Following our sobering experience in Poland, we headed south to an Eastern European country on the rise, Hungary. We had read and heard a lot about Budapest becoming a popular destination with European over the past 20 years, and it didn’t disappoint. While in Budapest we stayed on the upper floor of an apartment with a French citizen who moved there after some years living in other cities around the world. In his opinion, Budapest is more of a home for him than any other. Like the Czech Republic and other former Eastern Bloc countries, Hungary and its capital city are quickly becoming modern European centers of economic power. Hungary’s government is currently very conservative however, and is doing has been doing its best since 2010 to maintain “traditional values” and nationalism. Budapest itself is rich with history and culture, and won’t put a huge dent in your pocketbook compared to the mainstays of European tourism like London and Paris.
Budapest
Budapest is actually sliced in two by the Danube river into two formerly independent cities, Buda and Pest. We spent our first day on the Buda side, first climbing to the top of the hill where Buda Castle sits. From here is one of several spots on the hilly Buda side where you have a commanding view of the entire city. Inside the castle itself is a art gallery which features rotating exhibitions and the Hungarian National Gallery. Dating back to 1265 and added upon several times since then, Budapest’s ancient roots at this site are visible from pretty much anywhere you may be in the city. From there we walked along winding streets paved across the top of the hill, lined by shops and restaurants until we made our way to the King Matthias Church.
As I write this we are very near the end of our journey in Europe, and I can confidently say that this has been the most beautiful church I have been to in all of Europe. This is, of course, my subjective opinion on the matter. There’s no competing with the striking contrasts of Chartres, or the voluminosity and impressive art of St. Peter’s Basilica, or even the tingling feeling I had when I stepped into my first cathedral - Notre Dame. But from the roof tiles to the intricate marble work and the picturesque setting, Matthias has been my favorite. It sits just west of a 19th Century fortress wall known as Fisherman’s Bastion, a popular photo spot where you have more excellent views of Pest. It was a cloudy day when we there, so the spectacular colors of the rooftop don’t quite pop as much in the photos, but they’re dazzling in person. Inside there’s lots of baroque decoration, gold leafing, and earth tones that seem to be a theme in Eastern European houses of worship. A grand altarpiece with the statue of the Madonna looms in the center. The building has been so well-preserved and restored through centuries in spite of a tumultuous history of trading ownership between various religious factions. From here we made our way down the hill and stopped into a local restaurant known as Marvelosa for lunch. From there we strolled through a small park on top of Varbazar and made our way back up another hill to the Citadella. With all the lookout points it has to offer, the Citadella at Buda might be the best of them all. From here you can look back towards the Buda Castle, across the Danube, and all around Pest.
On our next day in Budapest we were primarily concerned with possibly its most famous attractions, the thermal baths. Whether it is freezing or a warm summer day, these centuries-old structures are built upon the natural thermally heated waters that sit just below the surface and provide indoor and outdoor (year-round) pools to relax, and many say, therapeutically soothe the body. When we made our way to the baths it was about 5C/45F outside. Not terribly cold, but not normally ideal weather for a soak outside. There are many places around Budapest that one can partake in the experience, but we chose the largest and one of the oldest in the city, the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. After paying your entrance fee you are given a wristband and directed to the locker room or private changing rooms, depending on how much you value your privacy. You can then proceed to one of the 12 indoor or 3 outdoor baths, which all vary in temperature and a few of which are occasionally reserved for group exercise. One of the indoor baths is a time-limited, all-you-can-drink beer lounge (for an extra fee). We first opted for the outdoor pools which were heated to 31C/87F and 37C/98F. These were the most enjoyable for us and we may have stayed in them a little past the recommended 20 minutes. We also tried out several indoor pools, which were also extremely comfortable but didn’t quite provide the surreal feeling of being out in cold temperatures while soaking in a hot bath. We stayed at the baths for a little over (should I admit this?) three hours before drying up and heading back home.
After changing clothes we headed out to explore the Pest side of the city. The main attraction for us here was the St. Stephen’s Basilica. Not only is the inside voluminous and impressively decorated, but the long and winding stairways to the 360 degree balcony on the dome is not to be missed. We reached it just in time to watch the sun set behind the hills of Buda on the other side of the Danube. This is another moment where words will fail to describe it better than the photos below, so I’ll move on. Our gracious Airbnb host invited us out with his friends for a night exploring the vibrant nightlife of Pest in the old Jewish quarter. We first met up with him at an indoor/outdoor biergarten which is made up a hodgepodge of various...artifacts found randomly around town. From there we were invited to check out the local music scene at the Budapest Showcase Hub, where some up-and-coming bands from around Europe played sets until midnight. Interacting with locals on this level isn’t something that happens very often while traveling, and we had a great time. It was the perfect cap on a brief stint in what has become one of my favorite cities in Europe on this trip.
Vienna
Another seamless border crossing, another city upon us, we arrived in Vienna not long after leaving Budapest the next morning. While perhaps historically best known for being the home of the Habsburg royal family whose family tree extended far throughout the rest of Europe, Vienna also became known in the late 19th and early 20th Century as the permanent or temporary home of many artists, writers, and thinkers. These included Gustav Klimt, Leon Trotsky, and Sigmund Freud. Our first day there began with a walk around the city that took us to sights such as the Rathausplatz Christmas Market, Hofburg Palace, Heldenplatz and Volksgarten, Neue Berg, mumok modern art museum, and finally the Albertina. We started the day at our first of many Christmas markets in Europe, where we enjoyed an Amaretto punch and a hot dog. The Vienese are firmly on the sandwich side of the “Is a hotdog a sandwich?” debate, as here they consist of a long sausage inside of a baguette. Both the punch and the sausage were very tasty. The final stop of the day was the impressive impressionist and modern art collection at the Albertina museum.
Not to be confused with the St. Stephen’s Basilica, our visit to the St. Stephen’s Cathdral in Vienna was the starting point for our next day in the city. It has grand interior filled with dark marble decorations and roof tiles in the same style as those at the Matthias Church. Following this we had lunch at the Cafe Central, a historic spot which dates back to 1876 that was a common hangout for Frued, Trotsky, and others. After lunch we walked up to Prater, an expansive space of both city park and fairgrounds area with various rides. While at Prater, we rented bikes and rode them back through the city and to the Rathausplatz Christmas Market. After another punch we found the courage to try out ice skating at the large rink installed in the park. We ice skated for a few hours, myself only marginally improving, and then headed back home.
On our last day in Vienna we explored the Belvedere Palace and gardens. Still unable to rival Versailles, the Belvedere is still a huge property that displays the wealth of the Habsburg family. It also houses numerous Gustav Klimt paintings, including “The Kiss,” along with an impressive collection of other modern works. We somehow managed to find ourselves again at the Christmas market, drinking more punch and enjoying the views as we walked around the beautiful city one last time.
Budapest and Vienna are quite different in many ways, but I believe they are comparable in the amount of culture and history there is to absorb from each. Budapest is still quite affordable and has many attractions for both the young and more experienced. Vienna is timeless and has beauty wherever you walk in the large city center. It’s definitely more expensive, but it’s fairly easy to get by on the cheap. One of the best things to do in Vienna is simply walk around the city and look at all the impressive Neoclassical architecture. These are two places that could easily be visited within the same weeklong trip, and I would highly recommend it for new or experienced travelers to Europe.
*We spent time in the mountains of Austria as well, but that will be detailed in the next post.