Budapest is only 3 hours in the train from Vienna. We had few expectations and had heard little from other travellers. From the outset we knew this was a special city. We were able to get our
unlimited transport card from the station and found our way easily to our accommodation via the Metro.
Our address on Szent Idvan Krt.
We are staying in a small apartment in the city centre. Although it is such an easy city to get around that it probably wouldn't matter where you were based. Our host, Gabor, met us and gave us a helpful introduction to the city and immediate facilities.
Scenic walks along the Danube e foreshore
It is a city of wide boulevards rather than city squares as we found in Prague and Vienna. The Danube is a very picturesque backdrop to both sides of the city, Buda and Pest.
The old palace, rebuilt, and housing art collection, the National Library and other public treasures.
We again took a red bus orientation tour and were impressed by the standard of public monuments and buildings. Many of course were bombed in WW2 or during other invasions but there is a strong survivor mentality and regardless of cost and time buildings are rebuilt and life goes on.
The Parliament building is very impressive. We tried to get tickets for a tour but they are limited and there were some religious holidays so some tours were cancelled
St Stephen's Cathedral completed in early twentieth century
St Stephen, founding king and evangelising Christian
The main cathedral, St Stephen's, is large with rotundas dedicated to Stephen, who founded the city in 1000AD as a Christian. He brought a bishop, Gellert, to convert the heathen nation but when Stephen died the people rebelled, putting Gellert in a barrel stuck with nails and threw him down a hill towards the Danube. There are numerous memorials to him, including the spa where we spent a pleasant afternoon. There are many natural springs in the area.
The main joint spa in the Gellert Hotel
A reluctant bather. Compulsory cap.
Nearby is the main synagogue, with it's sad and inspiring story of the Nazi holocaust. There is a moving memorial on the river foreshore with bronzed shoes where the Hungarian fascists forced Jews into the river in 1944.
Main synagogue
We enjoyed walking around the shopping districts, markets, river walkways, including Margaret Island. Margaret was Stephen's daughter and he offered her to God as thanks for the respite from the invading Tartars and she ended her days on this small island (in contemplation and with lots of rabbits, apparently).
Large food and craft markets
Fountains to music on Margaret Island
We had some lovely meals around town, lots of duck and pork on the menu. Heavy Italian and Turkish influences.
Couldn't fault our time in Budapest. It's more than just a tourist town. It's a vibrant place, well maintained with lots of parks and green areas and easy to get around. Feels like a place with a future, rather than other cities, which are locked in the past as that's where the tourist dollar has left them.
Quirky Cafe Jubilee near our apartment
M&M
3/6/2014
1 comment:
Hello Meg & Mark! Wonderful photos (even the one of Mark in a shower cap) and such a contrast to last month's wild travels. Best wishes for a very relaxing time Europe. Nick & Wendy
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