Hungary
Mid-December 2018
Hungary is fantastic. Book your tickets. That’s almost all I want to say - It’s that good.
Amy, Elle, and I didn’t know too much about Hungary so didn’t know what to expect from Budapest. However, I can safely say that whatever expectations we had were completely blown away. Budapest’s beautiful architecture, gorgeous surrounds, welcoming people, excellent shopping, rich history, and interesting food made for a wonderful four days in Eastern Europe.
Through a complicated several hundred years, the Kingdom of Hungary was eventually elevated to co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 1867. If you’ve been to Vienna, you can expect the same grand architecture and city planning.
Budapest is a radiant, stunningly beautiful city. Or cities, rather, as Budapest was once three distinct places: Buda, Pest, and Óbuda. Separated by the Danube, they were united in 1873. Generally speaking, if you’re on a hill, you’re in Buda, if not, you’re in Pest.
Here’s a meandering historical thought: Most people know that during the 1800’s the Habsburgs and the Austrians were major players on the world scene, yet no-one knows about Hungary – even though they were important enough to have equal claim to the Austrian throne i.e. the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Hard luck for Hungary – ever the bridesmaid.
We caught a bus from Prague, via Bratislava, to reach Budapest Népliget central bus station by early evening. Quickly after leaving Prague, it began snowing and after falling asleep on the bus, I awoke to everything being white. A glorious sign of things to come.
We stayed in a lovely Airbnb in District V, in Pest. Starving, we went around the corner to a well-regarded local eatery which was unfortunately fully booked. Unshaken, we went and had a good meal at nearby Tüköry Étterem. We had beef stew, goulash, kiev, and schnitzel, and even tried Palinka, the local liquor. I can’t say I was a fan, although I don’t like spirits - try it and let me know what you think - I can at least recommend the ones mixed with honey.
The next day Amy and I, committed to burning off the previous night’s carbs, set out for a run. Although it was -5 degrees, it was wonderful; bright blue skies, fresh air, and the beautiful Danube by your side.
After struggling to speak simple Hungarian at a nearby bakery, we set off on a grand walking tour, having set ourselves a goal of walking through Buda, Pest, and the castle district. We began in the morning and were met with falling snow, making us joyous beyond belief – especially Elle. Eloise deftly navigated us to our first stop, Országház, the Hungarian Parliament – a truly stunning gothic-revival masterpiece. Believe it or not, in our discomfort, Amy & I ran past this in the morning and didn’t notice. I have no idea how. See for yourself.
From there we walked by the Shoes on the Danube memorial, a memorial to those persecuted by previous fascist regimes. Enemies of the state were brought to the Danube, shot, and unceremoniously kicked in the river. A collection of brass shoes from men, women, and children line the Eastern bank of the river. Easily missed, it’s a touching sight.
Walking further south, we checked out the splendid, Moorish-inspired, Tabakgasse Synagogue and then stopped for lunch at the surprisingly quiet, Grand Market. We had a mix of Hungarian staples; Gulash, fried potaoes, fermented cabbage, beef stew, lentils, and sausages. Although I find the hearty, meaty, and fattening food of Hungary delicious, many may not – the flavours can be very similar and plates end up being similar combinations of red, yellow, and brown things, mixed with paprika.
Walking across the proud Széchenyi bridge, we arrived at the foot of Gellért Hill. The snow having settled, the walk to the Budapest Liberty Statue was delightful. Snow had dusted everything; the sky was clear, and the air chilled. The statue towered proudly above the town once we reached it.
Descending down to the castle district on the other side of Gellért Hill, we slipped, fell, and shuffled our way down the icy paths, throwing several snowballs along the way.
Arriving at the nearby castle district we were yet again met with stunning architecture and glorious monuments, including the Buda Castle, St Istvan’s church, and the Fisherman’s bastion – well known sights, all of which are worth your time.
Desperate for sugar we went in search of cake. Wrongly dismissing Eloise’s directions, we took way too long to finally find Korona Kávéház, a cute konditorei.
Regenerated by coffee, hot chocolate, black forest cake and apple strudel, we parted ways - the girls made their way home, I hung around to take photos of the city at night. I was already in love with Budapest and it was only day one.
