Parliament
Fisherman Bastion
Walking tour in Buda (Castle District) - free with Budapest card
Gellert Hill
Cave Chapel
Vaci Utca
Heros Square (Hosok Tere)
Nipped into the city centre early, particularly the Parliament since it was the commemoration day and we wanted to see the celebrations. Nothing much really, as it was mainly speeches and a parade of soldiers on horses and brass bands. Though most of the celebration was in Vaci Utca, a concert of some sort with swarms of people.
Sun shining on the Parliament; wasted I didn't get to visit inside
Time to head to Buda! Which is my favoured part of the city simply because of its old school charm. Note though that it is less commercialized so it may not be as tourist-friendly in terms of shop and food choices. Started with the Fisherman Bastion which is basically a lookout point towards Pest and the Danube river. Awesome choice for photography which is easier than Gellert Hill as there are buses that take you right to the top. Started the walking tour with the same guide, and I think we walked most of Castle District. It's a great place to spend time as the district itself provides some shops and the Castle is made up of a large art gallery and the national library - we didn't visit both due to time restrain.
The Fisherman Bastion
A Trevi-like fountain in the Buda Castle's courtyard
Exterior of the Szechenyi National Library (Szechenyi is a rich aristocrat family that funded a lot of Budapest's development)
Now, to illustrate the bother that comes with a public holiday in Europe. A tourist attraction we really wanted to go to which is the Hospital in the Rock; a museum that showcases healthcare services during war times in a bunker (apparently quite eerie) WAS CLOSED. I was so disappointed. But well, that was to be expected as it was the commemoration day itself.
Decided to head to the Synagogue, which was CLOSED as well. Superbly disappointed because I've never been inside a Synagogue and this was the 2nd largest in the world after the one in New York. boooo. Was disappointed so we crossed the bridge back to Buda side which was an experience on its own. With at least 6 bridges open to pedestrians to cross the river Danube, choose any one, and the one we chose was the Liberty bridge. Reached the other side, and headed to the Cave Chapel which is basically a chapel built into a cave, and its architecture was definitely different from the previous churches I visited.
View of Liberty Bridge for Buda side
View from inside of the Cave Chapel
Started our hike up Gellert hill. While it's not too difficult, there is a significant amount of walking and various routes that can lead you up to the Citadella which is the highest point. From there, it's another panoramic view of Buda and Pest, which could be great for photography especially during the good weather. Other than that, there's a museum there and some expensive restaurants. Note that there is only one bus that goes up the hill and it stops at the inner parts of Buda, so to get back to Pest would require a significant amount of tram/bus/walking.
One of the scenic routes up the hill
Tell me this view is not worth it, =)
Ended the day with a night walk in Hosok Tere which is a square with monuments dedicated to war heroes and it definitely look prettier at night.
Tribute to heroes!
Day 4
Great Market Hall
Szechenyi Zoo - free with Budapest Card
Made a quick dash to the Market Hall as it wasn't open on commemoration day and I wanted to buy some souvenirs. It usually opens at 6am so it's a good place to start your day early. Headed to the Szechenyi Zoo which is also a UNESCO Heritage Site. Super exciting as I've not been to the zoo in a while and I have to say, it's massive! Though some of the attractions are closed either due to construction works or it's only in summer, there is plenty to see in the zoo as the areas cover 5 continents of animals. I particularly like the South American greenhouse which is a large greenhouse with Amazonian climate (it was really hot!) and you could go into the smaller side greenhouses which allowed you to see certain animals without fences (i.e. Iguana and sloths). The landscaping was really amazing. I reckon the place would be a blast in summer with all the animal shows, we only managed to catch the seals' performance. Spent a good 3 hours that but it was really not enough! Only downside was the explanations were all in Hungarian, so the Magic Mountain which is similar to a Natural History museum could not provide anything more than visual stimulation. Again, it's free with the Budapest card which was a pretty good deal as it's usually 2400 Forinth/ 8 pounds per adult.
Flew off in the evening flight.
I love giraffes! Find them fascinating =D
View from Magic Mountain, yes you can climb the exterior
I thought 3 days was way too short. There were so many things outside of the main city area which I would have loved to go such as the Memento Park and the Children railway, a return perhaps? So while there are a few places I would urge you to try, there could be more, which I personally didn't experience due to the public holiday. So this would be my main tip for Budapest, spend more time! =P
Do try:
- Walking around Pest, even if not with the tour, have a morning stroll and night stroll around the main streets and promenade just to take in the beauty. Similarly, walk around Buda, especially the Castle District
- Szechenyi Baths, or any other baths. It's not an experience in other European countries especially the western ones, so I think it's worth the price
- Szechenyi Zoo because it's just different from visiting castles and churches all the time. Bearing the smell, it's interesting to be able to walk around the zoo in autumn.
- Cave Chapel, not very expensive and it's a different architecture from other European churches. Plus the fee comes with an English audioguide, so it's informative as well
- Gellert Hill or Fisherman Bastion or Castle Courtyard for a panoramic view, it's a sin to waste such potential photos
- Hungarian cuisine; while some are not to my favour, they are generally quite good in terms of savoury and sweet cuisine. Try Goulash, Sour Plum Cake and Beef Stew with the small rounded grains which name I
cannot remember.
See the lil round stuff? They are a mixture of chewy and al-dente-y; I have no idea how to describe it, but I loved it!
Dobostarte, coffee flavored cream layered with sponge of those found in torte-like cakes
Tips:
- Get the Budapest card if you'll be there at least 3 days. Though not cheap, it covers all mode of transportation except some rare ones like the funicular up to Castle District and the children operated railway
- Try not to go during Public Holidays, it may just disrupt a lot of your plans, I know I was annoyed. Haha.
- Though I am one who loves to seek out panoramic spots, I do think that if short of time, choose between Gellert Hill or the Castle District viewpoints as they give almost similar shots. Personally I would still go to both because I think they both offer much more than viewpoints with the former being an enjoyable walk and the latter is a place with quite a few tourist attractions
Travel with a buddy?
This is my first time travelling overseas specifically for a holiday with a buddy, and I think there are pros and cons compared to travelling alone:
Pros:
- No more weird stares when you try to camwhore or the awkwardness of getting someone to take your photo
- More food to share! Really important when you like eating like me, haha
- Feeling safer for night walks, which give a really different view of the city
- Having someone to talk to when you are walking to different places, sharing views of the places you just saw
Cons:
- Synchronizing time; I'm glad my best friend didn't kill me for waking him early. In my opinion, travel with someone who has a similar scheduling and budget to you, saves a lot of trouble. We had quite similar budgets and areas we would spend money on, so that avoided unnecessary squabble. Also, someone with similar mindset might help, as I have heard about people who travel for different reasons and thus end up having conflicting opinions that turn into arguments.
- Not a good idea if you intend to have an "Eat, Pray, Love" journey; in this aspect, a companion can be distracting because it's hard not to converse when you see someone so much, haha
To be honest, having experience both styles of travelling, I find that I'm okay with either. If I get a good travel buddy, it's great, if I don't, I'll still find my way =)
Thanks for being a sport bestie! =D
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