After I begin something, I usually think of a way that it could be made better…which is maybe why blogging hasn’t been so successful for me so far. I always start a new one with my new idea. This time, I’ve decided that I would continue with this one and just make improvements as I go. Because of that, one of the things that I have decided is that a single country cannot be captured in one blog post. Henceforth, instead of a post about a country, my posts will be about one city/attraction/experience of a given country. Most countries, therefore, will probably have more than one post about them sooner or later, so if you’d like to read about a country, you should be able to find all of the post that I’ll write through my tags. I’m also working on another idea for improving this blog, but I’ll let you know that once I’ve thought it through. Destination #4 is…Budapest!
My sister’s favorite city in the world and one of my favorites as well, Budapest is the capital of Hungary. Looking back on all that we saw there, I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit it in one post…we’ll see, this might be part 1 🙂
The city itself is made up of two parts, Buda and Pest, on the west and east banks of the Danube River respectively. Several bridges link the two sides, and I guess you could also take a boat across if you really wanted to. I’ve been to Budapest twice, once in the summer and once in the fall. Both times the weather was fairly moderate. It did rain several times during the fall trip, but nothing extreme. Budapest has been ranked as one of the most beautiful and most affordable cities in Europe, making it a prime destination. It’s also big enough for plenty of tourist attractions, but not overpopulated with tourists like Paris.
One of the most memorable parts of both of my trips to Budapest was the music that I heard while I was there. On the second trip, we did listen to a concert which was very entertaining, but the buskers out on the streets made a lasting impression. While some do busk for a living, some of the people playing their instruments were out just for the fun of it. You can find everything from flutes to accordions, to stringed instruments, to keyboards, and even water glasses, which was my favorite. We actually found the same man playing the water glasses both times! It’s truly impressive. Also, the top notch music that you can hear everywhere lends a very cultured air to the city and enhances any late afternoon or evening stroll that you might take through the city.
The visits to Budapest were both educational and relaxing trips (check my Croatia post here for explanations on those terms), so I’ll write a little bit about what you can do for both of those types of trips.
If you want to relax, definitely visit the Turkish baths in Budapest. They have many different types of pools both for health benefits. There are also saunas in the baths, as well as regular swimming pools if you would rather just have fun at the pool. If you like the water, but swimming doesn’t appeal to you, or the weather is not conducive to swimming, you can take a cruise on the Danube River, which not only lets you see the sights, but also provides you with interesting facts about the city.
Some other fun things to see around the city include the Fisherman’s Bastion, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Opera House, the Parliament Building, and the Citadel. All of these locations are very beautiful and are show a different side of Budapest’s culture and history. On the more serious side of things, Budapest has a Holocaust museum, which, though it is very sobering, is a very educational and important place to visit in my opinion.
For those interested in shopping, Budapest has several malls where you can buy most anything you would like. However, there is also a flea-market type of bazaar, the Central Market Hall is a wonderful place to visit. Not only do they sell groceries there, you can also buy souvenirs and gifts there! They also have some food stalls there where you can stop for a quick bite.
Speaking of food, Hungary has some delicious food as well! Goulash, a beef stew type of dish with la variety of vegetables, is a national dish and should definitely be tasted by tourists! They also have an assortment of sausages which are delicious. And we can’t forget about their pastries. Do not leave the country without trying at least one pastry (the raspberry ones are scrumptious). You will not be disappointed!
If you have a couple hours to spare, Budapest is a delightful place to just wander around and “get lost” in. Take a stroll along the Danube, down Váci Street (which is also a good place to shop), or meander around and find a secondhand bookstore to peruse (the Red Bus Bookstore is great)!
Public transportation in Budapest is very dependable and easy to use, so make the most of it and see as much as you can! Hungarian is a notoriously difficult language, but try to learn how to say hello, thank you, and goodbye; those simple words will get you a long way. I would say at most tourist attractions you will be able to find someone who understands English, but even if you can’t talk with a lot of people, there are so many ways to communicate nonverbally. Get creative 🙂
This post doesn’t even begin to capture all that Budapest is, but I hope that this gives you a small glimpse of the possibilities in store in this wonderful jewel of a city!
Delectable 