A Beginner's Elf: Budapest

Showing posts with label Budapest. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Budapest - Other Points of Interest

Day 3

Exploring other points of interest in Budapest on foot

Hösök Tere

An impressive square and also known as the Heroes' Square, it is the largest and main squares in Budapest. It features the seven chieftains who led the Magyar tribes to Hungary, a millennium monument in the middle constructed to commemorate the thousand year old history of the Magyars with Archangel Gabriel standing on the top of the pillar holding the holy crown and the double cross of Christianity, statues of Hungarian national leaders, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Hösök Tere

It is located at the end of the Andrássy Avenue, and is surrounded by the City Park, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Hall of Art.

City Park

Also known as the Varosliget, the City Park is the largest public park in Budapest. The 302 acre park has the Heroes' Square as its entrance, and features a lot of activities such as the Transport Museum, Vidam Park and Zoo, and a memorial monument among many others for an enjoyable day out in a park.

1. Vajdahunyad Castle

Vajdahunyad Castle

A castle which was originally built of cardboard and wood with designs ranging from Romanesque to Gothic to represent each century since the arrival of the Magyars. It was later on rebuilt in brick. It now houses the Museum of Agriculture (regular adult admission fee of HUF 1,600).

Jaki Chapel within castle grounds

At its palace grounds, enjoy some food from the food stalls and during fall and winter, they host a Christmas market.

Sweets

and more sweets

Food stalls

2. The Pond

Where one can rent a boat when the water is not dried up, or go ice skating during the winter when the water freezes over and it becomes the largest outdoor skating rink in Central Europe.

3. Anonymous Statue

Scattered in the park are statues of Winston Churchill and George Washington. But the most famous statue is the Anonymous Statue which is a statue of an unnamed mysterious monk who lived in the 12th century as the notary of King Béla the III. Legends say that it brings good luck to studies when you touch the monk's stylus.

Anonymous Statue

4. Széchenyi Baths

One of the world's largest baths. Read more about it on the Walking Tour of Budapest 2.

Andrássy Avenue

The avenue was built to connect the city centre to the City Park. The avenue has 4 distinct parts divided into residential areas, commercial buildings, and villas and palaces with gardens - some of which hare used as embassies. You can also find the Museum of Terror as well as the Opera House along the avenue.

Start of Andrássy Avenue from Hosok Tere

Along Andrássy Avenue

The avenue is a great place to have a stroll along beautiful quaint buildings or do people watching on one of the many cafés that line the avenue.

Walking along Andrássy Avenue

New York Cafe

NY Cafe facade

Located in a luxury hotel, New York Palace Boscolo Hotel, in the grand boulevard of Budapest, the New York Cafe is known as the most beautiful coffee house in the city during the 20th century.

Frescoes on the ceilings

Marvel at its preserved authentic decorations and flair of frescoes on the ceilings, Venetian glass lamps, marble columns and gilded stuccoes which inspired Hungarian literary minds. The menu consists of multicultural cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. It normally has a long queue, so I recommend pre-booking during peak season.

NY Cafe

They also have live orchestra playing while you enjoy a meal or a good cup of coffee/afternoon tea and sweets.

NY Cafe stage at the top of the main staircase

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Walking Tour of Budapest 2

Exploring Budapest

Points of Interest by Foot

Margaret Island

Margaret Island is a small island along the Danube River which used to be a royal hunting reserve. Now a public park, it was named as such because during the Mongol invasion, the Hungarian King Belá founded a nunnery in the island and vowed to send her daughter Margaret there if he was able to retake the country from the invaders. The park is connected to the city by the Margaret Bridge.

Stroll along romantic walkways, watch a show in the open air theatre and cinema, or jog around. Other fun things to do in Margaret Island:

1. Watch the Magic Fountain show at night (6 or 9 PM)

Magic Fountain at night

2. Ride a funky vehicle for hire: bicycles, cyclo-pousses/bringo carts, golf carts, electric scooters and egg-shaped cars.

