Budapest

     Mmm, Budapest… where to begin?

     There’s something special about this city. Maybe it’s the friendly athmosphere that leaks through your skin from the very first moment as you get off the train at Nyugati palyaudvar or the fact that the city is composed of both historical and modern elements, perfectly interconnected in all parts of the centre.

​     I remember the moments when Budapest took my breath away. The first time it happened to me was when I was still on the train, somewhere at the suburbs of Budapest. We were arriving at the main train station so the train was moving quite slowly. The look out of the window was horrifying, however. I’m so sorry to say that but there was trash literally everywhere – as if someone has just removed the entire junkyard on the tracks of Hungarian Railways. That moment I felt a bit puzzled, thinking: „Oh God, was Budapest really a good choice? What if the city centre is just as junky as this place?“

Nyugati palyaudvar

     Luckily, I can say it wasn’t. Budapest has prepared a warm welcome for us right at the historical railway station which – even though that its beauty hasn’t overcome the elegance of Antwerp railway station – still, left us overwhelmed by its enormity. We almost got lost right at the beginning of our trip. Fortunately, our escape from the station was successful and we headed on to Oktogon – the octagon-shaped square which is one of the main traffic points in the city, always pulsing with the speed of hundreds of cars passing through and thousands of people rushing from one part of the square to another. Keep cautious at this place, traffic lights must not be ignored there. But anyway, don’t stop absorbing the amazing energy this square is full of. It provides tourists by a perfect picture of how busy Budapest can be.

​     Once you head on to the Andrassy street (or Andrassy uca in Hungarian), the little world of Budapest gets a bit calmer within a second. Even though that it’s one of the biggest and longest streets in Budapest, you can find it almost empty on weekends. Yet empty, it’s full of possibly the most expensive shops in Budapest, ranging from Armani to Zara. The effect of how expensive Budapest is, has always been enhanced by forints, their national currency. So next time you see the price 30 000 HUF on some fine handbag you’re looking at, don’t panic! It costs just 100 €.

​     That time, we walked down Andrassy street without walking into one of the huge amount of fashion stores. Our eyes were set on only one thing – and that thing was good food! During our short trip to Budapest, I had a strong desire to taste original Hungarian gulash so the first moment I got off the train, I felt as if I was on a quest to find it. Unfortunately, the restaurants on Andrassy street were too expensive and seldom offered gulash, or anything from traditional Hungarian cuisine. So we passed the National Opera House, hidden underneath huge scaffold (…such a pity!), walked for another 100 meters and arrived to a huge crosswalk right in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica. The immense building made us stand in awe and completely forget about our desire for a good lunch. We couldn’t help it – the photogenicity of this sight was worth taking a few pics.

The Great Bistro
& the story of vegan paradise

     I still think it was something miraculous that day, that led our way to the very special restaurant we had opportunity to have lunch at. You surely know how amazing a good lunch feels, especially on a day you’ve started without breakfast. So, the lunch (or should I say brunch?) that made our day came from a vegan restaurant that’s hidden at Bank uca 6, which is very close to the basilica. It’s designed in a vintage style, with bright colours everywhere and friendly staff that serves you the brunch of your dreams. And the food? Mmm, delicious – and that’s where I find myself lost of words! I can only say, it’s a great bistro – called The Great Bistro! Coincidence? I think not…

Danube Promenade
& the story of metal shoes

     Walking at parks in Budapest can be truly delightful, especially on a sunny day like the weekend we made our first visit of this beautiful city. However, we’ve always known there’s a place every tourist is obliged to see. It is the promenade at the Danube riverside. Place so peaceful and lively at the same time made us return the next morning and stop in sightseeing by just sitting on a bench and looking at Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion, our eyes filled with joy and endless amount of energy. At the promenade, you can see much more than water, of course. I must not forget to mention the set of teeny-tiny metal shoes rising from the stones at the very edge of the path. It’s been created as a memory of Jewish people executed and killed by a fascist party during World War II. It is known that more than 3 000 people were after their execution drawn to the riverside, ordered to take off their shoes and shot into the river so that its massive stream would carry the bodies away. Seeing the shoes left at the promenade, so that the world would never forget the cruel deeds of war, this place still fills people with sadness… so that when someone wants to play being Cinderella at this place, others do not welcome this idea with enthusiasm.

