Budapest, Hungary
Budapest was the first stop in a 10-day trip that visited other major central European cities such as Vienna and Prague. One the big highlights in Budapest was a guided tour of the Hungarian Parliament building, the largest building in Hungary situated on the banks of the Danube River on the Pest side. The tour provided a detailed glimpse of the Parliament building that was exquisitely decorated with royalty colors inside along with the gothic style architecture with the outside facade. Having gone on an evening Danube cruise the night before and seeing these landmarks from the water, it was great to walk the halls and see the various chambers and special rooms from the inside.
Walking across the Chain Bridge, another attraction in itself, is the Buda side of the city, where a few other major attractions reside as well. These included the Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church. These 2 venues are perched atop a hill, which had some stunning views of Budapest on that clear summer day.
Our tour just happened to coincide with Hungarian National Day on August 20th. This special date meant lots of local food tents lined up along the Danube River promenade, along with local music, parades, drinks and culminated with a spectacular firework show with the lit up Parliament building as the backdrop. It was great to experience something like this in a different country and see how the people of Hungary celebrated their National day.
Budapest is also known for their special thermal baths and it was a must do on most of our travelers’ list. Many of us visited the Széchenyi Baths which boasts 15 different baths all in an outdoor setting regardless of the season. In the evening hours, the social scene in Budapest is quite lively with its ruin bars. These bars are housed in empty buildings which have many different rooms each with a unique theme and feel to it ranging from grungy basements, outdoor circus gardens to a full on club with dance floors.
Budapest, Hungary
