Budapest (Hungary)

Funicular up the hill to the main palace -- inspiration for the movie Grand Budapest Hotel?

We arrived in Budapest on the train from Bratislava, Slovakia. We arrived to take a metro that seemed lost in time. According to Wikipedia, it is, since it is the second oldest metro track in Europe (Line 1 built in 1896). The metro cars appear a bit more recent, but not by much. Budapest is actually two towns, Buda and Pest. Buda is the older section of town and lies on the west city of the Danube River. Pest lies on the east side of the river. It is an easily walk-able city, although there are metro lines and busses. For those single travelers who like to go out at night, exercise caution as you would in any major European city.

My favorites from Budapest, mostly discovered with the help of a free "City Walks Budpest" map:*

Lagosh

Lagosh: a delicious Hungarian street food of fried, salty dough with sour cream and cheese

Fisherman's Bastian

Fisherman's Bastion (at night): after a delicious Hungarian meal (goulash, bone marrow, Hungarian beer at Kehli's), we walked to Fisherman's Bastion, a section of castle walls beautifully lit up at night. Fisherman's Bastian is on the Buda side of the river. It feels like a fairy tale castle! And, there was no one charging entrance while we followed locals up the stairs to take in the view of Pest. (Try visiting well after 8 pm.)

Liberty Statue atop Gellert Hill

Liberty Statue (Gellert Hill/Citadel): atop Gellert hill stands a statue of a lady holding a palm frond of peace. This site also gives great views of Pest. No entrance fee. A great workout to walk up all the stairs. Or, you can drive or convince your tour group leader that a bus visit is necessary. ;)

Heroes Square

Heroes Square: at the end of Andrassy Avenue stands a large plaza with imposing statues. These include the founders of Hungary mounted on horses (lead by Arpad) as well as important leaders throughout Hungary's history. Each statue lists only name and dates, so, make sure to bring a guidebook with you to identify their historic feats. Just behind Heroes Square, there is the beautiful  Vajdahunyad castle complex and grounds, which now houses the Hungarian Agricultural Museum as well as being a free community park.

Margaret Island -- see that nice running path on the left?

Margaret Island: an island in the middle of the Danube, Margaret Island plays hosts to Buadapest's Summer Festival. It also has some interesting church ruins, a small zoo, a fountain with light show and a running path all around the island. It can be reached by ferry, bus or walking on Margaret Bridge.

The Great Synagogue

Dohany Street Synagogue: while I ran out of time to get to see the inside, the outside is the most beautiful synagogue that I've ever seen. Hopefully, you'll get a chance to tour the inside of this magnificent building!

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*Didn't get a chance to visit a Turkish bath while in Budapest. Otherwise, that would probably be on the list!