Beautiful Budapest

We arrived in Budapest Thursday afternoon and spent the rest of the daylight hours wandering the streets of Pest’s Inner City, along the Danube. The following day we explored Buda, on the other side of the Danube. But before heading to Buda, we stopped off at the Great Market Hall, a beautiful neo-gothic building near the Szabadság bridge.

Once we made it to the other side of the Danube, there was a mountain that needed to be conquered in order to get to the top of the Citadella. It was well worth the climb when we looked out and got an almost 360° view of the city. The Budapest Castle was next on the list and once again provided great views of the city.
With all the walking and climbing up stairs, we deserved some rest time and what better way to spend the afternoon than to go bathing in a sixteenth century Ottoman thermal bath, the Rudas Baths. Just hope we didn’t catch the Black Plague!

Our third day was spent walking to the Inner City and then onto the Hungarian Parliament Building, which is the largest building in Hungary and the tallest in Budapest. The adventures included some traditional Hungarian food cooked using an old-fashion, stove-top iron. We were joined by our new friend, Steve, a New Yorker on holidays in Budapest.

The following day we explored the Roman Baths and ruins at Aquincum. Then after some ancient history we strolled along Margaret Island, situated in the middle of the Danube. The day was capped off with a gyros made by a guy who could revival the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. But the end result was tasty and was complemented by the homemade ice-cream for dessert.

The last day in Budapest continued the theme of eating, as we grazed our way through Budapest. Ice-cream and a lángos, a Hungarian deep-fried flatbread, were on the menu. And of course, a day wouldn’t be complete without visiting a castle, Vajdahunyad Castle, and wandering the streets.

It’s hard to say goodbye, Budapest, but we must move onto our next destination. Búcsú Budapest

Next stop: BelgradeRead more