Budapest, Hungary

By Glen Bruels
This is part of a series called Viking Grand European Tour
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After a lovely stay in Prague, it was time to head down to Budapest to pick up our river cruise.  This was a horrendously long (7-8 hour) trip by bus, broken only by a rest stop at a way overcrowded roadside restaurant.  We pulled into the city in the late afternoon, checked in on the boat, and just chilled for the evening, gazing out over the beautifully lighted buildings and bridges along the Danube.

One of the first things we learned was that Budapest is actually made up of two former cities – Buda on the west bank of the Danube and Pest on the east side.  They are easy to tell apart – Buda is very hilly and is considered the “desirable area” to live in (still a steal – a 2BR, 2BA condo is around $160K – buy now!), while Pest is very flat and is where most of the shopping and walking platzes are located.  BTW, this consolidation only occurred in 1873, when Budapest became the capital of Hungary.  Most of the beautiful architecture can be traced to the Hapsburgs and the rise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Unfortunately, Hungary seemed to be very poor at picking winners and ended up on the wrong side of about every war they fought in.  As a consequence, Hungary went from being a very large and wealthy country to a shadow of its former self both in terms of size and impact.  While the economy has been improving, it is still not robust enough to be allowed to adopt the Euro as their currency (it is still the Forint).

We really didn’t have enough time to see the city and we will probably come back.  In the morning we up on top of Buda’s Castle Hill to wander around and take in the views from the Fishermen’s Bastion, as well as visiting St. Matthias Church.  There have been churches on this site from the mid 11th century, with much of the current structure being started in the 14th century with many, many modifications made (especially during the 19th century when it changed from Our Lady’s (or Mary’s Church) to Matthias, after the king.  This is known as the coronation church for the many royal marriages and coronations there.  We then crossed over to the Pest side and rode down the Andrássy út, a 2 mile, tree-lined, grand boulevard that contains the high end shopping district of today (reminded us a bit of Paris or Madrid).  At the end of the boulevard is Heroes’ Square, which contains the Millenary Monument and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Beyond that was the beautiful City Park, with lots of artificial lakes, wooded areas, and the zoo.

The best part of the day was when we walked to the Great Market Hall, a big indoor venue that hosts a wide variety of eating stalls as well as merchandise of all kinds (the big thing to buy here is paprika).  The biggest surprise was the Russian caviar that sold for practically nothing.  I could tell you that I was a good citizen and rejected the caviar, but when a large jar of Beluga caviar is going for $30, you dig right in and, oh baby, was it ever good!  Anyway, it was another hot, but enjoyable walk and later that evening, we started of on our cruise.  Next stop – Bratislava!

