We continue our Central European tour with a visit to our last destination, Budapest. The capital of Hungary.
July 21st
After picking up our things at the hotel in Vienna, we headed for the Wien Meidling train station.
At around 16.30, almost half an hour late, our train arrived. The platform was packed to the rafters. So we were the last fool.
The train was very crowded and unnumbered, but we found two seats next to each other and sat down. We took off our shoes and I fell slightly asleep.
About half an hour later, I was woken up by a girl, we were in her seat. WTF?! if they are unnumbered… well, no. There was a (more expensive) option of numbered seats and we had sat in one of the reserved carriages. So, off we went, to pick up the beach bar, and to another carriage. We got a seat, but one at each end of the carriage.
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Almost 3 hours after leaving Vienna, we arrived at Budapest-Keleti station. It was very beautiful, opened in 1884 and built in an eclectic architectural style.
There we decided to exchange a few euros for guilders. We didn’t have any, just in case. Now, as always, changing money in stations-airports is a pain in the ass, so we changed just enough.
It was about a 15 minute walk to the hotel. We chose the Novotel Budapest Centrum, a nice 4 star hotel for 58€ a night.
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We took a short walk and went back to the hotel to eat what we had left over from lunch and rest to get up early the next day.
July 22nd
We got up early and first went to look for a place to buy some breakfast. We bought a coffee to take away and some pastries in a bakery near the hotel.
The next thing we did was to exchange more euros for guilders. We did this at a place on Rákóczi Avenue itself, at number 10, where we got a very good exchange rate.
With fresh guilders we went to the metro. There we got a 72-hour metro pass for 4,150 guilders (about 11€). To use it, all you had to do was show it to some guards on the escalators, who looked at the pass without really paying much attention to it.
We got on line 2 (Red) to the Deák Ferenc tér stop. From there we walked about 5 minutes to Szent István Bazilika, St. Stephen’s Basilica.
St. Stephen’s Basilica is the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest. It was built between 1851 and 1906 in neo-Renaissance style. It is named after the Hungarian founding king, St. Stephen, whose right hand, the Holy Right, is preserved here as a relic.
With a height of 96 metres, the building is one of the tallest in the country.
Admission is ‘free’, but there is a suggested donation of 200 guilders (€0.56) or, if you prefer to leave it in euros, €2. Such fantastic change is often found all over the city, for example in the souvenir shop at the opera.
After visiting the basilica, we strolled around the area until we reached the spectacular Hungarian Parliament building (Országház). We visited it from the outside as we had a 16.00 entrance.
We went for an early lunch so that we could be at the Parliament on time. We ate at a place I had found on the net called Frici Papa kifőzdéje. A very cheap place with homemade food (and with a menu in Spanish). We were really surprised.
Highly recommended. We ate for less than 10€ for both of us. We would eat lunch or dinner there almost every day. It’s cheap but be sure to bring cash because they don’t accept credit cards.
With our bellies full we went back to the Parliament to visit it.
The Hungarian Parliament (Országház) is one of the most famous public buildings in Budapest. It is the seat of the Hungarian Parliament and some of its institutions (such as the Library of Parliament).
Built between 1885 and 1904 in neo-gothic and eclectic styles, its design is completely symmetrical. The building was constructed for a bicameral parliament. The north wing houses the upper chamber and the south wing the lower chamber. The two chambers are an exact reflection of each other.
Today, the lower chamber hall is used for parliamentary sessions.
The upper chamber hall is open to tourists and hosts factional meetings, conferences and receptions.
Interestingly, the carpet in the lower chamber hall was red and in the upper chamber it was blue, as the members of the upper chamber were traditionally nobles, and were thought to have blue blood.
Tickets cost 2,000 guilders (€5.70) and are best bought online at least a month in advance. It’s packed to the rafters and the ticket office area is packed to the rafters.
Tours are guided and you can choose from a multitude of languages, including Spanish.
The visit is a must-do in Budapest and you won’t regret it. The outside of the building is spectacular, but the inside takes your breath away. Straight away.
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After visiting the Parliament, we went up to the top of Buda for a visit I was really looking forward to: Budavári Labirintus, the castle labyrinth.
