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Grand European Tour
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  • Yvonne Jones

Grand European Tour

A 18-day adventure by Yvonne Read more
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    🇭🇺 Nagymaros, Hungary
    Yvonne JonesGrand European TourTraveler
    Castle Hill in Buda (not my photo)
    Matthias ChurchMatthias ChurchBlack Madonna at Matthias ChurchMatthias Church1Yummy Chimney Cake1Chain BridgeChain Bridge

    Last day in Budapest

    Yesterday in Hungary ⋅ 🌙 43 °F

    Today is our last day in Budapest. We will leave at 6:00 this evening and cruise for 24 hour to Vienna in Austria. This morning we took a panoramic tour of Pest by bus and then headed over to the Buda side of the city for a walking tour. We visited the Castle Hill District with its massive hilltop castle complex, the Fisherman’s Bastion and Our Lady which is referred to as Matthias Church. The President’s home, Sandro Palace, is also there. During World War II almost 75% of Budapest was destroyed. Since then, the Royal Palace and hilltop town have been completely rebuilt. From the top of the hill we had spectacular views of the famous Chain Bridge which was the first permanent link between the two towns that merged into becoming Budapest. Our ship is docked next to it.

    Our afternoon was free so we walked across the Chain Bridge, and afterwards we relaxed on the top deck of our ship. I was so surprised to discover a shuffleboard court up there. The three of us had a great time and lots of laughs over my competitiveness!    Read more

  • Yvonne JonesGrand European TourTraveler
    The Great Synagogue (not my photo)
    Tree of Life Memorial GardenParliament BuildingMatthias Church on Castle Hill in Buda

    Budapest Day 3

    November 5 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    We had a free day today and decided to wander through the Jewish neighborhood. We toured the Great Synagogue which is the second biggest in the world. The interior was not designed as a typical synagogue and was very ornately decorated. We also visited their memorial garden with its weeping willow Tree of Life sculpture. Each metal leaf has the name of a Holocaust victim buried nearby. The garden also honors those who saved countless lives at great personal risk. During World War II around 2281 Jews died in the ghetto nearby and were buried in a mass grave next to the synagogue. It’s the largest mass grave in Hungary. Over 600,000 Hungarian Jews were killed during the Holocaust with 60,000 being from Budapest.

    We finished the afternoon with a walk down Andrassy which is the Champs d’Elyses of Budapest before boarding our ship to begin our river cruise.

    After dinner I joined a group for a night tour of Budapest on the Buda side of the city and ended the night with a glass of sparkling wine at the restaurant Felix.    Read more

  • Yvonne JonesGrand European TourTraveler
    City ParkCity ParkJaki Chapel in City ParkHeroes Square in City ParkSt Steven who was first king and brought Christianity to HungaryOpera House LobbyDanube RiverOur Tuk Tuk (We weren't driving!)The Shoes on the Danube BankOverlooking the Liberty BridgeCentral MarketSzimpla Kert Ruin BarRuin bar

    Budapest…second day

    November 4 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    The hotel breakfast today was top notch and better yet…free and served with champagne! We discovered a fun way to get around Budapest by taking a 4 hour Tuk Tuk tour. What fun! We saw the highlights of both “Buda” and “Pest” while learning about the history of the city and country. Budapest is split down the center by the Danube River. The east side is flat Pest and the west bank is hilly Buda. Pest is the commercial and administrative heart of the city and is very lively. Buda is more picturesque and tranquil with historic architecture. Our guides took us to one of the world’s first public parks called City Park. There’s a zoo at one end, a castle at the other end, and just about every activity can be found in between including thermal baths and museums. It was built when an emperor of the Holy Roman Empire wanted a public place for people to relax.

    We visited “The Shoes on the Danube Bank” which is an emotional memorial that honors the victims of the Holocaust who were killed by the Hungary Arrow Cross militia, the fascist group that ruled during the reign of terror in WWII. It is a line of iron cast shoes that symbolizes and honors the Jewish people who were killed. The story behind these shoes is truly horrific.

    We ended our Tuk Tuk tour at the Central Market Hall which is an iconic Neo-Gothic landmark dating back to 1897. We saw an abundance of stalls selling Hungarian paprika!

    Public transportation is free for anyone over 65, so we took the tram back to our hotel.

    Our night ended with a walk to the ruin bars in the Jewish quarter. These are old abandoned buildings that have been turned into bars. We decided on the popular Szimpla Kerr ruin bar for drinks and dinner. It was dark, funky and very unique with a maze of rooms and bars in it.

    I’ll close with a funny story for those who know me well. Yesterday it was too warm in my room. Air conditioning is shut down in October. I asked if someone could come up and turn off the heat or show me how. Well, maintenance came up with tools and a ladder and then proceeded to open vents in the ceiling to disconnect it!    Read more

  • Yvonne JonesGrand European TourTraveler
    We start in Budapest and end in Amsterdam
    Rebecca, Sue and ICorinthia Hotel (not my photo)Corinthia Hotel LobbyCorinthia Hotel poolCafé VianHungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt (The Merry Widow opera)

    Budapest—first day

    November 3 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    I am on a “Grand European Tour” with Viking and traveling with my friends Rebecca and Sue. We left Cleveland yesterday November 2 and flew to Newark, Vienna, and finally Budapest, arriving here this morning. We will be touring Budapest for 3 days and 2 nights before boarding the ship. The Corinthian Hotel is beautiful and in a great location for exploring the city. Rebecca enjoyed the pool this afternoon while Sue and I explored our street. We met up with a Viking guide before dinner for a walking tour around our hotel. We had our first Hungarian meal at Café Vian. Rebecca and I agreed that the red wine Hungarian beef stew with dumplings was superb and Sue loved her chicken paprikash. We shared a Hungarian dessert which was a chocolate crepe filled with warm cinnamon apple filling and served with whipped cream and ice cream. It was pretty good. We are so exhausted since we’ve been up for 32 hours with no sleep.Read more

    Trip start
    November 2, 2025
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