​     Still, Danube promenade is a perfect place for lovers, offering a neverending romance whether it’s morning, afternoon or dusk. Sunsets in Budapest are also magical from the area of Buda Castle. To get there, it takes only 30 mins of your time and willingness to walk up the hill. At first, you have to walk the bridge to get to the other side of Danube. As there are many bridges in Budapest, it may be hard to choose what bridge offers the best view of all the sights. However, we didn’t hesitate for too long – the pic explains why…

The Chain Bridge
& legend of two lions

     The Chain Bridge has a long and complicated history. The construction took 9 years to finish, yet anyone can see that even the slightest details of this phenomenal monument have been thought out very well. The perfectionism of the people involved in the construction of Chain Bridge is connected to a rather sad story, which has through the years become one of legends popular to tell in Budapest. Both ends of the bridge are being guarded by two lions – stunning and majestic. When entering the bridge, you can take a closer look at them, only to realize their perfection in every detail that may interest you. However, there’s one imperfection about them, even though it’s really hard to observe. They have no tongue, not one of them.

​     The bridge itself can be quite hard to cross, especially on Valentine weekend. There’s couples literally everywhere, so I might have to warn you – on Valentine’s day (or even weekend) you and your friends might have to walk the bridge just like The Beatles walked Abbey Road. However, there’s nothing bad about that – just be prepared to fight for a moment to take a picture of Danube, or the castle, or the parliament, or basically anything you can see from the bridge. Once you’ve done it, the pic’s really worth it…

Buda Castle
& the story of extraordinary musician

     Behind the bridge, there’s a lot to look at. Personally, Buda seemed to me a bit more historical than Pest which – after all – is no surprise. With the huge castle from 13th century and charming Fisherman’s bastion there’s no doubt about the charisma of this side of Danube.

​     First of all, it is full of street artists who play whatever can be used as a musical instrument – from classics like guitar or bagpipes to extraordinary tools like saw etc. It is also them we should give credit for making Buda athmosphere as unique as it is. Because believe me, nothing can feel more extraordinary than hearing the divine melody of Moon River played by a saw. I think we even stopped and listened to the author of this remake for a while. Then we decided to walk up the hill right to the castle which was a nice experience but for those who don’t want to walk that much, there are another original options how to get up that hill.

     I must say that the view of the parliament from the top of the hill is truly mesmerizing. And it’s not just the view of the parliament – in general, there’s a lot to look at once you’ve walked up the hill. The first thing to notice however is the huge castle complex from the 13th century. The castle (Budavári Palota in Hungarian) belonged to several dynasties of monarchs who ruled in large area of their realm during a thousand years of existence of Hungarian Empire.

​     Nowadays, it serves a more informal purpose, as it’s one of the main tourist attractions in Budapest. The tickets are not as cheap as to the parliament but the price as well depends on how much from the castle you want to see. If you want to spare extra money, we advise you to take a lovely walk in the area of the castle and enjoy the athmosphere of its exterior.

​     Then you can move on to the Fisherman’s Bastion which is connected to the castle by a set of narrow alleys and a small park in front of the complex of little white towers.

Fisherman’s Bastion
& the story of Valentine weekend

On our way down from Fisherman’s Bastion, standing proudly at the Buda Hill, there is a nice long street that leads right back to the Chain Bridge. It’s a perfect loop, ideal for a walking tour. However, if you’d like to prolong this lovely walk in Hungarian metropolis, there is one more street which is parallel to the one leading straight from Fisherman’s Bastion. It is a street with a house connected to a special story.

