Budapest: An Eastern European Beauty
I've been wanting to see this much talked about destination for awhile. I actually had a trip booked here a couple years ago, but then found out I was pregnant and didn't want to be so far from home in the first trimester. Alas, I lost some money on those flights and had to have a do-over this year - and we even brought that baby who was just a tiny little bean when we booked the first trip!
We did a few other destinations during this trip, so we allocated two days to Budapest. I would say three days would be ideal, but it can be done in two! Something I didn't realize until I started getting into some research was how large the city was, how many sights I would want to see, and how spread out they all are! That, coupled with the amount of hills in the city, made me book something that I NEVER do in Europe - a car city tour! It would have been impossible to see everything we did by foot and public transport, so this was the best option.
Here were some of the things we did for our quick hit trip to Buda (and Pest)!
City Tour by Car - we did a 1/2 day (4 hour) tour of the city and were able to see Gellert Hill and the gorgeous panorama views of the city from here, the Statue of Liberty, the Gellert Baths, the Elisabeth Bridge, Andrassy Avenue, the Opera House, Heroes' Square, City Park, Vajdahunyad Castle, Szechenyi Bath, the Castle District, Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastian, Chain Bridge, and, of course, Parliament
Phew - that's a lot, right? Some things we just explored and didn't partake (such as the baths and the Opera House), but others we were able to fully explore. There's no way we could have seen all this without the car
We used Gabriella from Private Tours Budapest and I can't say enough good things. She was a wealth of information and told us many stories about her own life during Communism and then after the wall fell. She was also incredibly accommodating with our 20 month old daughter
New York Cafe - The old New York Life building is now a fabulous cafe. We found their brunch to be a great deal with bottomless sparking wine, tons of food, and a string quartet. Such a fun experience and a must do!
Doheny Synagogue - I had never been inside of synagogue and this one is gorgeously done in purple hues and is the largest synagogue in Europe. There's also some sobering history on exhibit here from the Holocaust
Chain Bridge - we drove over it on our tour, but be sure to walk over it - you get great views of the Castle District on one side and the gorgeous Parliament building on the other
Castle District - super cute streets to walk around and adorable little restaurants
Four Seasons Budapest Bar - The national spice of Hungary is Paprika and the hotel bar has a Paprika martini that was delicious! The hotel is a former palace, so it's beautiful to take in the grand decor
Spoon Restaurant - This is a restaurant on a docked boat on the Danube with fantastic views. The pork cheek was delicious
Great Market Hall & Vaci Street - Vaci is a long pedestrian street lined with shops and restaurants. We grabbed some mulled cider at the Budapest Spring Fest (if you are visiting in Spring, be sure to check dates - great food here!) and walked our daughter down the street and she loved taking in the action. It ends at the Great Hall Market where we bought paprika and Palinka (Hungarian liquor) souvenirs
Intercontinental Budapest - The con of this hotel was that the room was not up to your normal Intercontinental standards, which was disappointing. However, there were many pros - we got a suite since our daughter was with us and it was large with panoramic views of Buda Castle. The lobby was lively with a band on some evenings, and there was an outdoor area overlooking the Danube with heat lamps and drink service (and really good, reasonably priced Hungarian wine). Another plus was the central location and, lastly, they served great Hungarian goulash!
Some of the things we missed that we would do if we went back would be actually using the famous bath houses, doing a boat cruise of the Danube, and maybe hitting one of the clubs we heard about!
Have you been to Budapest? Did you like the Goulash? Let me know!
