Budapest Hungary
Easy Travel In Eastern Europe

I'm trying to remember what called us to Budapest, Hungary... other than the pure joy of travel and discovery of course.

Was it the Danube River?

The Chain Bridge that we had seen so many photos of?

Was it the spas fed by hot springs....

...or the wine?

Probably it was all of the above.

That and the historical lore that back in time it had been two cities...

Buda and Pest.

I mean, Paris was always Paris...

London was always London...

but Budapest... I guess it was the tale of two cities before Dickens put pen to paper!

Landmarks Help Navigate Budapest

You'll find that when you start trying to navigate the city, landmarks become important.

Bridges are important landmarks....

...the Margaret Bridge, The Elizabeth Bridge, and the Chain Bridge (this photo). 

There is Castle Hill in Buda and the Parliament Building in Pest. Things kind of branch out from there.

Take A Tram For An Overview

One great way to get an overview of the city is to take a ride on the Number 2 tram.

It's pretty amazing that you can see most of the best tourist attractions for the price of a tram ticket.

You can start your tram ride at the northern end of the route at the Pest end of the Margaret Bridge...

...see the Parliament Building,

...pass along the pedestrianized embankment known as the Korzo,

...and catch a glimpse of the Royal Palace.

You can choose to pass by the Central Market Hall and keep going to less central locations... or just get off there and call your brief tram tour done.  That's what we did.  Exploring the market was fun.

City of Spas

One of the special things about this city is the prevalence of thermal springs right in the center of the city.

It's been known as a city of spas since ancient times...

...enjoyed by Romans and Crusaders, Kings and Queens,

...and modern day residents and tourists.

The spa experience can range from the Rudas Thermal Bath, which is a traditional Turkish bath in the center of town, to the large Szechenyi Bath complex a short subway ride from the city center.

And Museums

As in any great capital city, there are plenty of museums to choose from.... art museums, history museums, and one we visited... the Budapest Aviation Museum filled with old planes that you just never can see at home.

And Caves

Budapest is known for its caves as well as its baths.

Those waters that everyone enjoys in the baths were responsible over the millennia for carving out some two hundred caves under the city.

Some of the caves are open to the public.

Some are extensive and spectacular to tour.

We went wine tasting in a couple under hotels and shops.

And Fun To Walk

The streets on both sides of the river are fun to walk... they're lined with a potpourri of architectural styles from Gothic (or Neo-gothic) to Art Nouveau.

And of course, you have to stop and try some great Hungarian food, wine and beer.

Getting There

It was easy to fly into the International Airport.

We arranged for a hotel with the help of Tourist Services on arrival, and a shared hotel bus dropped us off at our front door.

After three days, we picked up a car and drove ourselves out of town to start a wine tasting tour, and that was easy too.

Oh yea... and we took the hydrofoil to Bratislava for a quick overnight visit to that city!  Easy.

So maybe it was the ease of travel and the call of great wines that took us to Budapest.

Happy travels... even if you don't travel the world... just remember that life is a journey... embrace and enjoy it! Judy and Mark

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Thanks, Judy and Mark

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