That evening, we made way for Mozel Toff in District VII. Serving modern Mediterranean, we devoured a wonderful mezze of grilled meats, warm bread, fresh salads, haloumi, and dips. Halfway through the meal, a Jewish folk band began playing. The evening was wonderful and was finished by a few drinks at nearby Szimpla Kert - an off-beat but well-known ruin bar nearby.
Budapest is famous for these Ruin bars: semi-permanent, bohemian, pop-up pubs – built in abandoned warehouses, stockrooms, and hotels. The scene amounts to an ever-changing collection of hip, dive bars. Unpretentious, hidden, and endearingly filled with throwaway objects, old propaganda, and household items, they are a colourful facet of the Budapest drinking scene. I suggest you go to several if you’re here.
Next morning we walked up Andrassy Avenue to the National Monument, built to commemorate the 7 Magyar tribes who came together to found Hungary - it is quite a sight. We then checked out the nearby Fine Art Museum, prior to wandering through Városliget Park. The grounds were gorgeous, as all things in Budapest seemed to be – snow covered trees, steaming thermal ponds, and well-manicured gardens. We stopped for a delicious Langos or three and watched the most comfortable ducks we’ve ever seen paddle about the water.
Returning to millennium square, we caught the subway back in to town. Notably, the first ever subway was constructed in Budapest, and the delightfully dated stations are still in use.
After returning to the city centre, we spent our afternoon at the New York Palace Café, a stunning Italian Rennaisance-style coffee house and hotel which feels a hundred years removed. We spent an hour enjoying hot drinks, cake, and strudel, while being entertained by the house musicians. It was a grand experience - well worth the high price.
Our final evening was spent apart. Limited on time and with different goals, the girls went on a night time river cruise, whilst I went to Gellért spa to take in the waters just like Anthony Bourdain.
Budapest is set upon a volcanic field which provides them with ample hot water. Having been controlled by Ottoman Turks in the past, the Turkish bath is a well-held tradition.
The Gellért spa is one of the older, more well-known institutions, along with Széchenyi, Rudas, Király and others. The experience can be challenging due to most signs being in Hungarian and the customs peculiar, but it made for a fun evening. Wandering underground to find the showers, spas, cold plunge pools, saunas, and steam rooms, I eventually settled in the central bath hall. Given that a lot of people were here relaxing, I took no photos, electing instead just to sit back and make my own memories.
I was perplexed by a group of girls who spent the better part of an hour wading in and out of the spa trying to take the perfect photo. I was amazed that in such gorgeous and relaxing surrounds that not one of them actually got in the spa fully. It was a glorified photo shoot; seemingly to prove they came. They got the necessary Instagram photo, without having actually done it, and then left. Strange times. I hope they got the likes they wanted.
After meeitng back up later that evening, we went to the glorious St Stephen’s Basilica and checked out the markets surrounding it. Wandering the stalls and eating Trdelník in the heavy snow was unreal.
So who are the Hungarians, anyway? Firstly, I'm told they would say they are the Magyars, as they still take great pride in their tribal heritage. Although often stony-faced and short-spoken, the Hungarians were stoic, welcoming, and friendly people. They responded with pride and appreciation whenever we successfully spoke Hungarian, and were always helpful - ready to discuss where to go, what to do, and what is important to them. Still waters run deep.
Regarding language, I found the Hungarian exceptionally hard. Sentence structure wasn’t too difficult, but the spelling and phonetics are difficult - to say the least. Words are filled with consonants and the sounds are difficult to create. An example of this is the pronunciation of Magyar. A’s are pronounced as a short A/O sound, and GY is pronounced as a single sound; Djuh. So I’ve been told the correct pronunciation of Magyar is similar to Modjor, not Mahg-Yahr. Nonetheless, people seemed to very much appreciate our fumbling - You won’t be met with derision if you try things out. Hungarians are fiercely prideful of their history and culture, so seem genuinely thankful of anyone who takes interest in it.
Just go. If you are thinking about Eastern Europe – probably Prague – don’t, Just book a ticket to Budapest instead. Eat Gulash, try and fail to speak Hungarian, be stunned by the architecture, go on a river cruise down the Danube, drink palinka, relax in a Turkish bath, and enjoy the company of the locals. It is that good.
We packed up our things and boarded a bus to Croatia, soon to meet the rest of the Gillies clan in Zagreb. You had best believe we spent most of our travel time talking about Budapest.
Onwards to Croatia.
JC
‘I set off on a long journey so that something will set off in me as well’
Jenö Cholnoky
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