Budapest

The Paris of the East, Budapest

A truly fascinating city. I was there in September 2008, I actually wanted to go to BUCAREST but in the end I decided on Budapest, I then went to Bucharest the following year. Budapest has its own charm, beautiful and full of history, like most of the cities of Eastern Europe, divided in two by the Danube, the part of the city that rises on the hill is Buda while the part that is on the plain is Pest, hence the name Budapest. It is often called the Paris of the East. The city has only one civil airport and arriving in the city centre was really easy, at the exit I had a security officer tell me how to reach the B&B I had booked, obviously showing the address, and then also helped by the fact that I arrived around 4pm and with a bit of luck I showed up for check in. In any case having booked a B&B in the city centre I had to be told how to get to the city centre. I settled my luggage and went out for a walk to see a bit how the city works, a quick tour and I was already stuck when in front of my eyes the Parliament building appeared, one of the biggest buildings in the world built in neo-gothic style like the parliament in London.

Majestic. Towards the right from the position I was in was another 90. The Chain Bridge

Already on the first day I was fascinated by the city and those who call it the Paris of the East are not so wrong. For dinner I stopped at a very attractive place near the B&B. For Budapest, contrary to what was said in some previous articles, more than once I exchanged money in a small shop right in front of the B&B without being taken advantage of. I remember that he had logged on to the internet to show me the exchange rate of the day and gave me the exact equivalent without demanding fees for the exchange.

The next day I went to one of the largest squares in the city: The Heroes’ Square. In the centre of the square is the millennial monument with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary and a column with the Archangel Gabriel at the top.

From Heroes’ Square, I then walked towards the Chain Bridge, crossing it and arriving at St Stephen’s Basilica then Pest. To tell the truth, at that moment I was a bit hungry, so I did a quick search on the Internet and headed for a street food where I had a typical Hungarian dish: langos, a fried pizza dough with sour cream, cheese and bacon on top. A high-calorie bomb to be honest, but how could I resist, and then for a principle of mine in the places I visit I eat local dishes.

From St Stephen’s Basilica I headed towards another monument of historical importance: the Liberation Monument. The monument is located on Gellért Hill in the centre of Budapest and dominates the city. A monument erected after the end of the Great War in honour of the Soviets for liberating the city from Nazi troops. The Liberation Monument is a female statue holding the palm of victory. Looking for a translation of the inscription on the base, I discovered that the original read: ‘To the memory of the Soviet heroes, our liberators, from the grateful Hungarian people. 1945″. While the current one reads: ‘To the memory of all those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom and prosperity of Hungary’. (1989). The inscription, after the end of the Soviet occupation was, changed almost immediately. In fact, the Soviet Union did indeed help Hungary get rid of Nazi Germany, but it imposed its regime in the years to come.

The Liberation Monument seen from afar can also be reached by cable car, which of course I did not take.

In a city like Budapest, as I have also done for several other cities, such as Paris, Berlin, I have taken a little boat ride, skirting all the major monuments of the city, more than an obligation to take a boat ride is a pleasure as in addition to seeing the monuments from a different perspective it also becomes a moment of relaxation and perhaps meeting people.

Also worth seeing is the city’s Zoo and Botanical Garden, one of the oldest in Europe, where you can see more than 700 species of animals. The zoo is located at the opposite of the Széchenyi spa complex. Notice the stylish buildings inside the zoo. The visit inside the zoo is long, in fact I left after about four hours, for a lunch break I recommend one of the streetfoods inside. I tried a kurtoskalacs, a cylinder-shaped cake. Afterwards I headed to Varosliget, a public park where you can relax.

Budapest is a city to be seen wandering through hidden alleys where you can also find very nice little shops. Then, if you still have strength in your legs, you can take the metro and head for the neighbouring villages, which are very cosy and pretty. It could also be ideal for a weekend but I preferred to stay a whole week to visit it better. I liked Budapest, elegant clean and safe. It also has excellent gastronomy. I noticed two things: first, there is nothing that reminds you of communism and Soviet influence; second, I didn’t see people in uniform or police cars lurking on every corner and yet I felt safe.

It is definitely a city to see, maybe I will come but back for now I am concentrating on other projects.

As always, if you want to see more photos, you can link to my facebook page:

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