ceilings are painted and the walls are full of carvings, statues in gold, blue. The food is also worth eating as I had a really big plate of tasty pasta in a really low price. This is not only pretty place with great atmosphere but it is cheap as well.Day 3
Having walked around the previous day, we decided to take a trip outside Budapest and visit the picturesque village of Szentendre. It is only 30minutes away although we were unfortunate enough to visit on a day where railworks made us have to catch a bus first and then train but was still worth visiting. The village has many souvenir shops which can be cheaper than Budapest and has nice cafes either next to the lake on the bottom part or hidden in the small cobblestone streets.We spent about 3-4 hours shopping, walking and making a short stop for a coffee and desert as we had done every day - twice a day.
We made our way back to Budapest and caught our big bus again (As we had a 48 hour ticket). We made our way towards the centre to see and walk around St Stephens Basilica which is a beautiful building. We then decided to make it to the Jewish quarter on foot as it was still day time andwe got to the area just when it started getting dark. We then took a 2 minute walk and got to Szimpla. This is one of the famous ruin pubs in Budapest and is a must see. Ruin pubs are bars which are build in ruin buildings within the Jewish quarter. The bar we visited was so big and interesting.Day 4
Being our last day, we decided not to spend all day running around sightseing. We decided to take it easy and visited the Keperesi cemetery. Now that may sound creepy but it is actually one of the must see sights in Budapest. It is the most famous cemetery in Budapest and is within walking distance from Keleti station. The reason it is famous is not only because of its size which you can use a map visiting, but there are many famous personalities like emperors, artists etc burried there. The statues used in the graves are something extraordinary.Having spent over 2 hours, without managing to wallk around it all, we made it back to the city centre and visited the museum of applied arts which was a really nice building although the exhibitions were a little mixed eg: chinese culture, ottoman empire etc.After our short visit there we made it back to the centre
to eat. I have to admit I tried a really interesting dish of tagliatel pasta with pears! I would have never imagined it but I can safely say it was quite yummy! If you get off at the metro station Ferenc ter making it towards Harley Davidson, the restaurant is right on the corner before you turn right towards Harley Davidson .
During that time there was a street market where there was not only food but also very nice mulled wine, local produce and sweets!
The last day was an opportunity to walk on the main street in the city centre
where the shops are. Although there were a lot of shops I found the souvenirs especially in some to be overpriced and did not shop anything as I was planning to shop for Palinka, the local liquir made in many flavours from the airport as I only had a carry on and would not be allowed liquids of more than 100ml to take through.
Walking around though and taking a left turn somewhere I came across a building which I had seen photos of and wanted to see anyway but hadn't got around to it. The building was Parisi Udvar. Now as I said at the begining of the post, Im sooo into old abandoned or ghost places (hence the cemetery).What I saw was something else.
Now the photo does not do it justice and those taken from the inside are quite dark to see detail but this building is so beautiful inside. It has wooden carved staircases which you cannot go up as they are locked. The ceiling is tall and the interior is so carefully designed taking you to a different time designed in an art deco style build in 1913.I have no idea why it was left like this locked inside. You can walk in on the ground floor and see it but cannot go up as there locks. I have to say this was the perfect end to a fabulous holliday.
Leaving......
The next day I got up early to get to the airport. I was so gutted I didnt get the chance to visit a couple more places outside Budapest but also the Buda castle during day time and visit the history museum
:(. It is deffinitely one of the cities that 3 days are not enough to see. Even for those not into museums you need a full 3 days. I would say the feeling I got was that Budapest is a city to visit in the spring or summer as a Danube cruise and walk along Danube would be a wonderful experience.
Getting to the airport I managed to get my Palinka - in various flavours!!! It was not until I got back home that I realised Palinka had 40% alcohol!!!
Although the Budapest airport is about 25 minutes away from the city centre, acess is easier by taxi which costs around 9.000 HUF.
The airport although small has everything you may need-duty free ofcourse-cafes for drinks and food and other small shops, even free wifi.
Leaving Budapest my final thoughts was that the city made me a little richer in my experiences and my eyes a little more....blessed!
