BUDAPEST - We made it to Budapest, Hungary's capital and most populous city. We had read, heard, and seen photos about it and have wanted to go for a long time now, yet we still hadn't made it to Budapest nor did we think we would make it this time around. Thankfully, we did make it because we quickly discovered why Budapest is known as the "Queen of the Danube."
From the rolling hills of Buda (the western side of the Danube River) to the flat plains of Pest (the eastern side), Budapest is a city rich in culture, architecture, and history. One of four major European cities on the Danube (Vienna, Bratislava, and Belgrade being the other three), Budapest has been described as one of the most livable cities with all the major components of a thriving city yet boasting with a unique combination of iconic monuments due to its colorful and complex heritage. I don't plan to school you on its rich history due to my lack of credibility and knowledge (I really wouldn’t do it justice), but I will say that Budapest is a city worth visiting multiple times or, in our opinion, even living in.
PEST (and a little bit of Buda)
QUICK LOOK:
Location: Corvin-Negyed (District VIII)
Main Attractions: Chain Bridge, Shoes on the Danube, Central Market Hall, Liberty Bridge, Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library, Vajdahunyad Castle, Szimpla Kert, Liberty Square, Ferris Wheel, St. Stephen’s Basilica
Parks: Bástya Park, Múzeum Kert Játszótér, Városliget Jàtszótér
Transportation: Walking (primarily); metro, tram, and bus lines
PEST - On the east side of the Danube is the “Pest” of Budapest. Although Budapest is divided into two parts—Buda and Pest—I learned that it is actually a combination of three towns—Buda, Óbuda, and Pest—that merged in 1873 (just a mini history lesson). Pest sits east of the Danube and is known for its lively city center, funky ruins pubs, fun restaurants and cafes, and buzzing night scene. All of this thriving city life, however, is surrounded by historical icons, like the Hungarian Parliament, Vajdahunyad Castle, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and other extraordinary monuments. And, thanks to the flat plains of the east side, Pest is very walkable. Buses and trams were easily accessible, but the days were gorgeous and walking just made sense. We were proud of the girls trekking it a solid 4-8 miles a day without complaining.
One of my favorite days was when we started the day with freshly baked bread (the girls have been wanting me to teach them for a while now) and then headed to Bástya Park, a newly built park that almost looked like a two-story garage with a playground on the bottom and a soccer (football) arena up top. It was so unique. After a solid hour or so of playing, we walked to find lunch and stumbled upon Kálvin Kebab (Istanbul Kebab), a cafeteria-style restaurant where a long line of people waited to grab a tray, order delicious and affordable meals, and eat it alongside their complimentary Turkish tea. It was truly delicious. We went back two or three more times throughout our stay. We really do seem to find our go-to spot in each location (if you remember from my previous posts, Verde was our go-to cheap eat in Budva).
After our bellies were full and our hearts happy, we headed to the National Library of Foreign Literature where we would be able to find children’s books in English. Our girls love books and are learning to read, so we were quite excited. Unfortunately, it’s reading rooms were closed until end of April and we couldn’t go in. At first, I was a bit disappointed in myself for not better researching ahead of time, but the girls (although a little bummed) reminded me that “it’s no big deal.” So, we started wandering and realized we were in one of Pest’s most-visited neighborhoods—Inner City. As we walked around admiring the many rows of restaurants and shops, we ended up near the Danube where we came across the Central Market Hall by Liberty Bridge. It is the largest (and most beautiful according to some) market hall in Budapest. After walking through the many stalls of food, produce, art, and local goods, we decided to walk across the Liberty Bridge. Honestly, we didn’t plan to go to the Buda side until another day; but, sometimes you just have to go with the flow of things, right? And, I am so glad we did because, as we walked toward Gellert Hill through fields of dandelions (seriously, dandelions are everywhere and the girls and I were loving it), we came across an amazing park called Csúsdapark. It had an upper area with climbing structures and ropes and then a hill of all types of slides connecting it to the lower floor. If it was closer, I am pretty sure the girls would have gone everyday.
After another hour-long playground session, I thought our girls would surely be exhausted. But, I was wrong. Brad had started climbing up to the Citadella just to see the view on his own when the girls decided they wanted to join. So, we all decided to climb the mountain of steps. The climb wasn’t the 1,350-step climb like the one we missed in Kotor (you might remember if you read our Kotor post), but it was still quite steep. Even though the girls’ legs were getting tired and we offered to carry them at the end, they refused because they wanted to be able to say they climbed the whole mountain themselves. When we made it to the top, they were so proud of themselves (as was I). The Citadella was closed for renovation, but it was still a stunning view and worth the climb.