Tokoly Street
& legend of the lady on a balcony

If you look closely at the house at Tokoly Street, you’ll see a small balcony. At the balcony, there is a statue of a woman that stands still and awaits for her man to return from war. The story of this mysterious lady traces back to 20th century, to the times of World War I. Before the war, she had been living with her beloved man who eventually had to leave and join the army. The legend says that the woman sat at this balcony each and every day and waited, hoping to see figure of her loved one in the distance and sigh happily that he made it back home to her. Unfortunately, she got infected and suffered from Spanish flu. She did not make it, gave up her fight only a day before her husband returned home. When he arrived, he found her dead on that balcony. Mourning, the broken-hearted man ordered a sculptor to create a statue of this loyal woman and after he set it up on the balcony, the husband walled the door up. Nowadays, the loyal woman still waits at the balcony, staring in the distance with her eyes seeking for a man she loves.

​ Honestly, walking down from Buda Hill, passing the house with lonely lady, you can start to feel a small hint of nostalgia. Then, passing the Chain Bridge, seeing the city darkening and colours of sunset lighting up the sky above Danube river, you’ll consider the view majestic. And the parliament at the right border of the river? You could almost say that this building steals all the glory of the scenery, or that it steals the spotlight from all the other landmarks present in this capital city but then you’ll realize it’s absolutely logical. It deserves all its attention and for sure, it’s what makes Budapest unforgettable.

This building is there for any calm Sunday morning, or relax during sunny day, or for romantic walk when it rains, or even for a picnic or sitting on a bench and studying for an exam. It’s there, and it’s been there for ages, for everyone.

Vorosmarty Square
& legend of New York Café

You can feel it most intensely at the main square, called Vorosmarty square – mainly around the famous Hard Rock Café. We entered it three times that evening and everytime we had to fight our way out through the crowd of people who came for a gig, coffee or a souvenir. Worth it! Then we found our way to the most popular shopping street in  Budapest, the Fashion Street. Unfortunately, I must admit that for students like us, this street was suitable only for window-shopping but even that gave us the opportunity to soak in some fine athmosphere of Budapest nightlife. The streets were full of little shops ranging from cafés and restaurants to fashion brands famous worldwide. And the later hour it was, the more people were walking in the streets and chatting about their life updates.

​ One more story comes to my mind. If you’d like to wander around the city centre, there is a café which is also famous for its interesting story from the past. The café I’m talking about is called New York Café and according to the story it has always been full of people, including some of the most influential figures of Budapest from that time. All these people were so satisfied with this café, so that they truly wished it to stay opened forever. So one day some of the guests stole the key from the main door and ran all the way to Danube. Followed by a huge wave of cheering crowd, he drowned the key in the river. One of the sources states that the man who has thrown the key into the river was a famous Hungarian writer, Ferenc Molnár, who is the author of book called The Paul Street Boys (which he had written inside aforementioned New York Café).

​ But now, let’s go back to the end of our story with Budapest…

House of Parliament
& the story of pancakes

Building I’ve already talked about a bit, leaves you flabbergasted once you see it by your own eyes for the first time. It’s so immense it almost makes your head spinning – and to prove you I’m not exaggerating, I’ll add that a walk from one side of the bulding to the other takes 10 minutes. So to get around the entire area takes 20 minutes, but that would be only in the case of not stopping for a single moment to admire this worldwide famous landmark, nor to take any picture of it. Or with it – which actually reminds me of a two-hour-long photoshoot we did in front it after we got kicked out of the tour around the its golden halls with great chandeliers. To specify, we were not behaving like some rebellious kids, we just arrived too late to get to our booked group. And unfortunately, all the other groups for the rest of the day were sold out. But I said to myself then: ‚At least I have a reason to come back here and discover the interior of Budapest’s most shining jewel.’

And I will. Because not seeing Budapest again would be like throwing a diamond into Danube river and watch yourself losing any other opportunity to see its glow and indisputable beauty again. Hopefully, see you soon, Budapest!

Love,

                                                                                                                                       Antonia

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