This weekend in Budapest was fun, gorgeous, and relaxing. We left on Friday morning at 8:30 and landed and found our airbnb by 11:00. After settling for the weekend we decided to walk around and explore.
After arriving we were very hungry, so when we found a bistro nearby with traditional Hungarian food we decided to give it a try. We shared a beef broth soup to warm up, and then I ordered the paprika chicken and John the duck. We found the cuisine in Hungary to be similar to the food in Czech and Vienna, very meaty and well seasoned. Our lunch was delicious!
After lunch we started our walk through the city. We decided that from our airbnb we would walk towards the Danube River and see what was along the way. We found the the Parliament building which was huge and beautiful. The weather was very chilly but we found a great place to sit with a view of the Parliament and we enjoyed some peace and quiet in the city.
From there we decided to walk along the river for a while. While walking I saw The Shoes on The Danube Bank by Gyula Pauer. Coincidentally,I had just seen them for the first time on my twitter feed a week ago, and didn’t remember that they were in Budapest. It was a shocking display. Standing there and seeing all the shoes of the lives that had been lost was heart breaking, and walking along them made you realize just how many shoes there were.
We kept walking and we ended up at the main bridge. I heard someone say that it’s the oldest in the city. The style reminded me a lot of London’s Tower Bridge. The Danube River is huge, and the sunset was so peaceful. In San Diego, I would frequently visit the beach to watch the sunset, it was weird that this was one of the first sunsets in Europe that I’ve sat down to bask in. The sky was so clear and the city skyline was gorgeous. This had to be one of the most relaxing moments in Europe. Even despite the cold, it was a worthwhile sunset to watch.
Buda Castle is right next to the bridge, but we knew that we would come back to visit it on Saturday so that we could fully explore the village. With the sun down we were freezing, and all the walking had made us hungry again. We found a grocery store on the way home and bought food to cook for dinner. The exchange rate from USD to HUF is 283 to $1.00. We were able to buy snacks, dinner, and drinks all for only $10 at the grocery store.
The next day we decided to walk back towards Buda Castle and shop along the way. We found some quaint Christmas markets with trinkets and wreaths. We stopped into each one and poked around. It’s weird to think that Thanksgiving doesn’t exist here and that everyone just jumps straight into Christmas. I can’t say thats a bad thing, I’m more than excited for the holiday season. Once we arrived at the Budapest Castle and walked all the way up the hill to the top, I was amazed. It was a whole tiny village to explore up there! We picked a direction and started walking. There were some gorgeous look out points, really old statues and buildings, and some great art stores. We explored the views for a bit before we stopped for lunch.
We ate at another Hungarian restaurant in the middle of the town. I was so happy when we got a table by the window with a view of the center. It was gorgeous within the Buda Castle, and lunch was delicious. I ordered duck this time, and John the filet. It was nice to step in from the cold as well.
After lunch we kept on walking to see the rest of the Castle. We found the main building and enjoyed the views. Unfortunately, while we were in Budapest a building caught on fire and we could smell and see the smoke all the way from across the river.
We spent the evening shopping and walking around. On the way back we stopped by the Budapest Eye, you can try and guess where that idea originated from. Honestly, a lot of Budapest reminded me of London. Overall it had a much more relaxed atmosphere, but some of the architecture like the Bridge and the Eye did make me think of London.
That evening we stopped in the cutest Christmas market and spent almost an hour looking through all the trinkets and deciding what would be worthy to fill space in our already tiny luggage. Afterwards we stopped to get some Pho and get some rest. We had been walking everywhere and it was definitely a treat because of the slower pace of the city, but after 8 miles a day we were tuckered out. On the walk home we did see St. Stephens Basilica. It was gorgeous.
On Sunday we woke up early to start our day at the Thermal Baths. Hungary is known for their thermal baths throughout the city. Doctors there will even prescribe time spent in various baths in order to help with joint pain, arthritis, or skin issues. I had seen people visiting the Széchenyi Thermal baths and they looked delightful, so we decided to give them a try. It costs about $20 for a day pass with a locker, which we both agreed after was well worth it. The facility is ridiculously huge! The outside alone has three different pools, one with a large water spout producing a lot of steam, one in the middle for swimming laps, and another on the other side with lots of high pressure spouts to mimic a massage.
Inside there were many more pools of various size. Each one with different temperatures and thermal combinations. I felt like goldilocks going from pool to pool finding the one that was just right. My favorite was probably the outside one with a single spout, but some of the inside ones had great architecture and mint aromas to calm you. It was a luxurious day at the spa, and a great escape from the cold weather.
This weekend was one of the most relaxing ones by far, not only is the city peaceful but the activities and the traveling was so easy and accessible. On top of that, the cost was very manageable due to the exchange rates. While the locals are not the most friendly to visitors, most people still speak English. I definitely think Budapest was one of my favorite visits and I would recommend it in a heartbeat.