The Buda Castle Labyrinth was created by the action of hot spring water on the limestone rock of the castle hill. It consists of caves, cellars, cells and springs stretching over a length of more than 1,200 metres.
It contains exhibitions from the time when Transylvania was part of Hungary and a specific section on Vlad Tepes, Count Dracula. From 18.00 onwards, the lights go out. With a small lantern you can walk through the labyrinth in a gloomy atmosphere, with fog and a kind of funeral melody.
I’m not at all afraid, but the truth is that they create a gloomy atmosphere that makes you feel quite creepy. I loved it.
The entrance costs 2,000 guilders (5.70€).
When we left the labyrinth, a bit tired, we went to look for a place to have dinner. We went to a place just opposite the hotel, a restaurant called Montenegroi Gurman. A Montenegrin restaurant that was very tasty and quite cheap. About 10€ for two courses and two drinks.
After dinner we went to rest.
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July 23rd
We got up early and went straight to the central market (Központi Vásárcsarnok) to visit it and have breakfast there.
It was built in 1897 according to the plans of architect Samu Pecz, a professor at the Technical University.
It is one of the most beautiful works of brick architecture of Hungarian historicism. The stone entrance doors have neo-Gothic characteristics. The roof is covered with coloured ceramics from the Zsolnay factory in Pécs.
Apart from the beautiful façade, there is nothing else of note. There are a lot of tourist-oriented food stalls on the upper floor, which are really expensive. Not expensive in comparison with the restaurants in the city, no, they are really expensive.
We left the touristy central market by the Freedom Bridge (Szabadság híd). It was built between 1894 and 1896 in the name of Franz Joseph I. It was destroyed by the Germans on the 16th.
It was destroyed by the Germans on 16 January 1945 during World War II. But it was rebuilt within a year and a half and reopened in August 1946 under its present name.
Cross the bridge and take tram 19 to the Clark Ádam tér stop. Nearby is the funicular railway that takes us up to Buda Castle.
The funicular was inaugurated in 1870, being the second funicular in Europe. It was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt true to the original model and reopened in 1986.
The ticket costs 1,100 guilders (€3) and from the cabin you have a beautiful view of the Pest side of the city.
The views as you get off the funicular are quite spectacular. A few photos and we went to the castle.
Buda Castle (Budai Vár), built in Gothic style between the mid-14th and 15th centuries. It was the Royal Palace of Hungary.
From 1541, during the Turkish occupation, the condition of the palace began to deteriorate. During the siege and recovery of 1686, very serious damage was caused to the castle and the buildings of the Castle District.
Today, the castle houses the Széchényi National Library (since 1985), as well as the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum.
A 15-minute walk away we find, first, the Church of St. Matthias (Mátyás Templom), which we will visit later. And one of the highlights of Budapest: the Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya).
The Fisherman’s Bastion is one of Budapest’s most famous landmarks. Located in the grounds of Buda Castle, it stretches 140 metres along the Danube.
Its 7 neo-Romanesque turrets offer incredible views of the Danube and the Pest side. Although it may not look like it, it is a fairly recent construction dating back to 1895.
After admiring the incredible views we decided to visit the Church of St. Matthias (Mátyás Templom). Its official name is the Church of the Assumption in Buda. It is a neo-gothic catholic church founded by St. Stephen in 1015, but there are no surviving texts that indicate this. There are texts indicating that it was founded in 1255.
During the siege of Budapest during World War II, the building was severely damaged. The building was rebuilt between 1950 and 1970, and in 1984 the reconstruction of the great organ was completed.
Admission costs 1,200 guilders (€3.40) and can be purchased at a ticket office in front of the church.
The interior of the church is spectacular and is one of the must-see sights in Budapest.
After a leisurely visit to the temple, we took another stroll through the citadel. We strolled down to the banks of the Danube.
We had lunch at the Frici Papa kifőzdéje and then we went to enjoy the best thing Budapest has to offer: the thermal baths.
We chose the most famous baths, Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda. Opened in 1913, it is the largest public bath in Budapest.
It is built in neo-baroque style and the truth is that the complex is beautiful and very stately. It has 3 outdoor pools and 15 indoor pools with water of different temperatures.
