Flashback Series: Short But Sweet: An Evening in Budapest.

Short but Sweet.
Budapest, June 2014

Budapest is actually a two part installment, as I flew both to and from Israel via Budapest. I planned my budget flights accordingly so that I would have ample layover time each way; therefore I basically got a two day trip out of the deal. It’s a world class city, and totally worth the sleep deprivation if you only have one night there. I’ll write about the first time I visited, as the second time, for reasons you will soon discover, turned out to be a very different experience.

Also in two parts is the city itself: Buda and Pest, divided by the Danube River. Fun fact: you can travel up and down the Danube from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania (with a stop in Budapest, of course) on river cruise boats, which means it’s a magnet for European travelers, yet not as well known as the cities in Western Europe. Though it should be.

Budapest quickly shot up to one of my top ten favorite cities list. It was beautiful, it had so much to walk around and look at, it had elevations to climb to, it had a rich history to learn about, it was cheap, the people were very friendly, and once again, it was stunningly beautiful. I only spent one full day and evening there en route to Israel, which was enough to get a taste of the city and put it on my ‘must come back’ list.

I arrived at the airport and took the local bus to the metro station, then the metro into the city center. My hostel was easy to find and filled with young people talking about the World Cup. I dropped off my things and headed out to explore with no objective in mind except to head to the river. The most famous monument (and largest building in the country) in Budapest is the Parliament Building, which began construction in 1896 the anniversary of Hungary’s 1000^th year as a country. The Hungarian people, or Magyars, began their roots from the steppes of Eastern Europe, and are believed to share ancestry with the ancient Hun people. Towards the end of the first millennium, the Maygars expanded west, fighting and conquering areas of modern day Italy, France, and Germany, until they were eventually pressed back into their present settlement. “Hungarian settlement in the area was approved by the Pope when their leaders accepted Christianity, and Stephen I the Saint (Szent István) was crowned King of Hungary in 1001.” (Wikipedia) Hungary remained an integral part of Western and Eastern European politics, acting as a border between the east and west, conquered by both the Mongols then the Turks, and eventually becoming a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which fell after the First World War. This was followed first by Nazi occupation and then Soviet occupation, where it became a communist country until 1989.

Today, Budapest is a very modern city, with a large shopping district, along with many cafes and restaurants sprinkles among beautiful monuments, churches, parks, and museums. The Hungarian monarchy no longer exists, but the medieval castle (which has mostly been rebuilt since the 12^th century) remains, looking over the beautiful Chain Bridge, one of the city’s many bridges crossing between Buda and Pest. I wish I could tell you I learned all of this history and information from immersing myself in the city and learning from its many museums, but I actually got most of that from Wikipedia, as I didn’t have any time to visit the city’s great museums while I was there. 

However, the places I just mentioned are all pressed in my memory from my sunset walk around the city, which I’ll share now. I’m just going to post some various pictures from my walk, which you’ll see progressing from afternoon to evening, as well as from one side of the river to the other, then back again, and in which you’ll see why I immediately fell in love with the place.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

Parliament Building

The Danube River

Opposite side of the Danube

Parliament Building

Buda side of Budapest

View from the Fisherman's Bastion

Pest from the Buda side of Budapest

Sunset. 

Chain Bridge at sunset, Buda Castle atop the hill

Chain Bridge

Parliament from the bridge

Looking at the Buda side.

Goodnight Budapest. 

After the many miles I put on my shoes and the many pictures I put on my camera that evening, I fell asleep quickly and woke up with anticipation for what was to come next: Israel. Stay tuned for the final three installments of the Flashback Series!