Travel Narrative: Budapest

Spend four quicks days in this city on the Danube

By Cynthia Pelayo
Published: December 4th, 2007 | 3:42pm

Europe was calling me. I longed for the history, culture, food, and - best of all - people watching. I had been to Western Europe several times, but I wanted something different, something with an old-world vibe. I wanted to visit a place where you could still see, and feel, the scars of time. Once I narrowed my search down to Eastern Europe, it became obvious where I should go — Budapest. My husband and I had four days set aside, not much time. The goal was to take in as much of this city as possible, and to be able to walk away with a clear idea of its identity.

The city along the Danube River has been referred to as the “Paris of Eastern Europe.” I resent that comparison. Budapest is all to its own, just like Paris, London or Rome. In Budapest you speak Hungarian, walk along Castle Hill, relax you body in thermal baths, and sip coffee, and have cake at century old cafes.

Budapest is actually two cities that were joined politically in 1849. Each side has its own distinctive feel. The more cultural Buda holds the majority of historic buildings, while Pest holds the business center, arts scene, restaurants, and nightlife. The premier city of Hungary, Budapest is home to nearly 2 million people.

There are four landmark bridges that connect the two cities, and each is an architectural marvel — most impressive is the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, the first bridge to connect the two cities, with two huge lions at the entrance. A walk across this bridge leads you to Budapest’s primary sight, Castle Hill. I was shocked to discover that there is no castle on Castle Hill; instead, Castle Hill is a limestone plateau that towers over the Danube. Medieval monuments, Unesco World heritage sights, as well as historic homes, cute restaurants, and the wine lovers dream, the House of Hungarian Wines, are just a few of the reasons to visit Castle Hill.

On our first full day, we arrived at Fisherman’s Bastion on Castle Hill — even on a rainy dreary day, the glum weather did not detract at all from this impressive site. The structure is an immense, white-stoned covered terrace with wonderful views of Pest and the Danube. It is named after a group of fisherman whose duty it was to defend this stretch of the city during the Middle Ages. We walked through the many passageways of the structure and watched as gypsies tried tirelessly to sell colorful floral tablecloths. Among the rush of tourists, the beautifully haunting guitar sounds of duo guitarists filled the scene. We continued our walk and counted the seven towers of the bastion. The seven towers that make up the bastion represent each one of the Magyar tribes that settled in the area.

Alongside the bastion was our next stop, Matthias Church, another landmark with parts dating back more than 500 years. Like many of Europe’s churches, it seems that the church is used more as a museum today than a house of worship. We took a walk up the spiral side stone staircase to view Budapest’s national symbol, the crown of St. Stephen.

The next day, our feet were worn and tired, so it was off to the natural thermal springs. There are over 120 thermal springs throughout the area and people have been using them for hundreds of years for relaxation and their natural healing abilities. We choose to visit the outdoor Széchenyi Thermal Baths in the City Park area, one of the largest baths with a dozen thermal spas and three swimming pools

We continued our exploration of Pest on the third day, visiting the Parliament Building, which is a mix of neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque architectural. Outside of the Parliament there are several memorials, one dedicated to the 1956 uprising in which many people were killed as they demanded freedom. Many memorials were still covered with fresh flowers and lit candles, by those who remember these times. The next stop was the Basilica of St. Stephen, a beautiful, dark and gloomy, church that holds the right-hand relic of the saint. We ended our exploration of Pest at the Great Synagogue, the second largest Jewish house of worship in the world, with beautiful stained glass windows, and seating for nearly 3,000 people.

The final day was spent retracing some of our steps, and discovering new restaurants. Over the course of our walking, I quickly discovered that Budapest is a gastronomical gem. Italian, American, Indian, French, traditional Hungarian, and vegetarian cuisine are just a few of the selections of restaurants available. As a vegetarian I was initially worried about the food situation but quickly learned that I had more than enough offerings. Each evening after dinner was accompanied by a visit to one of the city’s wonderful cafes. Like the boisterous Italians and debate-loving French, people in Budapest love conversations, and conversation often takes place at the café — the best of which was Gerbeaud. Opened in 1858, Gerbeaud is like having coffee in a palace, with huge oil paintings on the walls and chandeliered ceilings. One visit is not enough as your taste buds long for some of their rich deserts.

Budapest is undergoing somewhat of a revival. The streets are abuzz with construction in an effort to increase beautification of city for tourists. I am glad I experienced this romantic city along the Danube as it is, and I hope to visit soon because one visit is not enough.