The entrance fee is 4,100 guilders (11.40€). You can also rent a swimming costume and towels in case you don’t have one. We rented towels and they cost 700 guilders (2€). They also have different massage services that can be hired separately.
The truth is that it is wonderful and leaves your body feeling like new. I really want to go back but in winter. Being in those outdoor pools while it snows has to be spectacular.
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After relaxing, we took a short walk through the park and sat down on a little terrace to have a drink. The drink was a palinka, a traditional liqueur made from various fruits such as plum, pear, apricot or peach.
I chose peach, and as the waiter said, you don’t drink it on its own, it has to be accompanied by a good mug of beer. So, I ordered both.
I don’t know how hard the palinka is, but between the shot and the mug of beer, I had a cake that doubled in size.
Being a bit drunk, we went for a light dinner to sober me up and went to bed to rest.
July 24th
We got up early for a change and hit the streets for breakfast on our way to the Budapest Opera House.
The Hungarian National Opera (Magyar Állami Operaház) is one of the most important 19th century monuments in Budapest. It was built in neo-Renaissance style according to the plans of Miklós Ybl between 1875 and 1884.
Fortunately, the building was not seriously damaged during World War II, so it was quickly repaired.
The interior of the opera house can be visited by guided tours in several languages, including Spanish. The Spanish tours are at 15.00 and 16.00 and last about an hour and a half.
We bought our tickets for 2,800 guilders (7.95€) for 16.00 and went with the music elsewhere.
As it was early, we decided to visit the House of Terror (Terror Háza). Despite the name, it is not a fairground attraction. It is a museum containing exhibitions related to the fascist and communist dictatorial regimes in Hungary in the 20th century. It is also a memorial to their victims, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or executed in this building.
The entrance fee is 2,000 guilders (5.70€) plus 1,500 guilders for the audio guide (4.30€). With it you can visit both the permanent and temporary exhibitions, although the temporary exhibition is free of charge.
The truth is that the name of the museum does it justice, as what you can learn here is truly horrifying. Human beings can be very cruel and we never learn. By the way, you can’t take pictures inside, so I don’t have any to post.
After the museum visit, we went for lunch at the nearby Frici Papa kifőzdéje (of course) and from here we went to the Hungarian National Opera for the tour.
The interior of the opera house is truly spectacular, with nothing to envy to its sister in Vienna, although it is much smaller.
After leaving the opera, we got on the metro and went to Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere). It is located at the end of Andrássy Avenue and is the most important square in the city.
The square was opened in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the country. It is the site of the millennium monument with statues of the seven Magyar kings who founded the city and, in the centre, the Archangel Gabriel.
In 1929, the memorial to the fallen soldiers of World War I was installed, and from 1932, it was renamed Heroes’ Square.
The square is flanked by two monumental buildings, the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) and the Mücsarnok Art Gallery.
The Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) was built between 1900 and 1906 in the Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Classical style according to the plans of Albert Schickedanz and Ferenc Herzog Fülöp.
The Mücsarnok Art Gallery was built between 1895 and 1896 in neoclassical style by the same architects as the Museum of Fine Arts, Albert Schickedanz and Ferenc Herzog Fülöp. It is the largest exhibition hall in Budapest.
The ensemble of the square and the two museums were proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
From Heroes’ Square we approach the Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad vára). It was built between 1904 and 1908 in Renaissance and Baroque styles. It is a replica of Hunyad Castle in Hunedoara (Romania). Today it houses the Hungarian Agricultural Museum.
The castle is located in the Városliget park, where the Széchenyi baths we visited the day before are located. This time we went to see the spectacular main façade (we entered the baths from the back).
After a nice walk through the park we returned to the metro at Heroes’ Square. We went to the banks of the Danube River for a pleasant evening stroll admiring the imposing Parliament building and the gigantic flocks of bats flying around it.
From the banks of the Pest side, you can see incredible images of the illuminated Buda monuments. It’s a great sight.
After this, we had a light dinner and rested until the next day.
July 25th
Of course, we got up early to make the most of our last day in Budapest. We went on our way to the cathedral to contemplate the outside quietly, as it was raining the first day and it was quite uncomfortable.
