I woke up just in time to see us flying over the river. The clouds were clearing up, and the sun added just the right vibrance to the colorful roofs lining up both sides. On the left side sits Buda, with its sprawling castle and palace that takes up most of the hill. The other side is the more modern city of Pest, its flat landscape cluttered with crooked streets and art nouveau buildings. Though Hungary is one of the oldest empires in Europe, its capital had grown separately as two cities until the first bridge was built in 1849. The two cities were joined to form the capital in 1873, and Budapest became the perfect couple name for the new union.
The airport was a bus + train ride away from the city, far enough to get a sense of what it’s like to not live in the capital through the window. The buildings were low and far apart, separated by untended green fields with the occasional roadside billboard advertising Italian swimwear and grocery chains. Locals and travelers shared the long bus ride making its many stops along the way, reaching the subway station in about half an hour’s time.
Budapest’s metro system is one of the oldest in the world, and we were in love with the trains as soon as we saw the first one approaching the station. The train seemed like it hadn’t been painted since the country’s communist era with its rusty dull blue exterior. The doors clanked loudly to open, and smashed close with a loud bang that would deter anyone from trying to get on last minute for fear of losing their limbs. The lights were dim, and the gray plastic handles rattled as we passed through dark tunnels and slightly less dark stations. We are used to seeing old things displayed in museums in glass cases that you are supposed to be awed by without touching. We keep those things and try to upgrade everything we actually use at lightening speed. It is perhaps the sense of loss at the speed of which we replace our environment that the outdatedness of the line held a strange sense of nostalgic beauty.
We emerged into one of the most modern areas of Budapest at Deák Ferenc station. Fashion stores housed themselves on the ground floors of old residential buildings, creating an interesting juxtaposition between headless mannequins and regal statues. Our Airbnb was in one such building with a spiraling staircase and an elevator that’s likely older than both of us.
The buildings in Budapest are beautiful. As with any old city, you can find a number of architecture styles mingled together by history, but art nouveau is the clear winner. The architecture aficionado can probably trace the historical lineage of many famous buildings, but for the casual traveler, it’s enough to just marvel at the exquisite facades.
The most impressive of all is the Parliament Building, planned to celebrate the union of the two cities in 1880 and completed in 1904. It takes up 268 meters on the bank of the Danube, and houses both the crown jewels of past kings and administrative offices of the current government.
The 5,800 HUF (~$20) non-EU citizens have to shell out seemed like a lot at first for a 45 minute tour, but the guided tour of the building’s interiors is well worth the time and price. Lavishly decorated with 40kg of gold leaves and half a million precious stones, the building is a reminder of the faded glory of past empires. Unfortunately we were no longer able to photograph the central hall where the crown jewels reside (although you can find photos of it here). It was my favorite room, with a tall ceiling adorned with simple green and gold patterns, and surrounded by statues of kings and their imperial crests, watching over the crown that once symbolized their power.
The age of kings was coming to a close by the time the Parliament Building was completed, and the other side of the river was where they spent most of their days. Buda Castle has its origins during the Middle Ages, and saw the coronation of the last Hungarian king in 1916. Occupied by the Axis force during WWII, the palace was most destroyed in the last battle days, and most of what we see now is a successful reconstruction during the 1950s and 1960s.
Next to the castle is Old Town, centered around Matthias Church. The church was founded in 1015, and reconstructed multiple times through history. During the Great Turkish War between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, Buda was taken by the Turks and Christians lived under precarious conditions for 145 years. In 1686, renewed efforts began to retake the city, which resulted in a siege that lasted for over a month. When cannon fire destroyed one of the walls of the church, a hidden votive Mary statue was revealed in front of praying Muslims. This “Mary wonder” was said to be one of the turning points of the war, as the garrison lost their will to fight and the city fell on the same day.
The Fisherman’s Bastion sits right outside the church, where you can find the most breathtaking view of Pest. Constructed at the end of the 19th century to commemorate the 1000 year anniversary of the state, its neo-Romanesque design reflects the architectural style during the first Hungarian king’s reign, and pays tribute to the fishermen who lived by the river and would climb up to defend the their home when called.
Coming down from Castle Hill, you can rest your tired feet at one of the many thermal bath houses the city is known for. The Ottoman occupation may have ruined the city’s economy, but one good thing it brought was the bath houses, proliferated by the Muslims for social gathering and ritual cleansing. Most of them rest on the Buda side, but we had to be rebels and went to the only famous one in Pest, Széchenyi. The place was super crowded and there were few baths where we felt comfortable enough to sit in without being uncomfortably close to other people. Let’s just say I’ve had better spa experiences.
Speaking of Széchenyi, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge is one of eight bridges that connects the new to the old. The first permanent bridge between Buda and Pest, it was designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark and shipped to Hungary in sections for assembly. The Germans blew up all the bridges in Budapest during their retreat at the end of World War II, including the Chain Bridge. The reconstruction was completed in 1949, exactly 100 years after its first opening.
Although we loved the trams, trains, and boats, the best way to explore the city is still on foot. We walked across at least 3 bridges multiple times during the day and night, and each bridge gave a different but equally gorgeous view of the city. Then there were the statues, which littered the river walk as well as other parts of the city, popping out of nowhere to provide a delightful surprise. My favorite was this jester, sitting by the train tracks silently judging every passerby.
For souvenirs or local eats or just a glimpse at the daily lives of Hungarians, visit the Great Market Hall with its spices, dried fruits, bakeries and groceries. There’s lángos stand on the second floor recommended by both Rick Steves and Anthony Bourdain, and the line in front shows its popularity. Lángos is deep fried bread with various savory and sweet toppings. The person at stand will ask you what toppings you want and the price will quickly add up without adding much to the taste, so don’t be too greedy (like me). I very much regretted not buying more fruits and dried fruits in Budapest before we went to the next part of our journey, as the prices at least doubled as soon as we crossed into Austria.
We returned to Budapest at the end of our long trip and found the scorching sun unbearable. By the afternoon it was determined that we have quickly reached the plateau part of the curve of diminishing return for sightseeing, and took a nap in a park by the river. It was strange and wonderful to wake up a little groggy to the sound of a train going by, a mix of random languages, and finally coming back to the reality of where I was.
We spent our last Hungarian forint on an ice cream cone and took a tram + train + bus to the airport. A city rich in history, culture, and pleasant surprises, Budapest was the perfect beginning and end to our trip.
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