Today was a full day tour of Budapest. And I mean full – Budapest is often seen in two day tours, because there is so much to see, but I jammed it all into one. According to my watch, I’ve walked over 16 miles today.
And I saw about a million cool things.
Technically, Budapest was two cities – Buda and Pest, separated by the Danube River. The two are very different: Buda is generally considered the higher-end area, with richer neighborhoods and high end homes, lots of hills, and is much quieter. Pest is the flatter and more urbanized half of the capital, with a bigger population and known for the nightlife.
I spent time on both sides of the river, and with multiple taps of transit – busses, trolleys, streetcars and the metro. I could not have done transit by myself. In Bucharest, most signs also had an English translation. That is not true in Budapest. In Romania, you automatically learn English in school – in Budapest, you can choose between English, German and French.
Some of what I got to see:
Fisherman’s Bastion
Halászbástya or Fisherman’s Bastion is the perfect place to admire all of Budapest. The building was rebuilt in place of an ancient fortress, and the seven towers symbolize the seven Magyar tribal chiefs who settled in the area in 896. It is located on the hill of the Buda palace, next to Matthias Church. At the center of the Bastion court, there is a statue of King Saint Stephen and you get a spectacular view of the city, the Danube and the Parliament. You have to climb a lot of steps to get there, but it was worth it.
Matthias Church
Matthias Church, also known as the Church of Our Lady, is one of the prides of Budapest: built in the 13th century in the Gothic style, it has undergone several renovations, including very recent ones.
Buda Castle
The Royal Palace (Királyi Palota) rises on top of Várhegy, the Budapest hill above the Danube and offers great views. It took another 15 minutes on foot from the Fisherman’s Bastion. The entire district of the Royal Palace is part of the Unesco World Heritage and if you want, the Palace can be accessed directly from the bank of the Danube with a funicular. Today the Castle, often referred to as the Royal Palace, houses a number of cultural institutes, including two museums: the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. I posted a photo of this last night, lit up.
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
This is a bridge over the Danube. Designed by English engineer William Clark and built by Scottish engineer Adam Clark (no relation), it was the first permanent bridge across the river in Hungary. It was opened in 1849. There is a legend that the artist forgot to put tongues in the lions and out of shame he killed himself, but this is a lie, according to my guide.
Liberty Bridge
The Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd) is a bridge in Budapest that crosses the Danube connecting Buda and Pest, built in just 2 years, between 1894 and 1896. It is somewhat reminiscent of the famous San Francisco bridge, splendid and imposing; be prepared for thestrong wind during the crossing!
St. Stephen’s Basilica
St. Stephen’s Basilica, in Hungarian Szent István-Bazilika, it’s a Catholic church located in the center of Budapest and baptized with the name of Stephen, the first king of Hungary, whose presumed relic of his right hand is inside. Today, the Basilica of Santo Stefano is the third largest church in the country. St Stephen’s son, who was supposed to inherit the crown, was killed in an “accident” in Austria. One more reason to hate the friggin Austrians.
Hungarian Parliament
The Hungarian Parliament is located in Pest on the east bank of the Danube, and it’s one of the most important symbols of the city. And…it’s interesting. In Romania, the issue of Transulvania is settled…because it is part of their country. In Hungary, this topic is alive and well – they still very strongly believe Transylvania belongs to them. They joined the side of the Nazis just for that land, and they’re mad at everyone about it. They have the Hungarian flag on Parliament, but they also have another flag, at the same height and prominence, for Transylvania.
This is a memorial pond to the uprising on October 25, 1956. The Hungarian military had stopped fighting back against the revolution (which was started by students), but Russia rolled in with tanks and killed a lot of people, in front of Parliament.
American Embassy
From November 4, 1956 to September 28, 1971, the Embassy was home to Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty, who took refuge there during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. The Cardinal lived in what is now the Ambassador’s office. Embassy officers brought him food and reading material, walked with him in the Embassy courtyard, and attended Mass with him, to keep him safe from the Russians.
The Great Market Hall
In Hungarian Nagy Vásárcsarnok, in English the Central Market Hall of Budapest is the largest of the five markets that opened in the city at the end of the 19th century. The property is located in front of the Liberty Bridge, and smells really good! On the ground floor you will find food stalls, from meat to vegetables, as well as spices, liqueurs and typical Hungarian foods, while on the first floor you will find many souvenir shops and typical Budapest crafts. They really like foie gras and crackle.
I’m told that locals, especially older locals, do most of their weekly shopping here.
This dude.
The legend says that if you rub his belly, you will not gain weight from Hungarian food. Most Hungarians appear healthy, so I assume it works. I obviously took a turn, better safe than sorry.
Heroes’ Square
Heroes’ Square is one of the most important squares in Budapest. It has statues commemorating the leaders of the seven founding tribes of Hungary. Located at the end of Andrássy Út, it is connected to the city center by the Budapest Metro. Heroes’ Square forms, together with this street, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was the last stop on my tour.
That was planned intentionally, as I had a reservation for my evening. I headed to Széchenyi Bath, which is the largest medicinal bath in Europe (and it is right by Heroes Square). Construction started in 1909, and opened in 1912. Located in the Pest side of the city, it has 18 pools (three huge ones outside and 15 smaller baths inside with all different themes). The hot spring water is said to be therapeutic, and is used to treat things like chronic arthritis. Before Covid you could rent supplies, but now you have to bring your own or buy them, so I had been carrying around my swimsuit, flip flops, and a towel all day – and it was absolutely worth the weight in my purse. (I was also smart enough to bring a plastic bag, to store my stuff in once I was done). It was wondrous, and I did not want to leave. (I had to; it is off season, and they close at 8). Once I was in I saw others had kept their phones with them, but I had left mine in my locker, so no photos of the pools.
Things from Hungary/Hungarians:
- The Rubik’s cube. It was invented in 1974 by a Hungarian Architect.
- Vitamin C. A Hungarian scientist discovered it in Paprika in the 30s, and it changed how nutrition was understood. He won a Nobel prize for it.
- Houdini
- Bela Lugosi
- soda water
- The first computer
- Safety matches
- Ballpoint Pen
- The word “Hello.” Thomas Edison claims to have created it, but in Hungary they say “Hello” when talking on the telephone actually comes from Hungarian, when the colleague of Edison, Tivadar Puskás, tried his invention (an international communication standard), he said “Hallod?” (Do you hear me?) and his brother replied “Hallom!” (I hear you). It was later assimilated to “hello”.
Good night
There was actually a ton more, but I’m exhausted and going to sleep.
