Budapest; Pearl of the Danube

Situated in East-Central Europe, Budapest is a city with many historic yet modern attributes that keep tourists coming every year by the millions. Known as the “Pearl of the Danube”, the city is divided into two very well-known parts.  There is the hilly Buda side, with its marvelous Buda’s Castle Hill overlooking the Danube River, and the flat Pest side with its fashion streets, galas, spa baths, elegant restaurants and late night cafés scattered around every corner.  The city of Budapest has every tourist’s pleasure from art museums to lush green parks scattered around its 23 districts.  It is filled with many well-known gems, as well as hidden ones, to meet the visitor’s expectations. Starting off with the three most famous attractions of the city, the first to mention is Buda Castle Hill, built in the 14th century surrounding its area with historic statues of key figures throughout its history.  The castle includes a museum, gallery and the National Library of Hungary, filled with ancient and rare collections of books and manuscripts.  To ascend Castle Hill, one can either walk up a series of stairs or just take an old-fashioned elevator that climbs up sideways, resembling a two-story coach with seats and views of the river.  The area surrounding the castle includes a residential area, school, and tiny cafés. A romantic Viennese-styled stroll around the pebbled grounds will take you all the way to Fisherman’s Bastion, an area overlooking the river and standing opposite to the famous Parliament building.  This Gothic building, with a large dome and many similarities to Britain’s Palace of Westminster, holds many important figures of Hungarian history, from Transylvanian rulers to famous Hungarian army officers who have fought for their country throughout history.  The building is the third largest in the world and one of the oldest.  Bullet holes are still visible to tourists alongside its walls, shown as balls of iron, to remind everyone of the rough battles it endured during WWII. Moving along the river, the famous Chain Bridge appears as one of the finest-structured bridges in all of Europe.  There are seven bridges connecting the two sides of the city to each other but the most famous of them all is the Chain Bridge. Many hotels are situated alongside the river overlooking both the Chain Bridge, as well as Buda Castle Hill, to capture the beautiful view both in the morning and, better yet, at night. After passing by Roosevelt Square (named after US President Theodore Roosevelt), with its posh hotels such as the Four Seasons, the next stop is Vaci street, which is filled with cafés, shopping stores and restaurants to suit all tastes.  It’s a well-known tourist stop with many street performers and caricature artists; traditional Hungarian items can be found here as well.  The street – or more of a square connected to a street – is a venue for many of the country’s celebrations and festivals, such as the Christmas Market and the Hungarian Independence Day.  The streets of Budapest are well-known for their organization; and transportation isn’t difficult to use either. A few streets over from Vaci Street, visitors can find Andrassy Avenue, better known as Budapest’s Fashion Avenue.  Designers from D&G to Louis Vuitton can all be found on this quaint street.  The famous Hungarian Opera House is also located there.  The streets are lined with boutiques, mini parks, and corner cafés everywhere. And to set itself apart from some of Hungary’s European neighbors, these boutiques and cafés are open for business until the late hours of the night.   Continuing the walk up Andrassy Ave, you will find yourself in Oktagon Square, a crisscross intersection connected by trams, cars and the underground metro.  Many embassies are located on Andrassy Ave, for it was once the most sophisticated and posh of all the districts in Budapest.  The street ends at a large memorial known as H_sök Tere, or “Heroes’ Square”, which is marked by a large stone column at its center with a golden flame on top known as the Millennium Memorial, surrounded by crescent-shaped groups of pillars with statues of the leading seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century, as well as other outstanding figures in Hungarian history. The monument is considered as somewhat of an entryway to the City Park, home of the city’s zoo, ice rink during the winter season, the Palace of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Vajdahunyad Castle and the famous Szechenyi Medical Baths and swimming pool. The Szechenyi Baths, a marvelous mansion built in the late 19th century and completed in the early 20th century during the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy, has an interior filled with Roman-style columns, colorful ceramic tiles, glass roofs, and stone lion heads.  The baths are based on thermal waters aplenty in Hungary and include various physical therapy sessions, Turkish baths, as well as water therapy sessions for those suffering from different joint pains and illnesses. Budapest is a city filled with excitement, relaxation, leisure and some downtime as well.  There are lots and lots of restaurants from which to choose; from the Greek-styled blue and white interior of Taverna Dionysos, with its wide selection of authentic Greek meals, to the Iranian Shiraz restaurant filled with its gold-cushioned ‘jalsaat’, hookahs and even live birds, all the way to the downright rock’n’roll memorabilia-filled American restaurants such as the Hard Rock and TGI Fridays.  The selection is immense and offers a challenge to the indecisive. Sundays around Europe are known as lazy day Sundays, but not in Budapest.  Everywhere you look, one can find Sunday brunch menus for the lazy traveler, with prices ranging from 10€ up to 100€ at selected recognized 5-star hotels.  You will find many Hungarians taking a stroll beside the river Danube; many boat tours are available as well, complete with lunch or dinner menus to enjoy during the trip. The river Danube connects Budapest to Vienna and Bratislava, making Budapest the doorway to these two wonderful cities as well.  The location of the city places it as a hub for many cities mere hours away.  Day trips to nearby cities, both inside and outside of Hungary, are common and can be organized by many tourist offices around the city.  The city’s two main train stations, Nyugati (Western) Station and Keleti (Eastern) Station, have connections to many cities around Hungary with sophisticated railway lines made specifically for travelers’ comfort.  Overnight cabins are also available for long journeys. Budapest is a must-see location if you’re ever in Europe.  It’s a city for the thrill-seekers, the romantics, the food enthusiasts, the history majors, the art  lovers and even the lazy holidaymakers.  It’s a city for all tastes and      preferences.