After two parks, wandering the streets, crossing a bridge, and climbing the steep steps to and from the Citadella, our bodies and brains needed fuel. We enjoyed pho, Pad Thai, sushi, and Vietnamese coffee (I know, an eclectic group of Asian dishes) at Bamboo Restaurant on Raday Utca (a popular restaurant street). The dishes hit the spot and prepared us for our walk home. It was truly one of my favorite days in Budapest.
Home for us while in Budapest was in the Corvin-Negyed neighborhood (District VIII) of the Pest side. Once a low-income area with poor quality housing, Corvin-Negyed recently underwent a regeneration project making it a more attractive area for young adults and families. At the center is the vibrant yellow Corvin Cinema— an Art Nouveau-Bauhaus theater that hosts film festivals and Hungarian film premiers. The surrounding Corvin Promenade features restaurants, cafes, shops, and green spaces welcoming locals and visitors alike.
During the rest of our days of wandering Pest, we also walked the Chain Bridge, visited the Shoes on the Danube (a memorial erected in 2005 to honor the Jews shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross Militiamen during WWII. There are several memorials across Budapest, but this one really hit my heart. If you feel like learning more, I highly suggest looking it up and reading about it further), went to Heroes Square and saw the nearby Vajdahunyad Castle, cooled down with the Liberty Square interactive fountain (thank you, @heidi.larson, for the recommendation. The girls loved it!!!), explored the Szimpla Kert ruins pub, read at the Ervin Szabó Library (yes—we found one with English children’s books and the girls loved it), rode the Ferris Wheel (honestly, I can’t remember the last time I rode a ferris wheel, if ever; but, the girls loved it), and ate ice pops (thank you, Anjuna Ice Pops!) on the steps of St. Stephen’s Basilica.
Thank you, Pest, for the adventure!
BUDA
QUICK LOOK:
Main Attractions: Gellert Hill, Citadella, Children’s Railway, Buda Hills
Parks: Csúszdapark, Hűvösvölgyi Nagyrét
Transportation: Walking (primarily); metro, tram, and bus lines
BUDA - On the west side of the Danube is the “Buda” of Budapest. Known for its Buda Hills, Buda is boasting with beautiful green fields and forested areas. Like Pest, Buda displayed the city’s Baroque, Art Nouveau (e.g. Gellért Baths), and Bauhaus (e.g. Napraforgó Street) influences. However, it appeared more residential and spread out, so the iconic architecture had to be sought out as opposed to just stumbled upon. As I mentioned above, we made the walk across Liberty Bridge to Gellert Hill and made the steep climb to the Citadella. Additionally, we had a whole day dedicated to exploring the Buda side.
Our day in Buda started by taking two trams—line 4 and line 60—to the Children’s Railway, Budapest in the Buda Hills. Line 60 accepts ordinary tram tickets, but it is unique in that it is actually one of Budapest’s oldest forms of public transport called the Cogwheel. Distinguished by its red color, the Cogwheel takes riders through a forested valley and residential area before going uphill to panoramic views of the Buda Hills and the Children’s Railway.
The Children’s Railway was completed in 1950 during Socialist leadership and was meant to educate children to lead a productive life. It wasn’t until about 1989, however, that the railway was actually run by children (driven and overseen by adults, of course) grades fourth to eighth and continues to be run by children to this day. As we rode through the Buda Hills, children staff served as ticket holders, money handlers, platform attendants, and more.
The train stops at various stations, each with its own set of unique hikes to iconic monuments or forested areas. We decided to ride the train all the way to the last stop where we ate lunch and then hiked to a beautiful park where the girls enjoyed a huge playground. Then we enjoyed riding the 40-50 minutes back to our starting station where we decided to catch a bus (instead of the Cogwheel) and another tram back home. We didn’t walk quite as much as other days, but taking multiple trams, buses, and trains definitely tired us out. So, we welcomed our comfortable beds with open arms.
Thank you, Buda, for the beautiful views!
After being in Budapest ten days, we can safely say that WE LOVE BUDAPEST! The thriving city life with iconic historical monuments, gorgeous views, epic playgrounds, delicious food, dandelion fields, and more, we truly appreciated exploring the “Queen of the Danube.”
Viszlát!
Wonderful city;birthplace of American children's author Kate Seredy. The girls will enjoy her books when they are older. The plots are based in Hungary. You two are giving the girls such amazing memories. Me too😅