From here we went for a walk to the Great Synagogue (Dohány utcai Zsinagóga). It was built between 1854 and 1859 in Moorish style by the architect Ludwig Förster and is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world (after the one in Jerusalem).
Between 1929 and 1932, the entire area around the synagogue was renovated and the present-day Jewish Museum (Magyar Zsidó Múzeum és Levéltár) and the Church of Heroes, which preserves the memory of the Jewish heroes of World War I, were erected.
During World War II, the Nazis turned the area around the synagogue into a Jewish ghetto, which later became a concentration camp. Thousands of Jews were sent from here to extermination camps.
More than 2,000 people died here and were buried in the gardens of the Great Synagogue. Many graves are still preserved today.
In 1991, a monument in the form of a weeping willow tree known as the Tree of Life was installed, with the name of a Jewish person killed during the Holocaust on each leaf.
To enter, you have to go through a very strict security check. Men are provided with a kippah, which is obligatory, and women are required to cover their shoulders and legs. My partner was given a scarf for his shoulders, as he was wearing his shoulders uncovered.
The entrance fee is 2,600 guilders (7.40€) and it is one of the must-see sights of Budapest.
The free visit can take about an hour.
After this visit, we took the tram to Szent Gellért tér station, on the other side of the river. We were going to visit one of the most curious churches we have ever seen: the Rupestrian Church.
The Cave Church (Gellérthegyi Barlang) is part of a network of caves inside the Gellért hill. The cave is also known as ‘St. Ivan’s Cave’ (Szent Iván-barlang), after a hermit who lived there and is believed to have used the natural thermal water from a muddy lake next to the cave to cure the sick.
After its consecration in 1926, it served as a chapel and monastery until 1951. During this time, it also served as a field hospital for the Nazi German army during World War II.
After the liberation of the country by the Soviet army, the church continued its religious activities until 1951, when the country’s government decided to close it in a crusade against religious beliefs. The monks were imprisoned and the superior sentenced to death.
After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the church was reopened and restored in 1992. Today the monks continue to perform religious functions, but the cave has also become a tourist attraction.
The entrance fee is 500 guilders (1.40€) and it is a very, very interesting visit. At the exit there is a statue of King St. Stephen and a good view of the Szabadsag Bridge.
After leaving the Rock Church, we went for a nice walk along the riverbank to the Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd).
The Chain Bridge was designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark and built by the Scottish engineer Adam Clark. It was the first permanent bridge over the Danube in Hungary and was opened in 1849.
We cross the bridge and set off in the direction of the Parliament.
About halfway across the bridge, we come to a striking monument, the Shoes on the Bank of the Danube (Cipők a Duna-parton). It was unveiled in 2005 and was created to honour the memory of Jews who were murdered by fascist militiamen of the Arrow Cross party during World War II.
They were ordered to take off their shoes and shot at the water’s edge so that their bodies fell into the river and were taken away. It depicts their shoes left on the shore.
From here, we took a look at the monumental Buda bank of the Danube and took lots of pictures.
It was already lunchtime, so this time we went to a local fried chicken chain for a change.
After lunch we went back to the banks of the Danube for a sightseeing cruise.
The cruise cost us 5,980 guilders in total (17€) for two passengers and two audio guides (in English).
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The cruise takes you on a fairly long tour while telling you about the history of the city and the river. Very interesting.
At the end of the tour, we decided to go up to admire the sunset views from the Fisherman’s Bastion for the last time.
We prolonged the walk as long as possible, sad that we would have to return to Spain the following morning.
We went back to dinner… guess where… Award! to Frici Papa kifőzdéje.
July 26th
We got up around 6.30 am and went to the metro station, we got on line 2 to Deák Ferenc tér station. We transferred to line 3 to Kőbánya-Kispest station and then took bus 200E to the airport. The whole journey took just under an hour.
At the airport, Ryanair flights depart from terminal 2B. Our surprise was that, when we were called to board, they made us go outside the terminal to a kind of hut with an uralite roof where we had to queue in terrible heat without air conditioning. We imagine it will be freezing cold there in winter.
Around 10.30 the relatively punctual flight left for Barajas airport, where we arrived around 14.00.
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