On Friday morning, I woke up in Budapest, Hungary. From the train station, I immediately took a taxi to my hotel and checked-in. After getting organized and getting some information from the owners, I headed out to town. The day was very hazy, so I altered my plans and headed to the center of Pest where the haze would not make a big deal. Budapest is divided in two parts, Buda and Pest (thus the name). Buda is on the left side of the river and is the location of a large hill that holds the castle and major Cathedral with neighborhoods down below. Across the river is Pest, the city center. I spent the morning walking around the major shopping street, Vaci Uta, looking in all the shop windows. At the end of the street is the huge Market Hall. The bottom floor is covered with stales selling meat, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, bread and paprika. Upstairs, overlooking the ground floor, is covered with stales selling souvenirs. After wandering the first floor for a while, I had my first meal in Budapest from the groceries sold within. I went around to the different stales and bought a roll, meat, cheese and some strawberries. After lunch, I went upstairs and browsed the souvenirs.
When I left the Market Hall, I took a bus across the famous Chain Bridge and up to the top of the hill. I spent the afternoon wandering the streets and visiting the main sights on the Buda side.
When it started to get dark, I returned to my hotel and checked my e-mail. At dinner time, I walked to the closest square and ate at an Italian restaurant. Afterwards, I returned to the hotel and relaxed.
On my second day in Budapest, I started the day with a tour of the beautiful Parliament building.
I then stopped to eat the lunch I had picked up earlier at a grocery store and then headed to St. Stephan’s Basilica and Andrassy Ute. Andrassy Ute is a main street with multiple attractions. The opera house is located across the street from Chanel, but even with very fancy stores, the street is dated and in the process of being remodeled. At the end of Andrassy Ute is Hero’s Square, a large monument depicting important kings and political leaders from Hungary’s history. Past this square is a large park where the Szechenyi Baths are located. A large yellow baroque building houses the most popular baths in Budapest. After changing into you bathing suit, you can choose any of 10 indoor pools with water temperatures in the 90s and a sulfuric smell in the air. The best part of the baths was the three large swimming pools outside. It was very cold running in and out of the pools, but the water was so warm, that any part of the body above water was never cold. It was amazing soaking in a pool and looking at the architecture of the building and thinking that I am in Hungary. The baths were packed with people, but not just tourists. Many locals visit the baths regularly.
Afterwards, I ate an early dinner at a restaurant whose theme was communist Hungary and then headed back to the hotel where I crashed.
On Sunday, I took my time in the morning and then head to a museum about the Nazi and communist governments that controlled Hungary. The museum is located in the former secret police office of both governments. It was a great museum that had tons of information and videos. Visitors even went through the underground prison where thousands were held and executed. When I finished the museum I had lunch and did a little window shopping. Then I walked along the river and took pictures of the beautiful skyline. At 5pm, I picked up some food and headed back to the hotel to pick up my bags. I then took a taxi to the train station and then took an overnight train back to Dresden.
I had a great time traveling to both cities. It was nice to see new parts of Europe and to see the cultures of Poland and Hungary. Both cities are beautiful in their own ways. Krakow has a beautiful small old city center where as Budapest is a large city with great architecture. I hope you enjoyed reading about my latest trip and looking at all the pictures I took while traveling. I promise it will not be the last of it!