3. See stunning views from high up the island's water tower

4. Relax and have fun at the Palatinus Baths

5. Indulge with nature in the Rose and Japanese Gardens

6. See the ruins of a Franciscan church

Szechenyi Thermal Baths

Budapest is abundant with thermal baths where people flock to relax, have fun and even party. The Szechenyi Baths is the biggest green park of Budapest and one of the largest spa baths in Europe having 15 indoors baths and 3 main outdoor pools.

At one of the Szechenyi Baths' outdoor pools

Outdoor Pool

Locals and tourists flock to this place to unwind, relax, and have fun. Apart from the medicinal effects of basking in natural hot spring waters in the pools and cabins/steam rooms, huge night parties are also hosted in the outdoor pools.

Szechenyi Baths main outdoor pools

We did not pre-book our tickets when we visited. We only came as walk-ins, but it was not that busy during that time - we arrived around 7AM. I recommend going really early in the morning and buying the ticket with a cabin usage rather than just the locker usage so that you have your own cabin for changing/dressing. Otherwise, you will be changing in a changing room with other people and just having your own locker for storing your stuff. Girls are separated from boys of course. As the day goes by, the place becomes packed with a lot of people.

One of the heated indoor pools

Central Market Place

Central Market Place Ground Floor

Also known as the Great Market Hall, the central market is a restored neogothic hall for traders with grocery produce on the ground floor, and souvenirs and food stalls on the first floor. Apart from shopping and sight/people-seeing, you can also get to watch free Gypsy concerts on Mondays and Fridays in the market at 11 and 11.30 AM.

Don't be fooled into adding extra toppings on your goulash. Just order the traditional one.

Make sure to try out the famous Hungarian Goulash - a beef stew, and Langos - a deep fried dough, from one of the food stalls upstairs.

Beef goulash with loads of unnecessary toppings

Langos topped with salami and veggies

For Sale Pub

Located across the Central Market Place, For Sale Pub is known for its shaggy interiors with its walls covered with pieces of paper stapled and pinned by customers throughout the years and the floors covered with peanut shells which are free for customers while they wait in the queue or to be served.

Letters/Notes on For Sale Pub

Make sure to try out the famous Hungarian crepe-like pancake, gundel.

Gundel

Gellert Bridge

Also known as the Liberty Bridge, the Gellert Bridge crosses the Danube River and connects two squares on its ends: the Gellert Square at the foot of Gellert Hill on the Buda side, and the Fovám Square with the Great Market Hall on the Pest side.

Gellert Bridge

The Gellert Bridge is the shortest bridge of Budapest and was the first in the city to be reconstructed after the second World War.

Fovám Square with the Central Market Place

Gellert Square

Cave Hill Church

Built into a natural cave system, the Cave Hill Church was the seat of Hungary's Pauline Order up until 1951. Behind the church is a monastery with neo-Gothic turrets that are visible from Liberty Bridge. The walls are formed of all-natural living rocks.

Cave Hill Church

Gellert Hill

Rising 140 meters high, Gellert Hill is a dolomite rock on the Buda side. It is named after a bishop from Italy, Gellert, who was invited by King Stephen to come over and assist in converting the Hungarians into Christianity. There is a bronze statue of Gellert on the side of the hill facing the Erzsébet bridge.

Enjoy panoramic views of the Danube River and Budapest from the hill at daytime and at nighttime.

Danube River - Dusk

Danube River - Night

Citadella

Citadella is a fortress on Gellert Hill built for the purpose of reminding the rebellious Hungarians who ruled the country, i.e. The Habsburgs, during the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. It used to be the most despised establishment in Budapest and Hungarians used to call it the Bastille of Budapest.

View from Citadella

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is an enormous female statue on top of the Gellert Hill commemorating Hungary's liberation from the Nazi rule.

Statute of Liberty

Hungarian Parliament Building

The building is worth seeing when it is lit up at night time from across the Danube River on the Buda side.

Hungarian Parliament Building at night

Gozsdu Udvar

Gozsdu Courtyard is a popular meeting point in downtown Budapest. It is a series of inner courtyards connecting Király utca and Dob utca. Grab a bite and some booze in one of the numerous restaurants and cafes.