Budapest fascinates me. It was my first experience of a place that had lived behind the Iron Curtain, the Soviet Union’s barrier to the outside world. Its history can be harsh, but there is such a buzz of energy now, from the bubbling hot springs to the vibrant ruin bars. I think three days is an ideal length of time to get a sense of this city of contrasts – here’s my itinerary, and check out the map at the bottom for all the spots!
Sometimes, a place catches you by surprise. It might take your breath away with its beauty, draw you into a dance with its energy, or simply catch you unawares by showing you a side you hadn’t expected. I love it when this happens – and as I aim to travel with less expectations these days, I’m happy to say it happens more and more! Our prompt for Travel Tuesday this month is Unexpected Destinations, and as soon as Amy suggested it some of my recent trips instantly popped into my head. Do you have a story to add? Pop it in the link-up below!
Elizabeth Bridge, Budapest
I have to be honest – a big part of the reason I visited Budapest last year was because that was where my friend Kelly would be for the August bank holiday, as she was travelling around Europe at the time. But I’m so glad that’s where she was, as in our four days I got a great introduction to a city full of incredible stories, beautiful architecture, and an energy that captivated me. I’d never visited anywhere that had been behind the Iron Curtain before, and received a chilling and eye-opening introduction to some of the early history in the House of Terror museum. I also had a chance to survey the city from the stunning St Stephen’s Cathedral, see musical dancing fountains on the gorgeous Margit Island and experience one of the many thermal spas that Budapest is known for. Now I’m a big fan of Budapest – it was a great long weekend escape, and I know there is so much more to discover.
Beautiful Margit Island, Budapest
I can’t even remember quite how Lisbon was chosen as the destination of my October holiday – although I’m sure it had quite a bit to do with how warm it was predicted to be – and was! Once there I never regretted the decision for a second, as Lisbon charmed me with quirky architecture, including the beautiful azulejo tiles on every possible surface, and a multitude of different neighbourhoods, from the beachy cool of Cascais, to the stunning views from Castelo de Sao Jorge and Cristo Rei. I was also so grateful that we had enough time to make a day-trip to incredible Sintra, where castles and palaces seem to hide round every corner. And I could hardly forget the delicious pasteis de nata, which we made a point of sampling at least once a day… all in the interests of research, of course!
Crazy mix of architecture at Pena Palace, Sintra
While bumping into elephants was without a doubt my most unexpected moment in Copenhagen, what also caught me by surprise was the many beautiful colours of the city, from the beautiful painted houses of Nyhavn to those of the fresh food delights, including my new favourite delicacy, smørrebrød.
Where are your unexpected destinations? Whether you ended up somewhere unplanned, or like me a city caught you by surprise, we’d love to hear your stories in Travel Tuesday!
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On our third day in Budapest we decided to have the traditional baths experience. A workmate had recommended Gellert Spa for its history and lovely pools, so we trekked through the rain to the Buda side of the river.
Beautiful Szent Anna Templom
Some took the easy way up…
But the views from the climb were worth it!
Chain Bridge with St Stephen’s in the background
Looking west from Buda castle
Buda Castle
After exploring the outside of Buda Castle, we headed to the thermal baths to warm up. Budapest was first settled by the Romans partly so they could take advantage of the many thermal springs in the area. However in case my NZ readers are wondering – no it’s not like Rotorua!
Gellert Spa, where we spent the afternoon, was built in 1918, although there had been baths on the site at least as far as the Turkish occupation of the city in the 16th century. It has both inside and outside pools – I imagine the outside ones would be particularly pretty in winter.
Gellert Hotel & Spa
As you can tell, the outside pool was a bit chilly!
Love the architecture in the main pool area
One of the smaller, warmer pools
Cool mosaics
After several hours of soaking we reemerged relaxed and ready to keep exploring. We crossed the Liberty Bridge and got some stunning views of the Castle and Gellert Hill Cave Chapel.
Buda Castle and Elizabeth Bridge
Gellert Hill Cave Chapel
We’d seen all sorts of food offerings available in Budapest, from traditional Hungarian to Japanese and kebabs, but had been particularly intrigued by the delicious Mexican smells wafting out of El Rapido, just a couple of doors down from Szimpla Kert. While upstairs was a fairly standard joint, downstairs we discovered an eclectic wonderland of Mexican and Hungarian decor – very cool!
I tried a shot of peach palinka – a type of the traditional fruit brandy, and after reading the Lonely Planet description none of the other girls would try it with me. I can (not so) happily report that the LP writer clearly knew what they were talking about – it did indeed kick like a mule. An experience, that’s for sure!