Car as tourist attraction. This is a Trabant, a POS 2-cycle (think your lawn mower) engined jalopy that was built in East Germany during the Cold War. Apparently, they made one color over year. This was Robin's Egg Blue year!
Car as tourist attraction. This is a Trabant, a POS 2-cycle (think your lawn mower) engined jalopy that was built in East Germany during the Cold War. Apparently, they made one color over year. This was Robin’s Egg Blue year!
Most of Buda was bombed to the bejeezus in WWII and most of the buildings had to be rebuilt. A few houses, like this one, actually remain from the 14th century!
Most of Buda was bombed to the bejeezus in WWII and most of the buildings had to be rebuilt. A few houses, like this one, actually remain from the 14th century!
Looking at St Matthias Church. This church is probably the most rebuilt church in Europe. It seems like every generation has had to at least partially rebuild the church and it continues today. It is a national shrine (probably to tradesmen!).
Looking at St Matthias Church. This church is probably the most rebuilt church in Europe. It seems like every generation has had to at least partially rebuild the church and it continues today. It is a national shrine (probably to tradesmen!).
One of the cool additions is the Zsolnay tiles on the roof. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gothic architecture mixed with tile like this.
One of the cool additions is the Zsolnay tiles on the roof. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gothic architecture mixed with tile like this.
This is another thing you won't see in gothic churches. This Art Nouveau interior was done in the late 19th Century and it is really beautiful!
This is another thing you won’t see in gothic churches. This Art Nouveau interior was done in the late 19th Century and it is really beautiful!
Like so many other cathedrals, there are relics on display. I don't think I've ever seen on quite this large (a foot?). Wow!
Like so many other cathedrals, there are relics on display. I don’t think I’ve ever seen on quite this large (a foot?). Wow!
The Fishermen’s Bastion is built on the site of the old fortification walls. It has seven towers that represent the leaders of the Hungarian tribes who conquered the country in the late 9th century. Why the name? It turns out that a guild of fishermen was responsible for defending this part of the city walls in the Middle Ages.
The Fishermen’s Bastion is built on the site of the old fortification walls. It has seven towers that represent the leaders of the Hungarian tribes who conquered the country in the late 9th century. Why the name? It turns out that a guild of fishermen was responsible for defending this part of the city walls in the Middle Ages.
Looking down from Fishermen’s Bastion, you get a great view of the Danube and the Parliament building. It was built starting in 1884 and it continues today. This appears to be a bit of “Parliament envy” in that it is 2 feet longer than the British Parliament building. The locals get a bit riled up at this building for all the money spent on it and so little that comes out of it!
Looking down from Fishermen’s Bastion, you get a great view of the Danube and the Parliament building. It was built starting in 1884 and it continues today. This appears to be a bit of “Parliament envy” in that it is 2 feet longer than the British Parliament building. The locals get a bit riled up at this building for all the money spent on it and so little that comes out of it!
Heroes Square is one of the grandest venues in Budapest. At the center of the square is the over 100 foot MIllenium Monument and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Monument is topped by the archangel Gabriel, holding the holy crown and the apostolic cross. Surrounding the monument are statues in the Greek and Roman tradition. Oh those Hapsburgs – always trying to tie their empire to previous days of glory!
Heroes Square is one of the grandest venues in Budapest. At the center of the square is the over 100 foot MIllenium Monument and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Monument is topped by the archangel Gabriel, holding the holy crown and the apostolic cross. Surrounding the monument are statues in the Greek and Roman tradition. Oh those Hapsburgs – always trying to tie their empire to previous days of glory!
The City Park is right behind Heroes Square. It is very beautiful with man made lakes and the zoo. Interestingly, it was the only zoo in the country until the 1950s.
The City Park is right behind Heroes Square. It is very beautiful with man made lakes and the zoo. Interestingly, it was the only zoo in the country until the 1950s.
As it was yet another hot day, we stopped off for a little afternoon refreshment. I have to admit that I was a bit suspicious of a restaurant named Fatal…
As it was yet another hot day, we stopped off for a little afternoon refreshment. I have to admit that I was a bit suspicious of a restaurant named Fatal…
These are some friends we met on the boat and hung out with for most of the week. Very nice people. Good thing were only hungry for a snack! My lemonade was so good, I had a second (this time with a bit of vodka!).
These are some friends we met on the boat and hung out with for most of the week. Very nice people. Good thing were only hungry for a snack! My lemonade was so good, I had a second (this time with a bit of vodka!).
This is the Central Market Hall. It was built just before 1900 and is the largest indoor market in Budapest.
This is the Central Market Hall. It was built just before 1900 and is the largest indoor market in Budapest.
There are three stories of goodness in the building, with the ground floor selling a variety of foods, wines, and liquors; the second has a bunch of eateries and souvenir swag, and the basement having a supermarket and fish market.
There are three stories of goodness in the building, with the ground floor selling a variety of foods, wines, and liquors; the second has a bunch of eateries and souvenir swag, and the basement having a supermarket and fish market.
The highlight of my time in Budapest was finding Russian caviar. Yes, I know I shouldn’t buy it because it helps Russia and exploits the sturgeon, but it’s RUSSIAN CAVIAR AT RIDICULOUS PRICES! I ended up buying a jar of Beluga for $30!!!
The highlight of my time in Budapest was finding Russian caviar. Yes, I know I shouldn’t buy it because it helps Russia and exploits the sturgeon, but it’s RUSSIAN CAVIAR AT RIDICULOUS PRICES! I ended up buying a jar of Beluga for $30!!!
This entry was posted in Cruising, Hungary, Travel
Glen Bruels

I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.

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