It’s hard to say which part of the stunning Hungarian capital deserves the honour to be gleant first.
I suggest to start from a Danube cruise, because you combine the chance to look into the main sightseeings with an hour and half of absolute relax for a really affordable price (around 15 euro) and some cocktails included.
Second time with the worth company of Bramby, we mixed classical hikes and some hidden place.
Our patrol begins from Pest,in the Republic Square with the Hungarian Parlament: built between 1885 and 1905 by the architect Imre Steindl, it is definitely one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
From the Parliament you can easily turn up on the left side of the river: admiring the long chain Bridge (above all by night is charming) and speed up in the direction of Margit Hid (the Bridge of Margaret) with his lovely Island, the famous Sziget.
The Sziget is the ideal place to sip a lovely craft beer, make a walk or just relax on the green; as other places of the town, I have the impression of order and efficiency. The Metro as well strenghts this feeling: composed by 2 concentric circles, it’s fast and well connected even with the farest points of Budapest.
Buda is nevetheless the finest living room a city can show: we walked until the Castle, following the river banks and going inside the heart of the district to admire two wonderful big wigs: The Matias Church in front of the Fishermen’s Bastion.
The Romanesque church was built in 1015 and partially destroyed by Mongols (1241); in 1686 it happened the so-called ‘Mary’s wonder’. During the siege by Austrians a wall of the church collapsed due to cannon fire. It turned out that a votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the Turks collapsed and the city was joined to the Hasburgic Empire.
Hard to establish the origin of Bastion: because it was a fish market or it had difensive functions? The only truth we know is that the seven towers of the structure symbolize as many Magyars tribes.
To be honest, the Castle of Buda is a nice place but nothing special: the plus was instead the glorious lángos. Sitting at the table in a fresh veranda we devoured this typical powder-yeast-water and salt dough, nonplusultra of loca street food!
The basic one is like a fried pizza with parmesan crumbs: our hunger suggested to honour the trip adding sausages, eggs and whatever!
Following day we saw two adorable places generally not indicated as touristic and I suppose even so well known by the Budapestians theirselves!
The first one is the Gül Baba tomb,aTurkish philosoph involved in the winning siege of Ottoman Empirem; after centuries, this place means right now the close friendship between Hungary and Turkey (the local language is quite complicated and with evident Turkish influences).
The second one is a real treat: I’m referring to Normafa Park,on Budapest Hills. Take the bus n. 21A and arrive on the last stop of 12th District, and from here follow up two kilometers straight. During the walk, surrounded by a superb vegetation, your eyes exult for the great landscape.
Interesting the Erszbet Kilato,the Princess Sissi’s Tower: inside there are pictures and a short description of her. You can go up also with “Libego” chairlift that starts from Zugliget and finish at the bottom of Elizabeth Lookout.
That’s only a little part you can discover & enjoy here, because I didn’t mention yet the folky Ruins Pub or Gellert and Rudas thermal Baths. I can grant that Budapest deserves more than one visit for sure, it is so attractive and vibrant!
