Budapest

Budapest, the capital of Hungary is an entrancing European city sitting on the river Danube. The metropolis is separated into two parts, Buda and Pest.

As our flight was approaching Budapest, I was filled with a lot of excitement. Once we landed, we immediately went to our hotel, Corinthia. ( https://www.corinthia.com/budapest/ )This is probably one of the best and biggest hotels in the Pest side of the Danube. It is one of the oldest classic hotels in Budapest built on a massive scale and is extremely beautifully decorated. The staff was very polite and kind to us, and the manager personally upgraded us to an amazing junior suite. The rooms were huge and had beautiful views of the streets and the hilltop castle. In the afternoon, we had exclusive access to the VIP lounge, which got us complimentary snacks and beverages every day. The breakfast spread was also grand and scrumptious.

Just after unpacking and settling in, we hit the streets of Budapest. We walked to the Chain Bridge while stopping on the way to grab some chocolate truffles to snack on. We crossed over to Buda and breathed in the European air. From there, we went to the flea market to take a glance at the local handicrafts and products Budapest had to offer. Following that, we went back to our hotel, as we were extremely fatigued because we had walked almost 7 kilometers. For dinner, we had spotted a nice Mexican café called Tacos Locos which was right next door to our hotel. The food was authentic and simple, yet very tasty. The churros were absolutely to die for!!

Budapest is known for both its awesome history and modern lifestyle. We had a lot of sightseeing to do that day, so we decided to have an early start and to make that easier, we purchased the hop-on hop-off bus tour tickets which allowed us to have unlimited journeys within a span of 24 hours including 1 boat ride on the Danube. Our first stop of the trip was Heroes Square which is a monument devoted to the patriotic heroes of Hungary. There is huge stone pillar in the center dedicated to all the people who gave their lives for the independence of Hungary, which is surrounded by seven pillars that embody the figures of Hungarian history. After clicking a few snaps, we visited the Museum of Fine Arts located next to this landmark. The museum is filled with over 10,000 art pieces designed by famous international painters from the renaissance era. The art was extravagant and a pleasure to look at.

From there, we went to the Dohány Street Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe, easily accommodating 3,000 worshippers. This monumental structure is also home to a museum, which showcases artifacts of the Jews who died during the Holocaust. This synagogue also houses a Cemetery and a memorial in the loving memory of all the Jews who died during the disturbing and destructive period of the Holocaust. The place is also equipped with a memory tree in which the names of the jews who died are written on each leaf of the tree. Today, it’s a place of beauty and solace, where hope and resilience are felt. We truly had an intriguing time in the synagogue.

By now we were starving, so we had a nice Mediterranean lunch in Dobrumba ( https://dobrumba.hu )which is highly recommended. This place does not take any reservations and is pretty full all the time, and tables are allotted on first come first serve basis. The food was delightful and also delicious. Following lunch, we walked our way back to the hotel and dived in the swimming pool to revitalize. The hotel also had 2 hot jacuzzi tubs (both at different temperatures), an ice shower, a steam and a sauna. Immediately after our swim, we went to the VIP lounge and enjoyed the sunset while bunching on a few snacks. For dinner, we had reserved our seats in the fine dining restaurant Laurel, ( https://laurelbudapest.hu/en/ )which served a modern 4 course Hungarian meal. They knocked the food out of the park. It was an eleven out of ten for me. If you ever visit Budapest, don’t miss Laurel. I have attached the pictures of a few dishes below.

We had some unfinished sightseeing left from the previous day, so we first headed towards the main attraction of Budapest, the Buda castle. We crossed the Chain Bridge again and went up the funicular to the castle. We wandered around the castle for a while and glanced upon amazing views surrounding it. From the Buda Castle, we visited the Fisherman’s Bastion. The Fisherman’s Bastion was built at the turn of the 20th century as a celebration of the 1,000th anniversary of the Hungarian state. The lookout replaces a once thick wall built to protect the Buda Castle. Now, as one of the most visited sites in all of Budapest, the Bastion stands as a landmark to celebrate and showcase the beautiful capital city.

