I spent a little more than 24 hours in Budapest this past week on a short trip for work. Luckily, I had a few hours to walk around what I consider to be one of Europe's more picturesque cities. Hungary and its people have a rich culture and history, which is manifest in the buildings, statues and monuments of Budapest and befits a State that has been around for more than 1000 years.
As you may know, Budapest is actually the combination of two towns across the Danube. Buda, on the hilly Western side is where the Buda Castle is situated on the hill with an accompanying district with charming cobblestoned streets. Pest is on the East and is where more of the action -- it's where a majority of the population live and houses the Government. To the left is the Parliament, which has got to be one of the most spectacular government buildings in the world. Below is a view of the Castle from the Pest side.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to go into the monuments and sights given the time constraints. Next time I'd like to go on a proper guided tour. Besides walking around the old part of Buda, I took a cab to Heroes' Square, and then went on to Liszt Ferenc Square with its outdoor cafes and restaurants.
My hotel recommended Dio for modern Hungarian food. Give it a miss. The food was fine and the service was good, but I didn't think it good value for money. Moreover it was a bit empty and there seemed to be few locals there. I really enjoyed my (albeit quick) lunch at the Gerloczy Cafe. I had a traditional potato soup with sausage, which was hearty and tasty followed by a veal stew. Both dishes were flavorful without being too heavy. It had a nice Bohemian feel and I would go back again.
Someone I talked to before my trip observed that Hungary is an interesting place in that the people are justly proud for their rich and varied history but have been humbled in the past century through the World Wars and Communism with a brighter outlook in recent years with its entry into the EU and growing economy. That makes for a complicated psyche and I definitely felt that in the people I met and how they were almost embarrassed when talking about the Hungarian market. There are magnificent buildings but a lot of them have a faded glory look to them, having seen better days. Some are outright abandoned, like this one below, which was a 3 minute walk from my hotel in the heart of Pest.
All in all, I was very impressed with Budapest and would definitely like to return and spend more time, seeing the sights, visiting one of its famous baths and generally getting a better feel for the place.
As you may know, Budapest is actually the combination of two towns across the Danube. Buda, on the hilly Western side is where the Buda Castle is situated on the hill with an accompanying district with charming cobblestoned streets. Pest is on the East and is where more of the action -- it's where a majority of the population live and houses the Government. To the left is the Parliament, which has got to be one of the most spectacular government buildings in the world. Below is a view of the Castle from the Pest side.
My hotel recommended Dio for modern Hungarian food. Give it a miss. The food was fine and the service was good, but I didn't think it good value for money. Moreover it was a bit empty and there seemed to be few locals there. I really enjoyed my (albeit quick) lunch at the Gerloczy Cafe. I had a traditional potato soup with sausage, which was hearty and tasty followed by a veal stew. Both dishes were flavorful without being too heavy. It had a nice Bohemian feel and I would go back again.
Someone I talked to before my trip observed that Hungary is an interesting place in that the people are justly proud for their rich and varied history but have been humbled in the past century through the World Wars and Communism with a brighter outlook in recent years with its entry into the EU and growing economy. That makes for a complicated psyche and I definitely felt that in the people I met and how they were almost embarrassed when talking about the Hungarian market. There are magnificent buildings but a lot of them have a faded glory look to them, having seen better days. Some are outright abandoned, like this one below, which was a 3 minute walk from my hotel in the heart of Pest.
All in all, I was very impressed with Budapest and would definitely like to return and spend more time, seeing the sights, visiting one of its famous baths and generally getting a better feel for the place.
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