LANDSCAPE TRAVELING

Hungary

PETRA VAŠKOVÁ

BUDAPEST

CITY OF THERMAL SPRINGS

TRANSPORTATION

You can get to Budapest from many European cities by train for a few euros, then of course by bus, plane or you can buy one of the wide range offers of cruises on the Danube River, which include, for example, Vienna and Bratislava. Budapest can be visited on foot. My 80-year-old grandmother and I managed almost everything in a day. It is also possible to buy a hop on hop off bus for around 12€ / day and the price includes a cruise on the Danube, which we also used. You can also take the subway, which is affordable and will take you where you need to be on time.

CITY

Budapest seemed very pleasant to me. It offers beautiful architecture, a relatively large amount of greenery and is exceptional for several thermal baths. The center is a bit busy, as in any capital city. But you will find places where you can hide well from the hustle. The Danube River adds to its beauty, with a beautiful parliament building dominating its riverside and the Fisherman’s Bastion on the opposite side.

FISHERMAN'S BASTION

The Fisherman’s Bastion fortress together with the Matthias Church are dominating above the Danube on the Buda side. There is a beautiful view of the whole Pest. The afternoon can be quite busy here, so it’s ideal to leave in the morning like us. You don’t have to pay the entrance fee before the opening, but you can get to the walls. The most beautiful view is at sunrise time, which is directly above the mentioned Pest. Minibus No. 16 runs to the top. We took Uber for a pretty good price. The Matthias Church is richly decorated and also worth a visit.

tHERMAL BATHS

You have to visit one of the thermal baths in Budapest. The most famous are probably Széchenyi and Gellért. Széchenyi came to me large and very touristy, so we chose a smaller Gellért (about 16€ / day). The Gellért Spa has a beautiful historic interior, several indoor and outdoor pools of different temperatures and a pleasant atmosphere. We bought tickets on site, where you can also order various massages. You must not walk in the spa without shoes! So if you don’t want to buy them on the spot, pack the slippers with you as well as the swimming cap.

OTHER PLACES

A strong experience is a visit to the House of Terror Museum, which documents the consequences of the Nazi and Soviet regimes, I recommend to stronger characters (8€ / student 4€). The happier places to visit include the ruin bar Szimpla Kert or the beautiful café in Párisi Passage with good and not expensive coffee. Also definitely around the parliament building, St. Stephen’s Basilica, VI.Vásárcsarnok market, Vajdahunyad castle, adjacent city park, Heroes‘ Square, Liberty square, Elizabeth Square, Great Synagogue and Rumbach, Gellért hill cave with a view of Liberty bridge, Buda Castle or the Citadella. It is definitely nice to go on a cruise on the Danube. The ideal time to sail is around the sunset, when you see the city in the daylight, but also how it gradually lights up in the dark.