Right next to the Fisherman’s Bastion is the famous Matthias Church which has Sunday concerts. Down below through an elevator is the famous Hospital In The Rocks. We booked a guided tour for 1 hour to witness this amazing monument. The history behind this monument is that it was built as a secret hospital and bunker for the injured troops during the World War. Nowadays, it’s the biggest Hungarian waxwork exhibition with more than 40 figures, and a lot of original machinery and furniture that are still in working conditions. The experience was an eye opener as we got to see the unfathomable amount of injury and damage done to the people during that time. We ended our visit to the Buda Hills with a hearty meal at Jamie’s Italian. This was another long day for us, and we needed to rejuvenate. Lucky for us, Hungary is home to many sulphur pools, which relax the body tissues and muscles, so we decided to visit the iconic Gallert spa on the foothills of Buda Castle. Gellert thermal pools, swimming pool, wave pool and spa treatments offer a great relaxation and entertainment all year round. Gellert Spa Bath is the true gem of the thermal baths where you can easily spend a day, explore the numerous pools, and get luxury treatments without having to feel crowded by other tourists.

For dinner we went to the most visited and highest reviewed place in Budapest, Mazal Tov. ( https://mazeltov.hu/en )It is a light and airy café serving sub Mediterranean food and beverages. The place is in an old pebbled courtyard and a lot of reused material, yet very modern and trendy. I found it to be a little overrated, but the food was okay though.

Next day moments after the break of dawn, we were up and ready to discover a few more surprises Budapest had in store for us. Our first stop of the day was the Hungarian Parliament. While walking towards the edifice, we crossed the historic Shoes on the Danube, which is a memorial site dedicated to the Jews who died in the world war. We also lit a candle in memory and went to the Parliament. As we reached, all the English slots of the guided tour were unfortunately booked, so we had to skip that part. But we had a delicious coffee and carrot cake in the café of this parliament building. They actually painted my photo on the coffee by the means of #coffee art. It brought a smile on all our faces and a memory to treasure for a lifetime!

Next on our list was the Saint Stephen Basilica, which is the largest in the whole of Budapest. It is made in memory of the first king Stephen, whose mummified right hand is in there. A visit to the cupola at the top to get a 360 degree view of Hungary is an absolute must. Down the alley it the famous Greesham Palace Four Seasons Hotel, which is the most iconic hotel of Budapest with views of the Chain Bridge, Buda Castle, Firsherman’s Bastion and the Danube.

We had another activity planned that day which was a Segway ride to Margaret Island. We were first trained and briefed on how to operate the Segway, and then we were off on our route. We first crossed the entire riverside of Danube and then went across the bridge to Margaret Island. We saw the musical fountain and the ruins of the Dominican Church on the island. It is a very photogenic and fun route and is a perfect alternate for those willing to experience Segway Fun on the Margaret Island & Park, rather than seeing the historical parts of Budapest. After the tour ended, our guide told us about a traditional dish called Langoś, which is just like a pizza but instead of tomato base, it is topped with sour cream. We had that at Langos Papa on our way back to the hotel; it was absolutely delicious and an absolute must try in Budapest.

We had completely exhausted our sightseeing agenda by now, so the next day was our shopping day for which we headed to Vasi Utcà. Beginning at Vörösmarty Square and ending at the Central Market Hall, Vaci Utca is the main shopping street in Budapest. The whole street is pedestrianized and lined with beautiful buildings, although these days most of the shops are catered to tourists rather than locals. We hopped from one shop to another and had a lot of fun. For lunch we went to Gerbeaud, which is an iconic tea-time café serving Italian food and patisserie desserts. After our shopping spree, we went back to our hotel and had a short power-nap. For dinner, we choose to have Greek cuisine at Dionysos Taverna ( http://www.dionysos.hu/ ). It is a typical Greek style blue & white Taverna with an open terrace, serving mezzes, Souvlaki & grilled meats with traditional music playing in the background. It is beautifully decorated with an amazing aura to the place. The food sizes are also quite generous and the food was on point. It was a nice closure to our great holiday at Budapest.

I would also like to add here that Budapest is famous for its Ruin pubs and bars. While surfing for various popular restaurants, the names that showed up the most were Instant, Grandino, Csendes and DiVino.

BUDAPEST IS ONE OF THE BEST TOURIST HOTSPOTS IN ALL OF EASTERN EUROPE WITH A MAGNIFICENT HISTORY AND CULTURE, ICONIC MONUMENTS, NOTEWORTHY HANGOUTS AND  SUPERB FOOD!