We headed back into the craziness of Szimpla Kert for our last round, and this time chose a spot in one of the side-rooms, with the old-school tvs and computers that blared out randomly through the evening. Very fun!
On our final day we had just enough time for a last spot of sightseeing and shopping before heading back to London. Of course coffee breaks were mandatory too!
A cute coffee spot just off Vaci St
Liberty Bridge and the Citadel
Vaci Ut (street) is a mainly pedestrian street that runs through part of downtown Budapest, and is one of the main shopping thoroughfares, filled with leather and craft shops, as well as many many touristy restaurants. Kate and I purchased deliciously soft leather gloves – perfect for the London winter coming.
Vaci Ut
We ended up back at the market on Karoly Boulevard that we had discovered a couple of nights before – just as cute in the day time! I had to try some more of the traditional Kürtőskalács or Chimney bread, which is cooked over an open fire and then coated in cinnamon, chocolate or nuts – so good.
Making delicious Kürtőskalács
Enjoying fresh Kürtőskalács – yum!
Budapest was an amazing experience and I’m so glad we chose to go. It was my first experience of a truly Eastern European city and I really noticed the differences, from the architecture to the food to the atmosphere. There seemed to be a real positivity to the city, with an attitude of focusing on the future while recognising and honouring the past. All in all, a very cool long weekend!
We decided day 2 of Budapest was our explorathon / walking tour day – from Margit Island to Andrassy Ut and out to City Park. Our central location meant the island was an easy stroll in the sunshine away.
Stunning day on the Danube
Our first stop was the amazing Music Fountain, which was not playing music at the time but still so impressive. It’s difficult to convey in photos, but it is more like ballet in water form than an ordinary flowing fountain, shifting formation in the blink of an eye.
The lovely ladies by the Fountain
Once we’d spotted the pedal carts we knew there was only one way we’d be seeing the rest of the island – so fun!
We made it back to the Fountain intact, despite a near-miss with a massive bus, and were charmed to find the Fountain dancing to the sweet sounds of Andrea Bocelli’s Con te partirò (Time to Say Goodbye).
We eventually tore ourselves away from the water ballet and headed for Andrassy Ut, Budapest’s iconic street that was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002. This beautiful tree-lined boulevard has some of Budapest’s most stunning buildings, and leads from the central Elizabeth Square to the City Park.
The Opera House
Dreschler Palace, Budapest
We stopped for lunch along the way and were amazed to see a pedal-bar, aka a beer bike, come swerving past. Apparently quite popular with the stag nights, these contraptions allow you to drink AND see the sights – genius?! Somewhat at odds with the “Don’t Drink & Drive” message that was so drummed into us in New Zealand, but apparently they do come with a sober driver and the beer is limited to the keg. Whew. The guys looked like they were having a lot of fun anyway!
Crazy pedal-bar
Our next stop was a sobering one (sorry, couldn’t resist) as we visited the House of Terror. Now a museum, the building was witness to “two shameful and tragic periods in Hungary’s 20th century history… being the party headquarters of the Hungarian Nazis in 1944, and then the residence of the notorious communist terror organisations between 1945 and 1956.”
The House of Terror
Although I was of course aware that Hungary took part in the World Wars, I had no real concept of what had occurred within the country. The museum illustrates this in meticulous detail, and then goes on to explain the terror of life under the Hungarian communists, including the atrocities perpetuated within the walls of the building against Jews, anti-Communists, the disabled, and many more. Although its subject-matter was truly awful, the museum was eye-opening and I would definitely recommend a visit – it is modern and extremely well-presented, with resources to explain and inform in every room.
A sculpture commemorating the Iron Curtain
At the end of Andrassy Ut is Heroes’ Square, the entrance to City Park. The massive sculpture in the middle is the Millennium Memorial, which depicts the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other Hungarian historical figures, and is topped by a statute of archangel Gabriel.
Into the park we headed, and quickly spotted yet another unusual vehicle – a floating Volkswagen!
Vajdahunyad Castle
Chapel within Vajdahunyad Castle
The grounds of Vajdahunyad Castle are beautiful, but our favourite part was undoubtedly the very official-looking security patrol – he definitely had his nose to the ground!
Our final stop of the day was the markets by the Deak Ferenc ter metro station on Karoly Korut for yummy treats – the perfect fuel after a long day of walking!
Mmmm…
Central Budapest is easy to walk around, thanks to there being no hills on the Pest side, and we discovered interesting architecture and historic sights at every turn. It was the perfect way to set ourselves up for a day at a traditional Budapest bath – more to come on that soon!
