Following the M-1 highway in our rented Opel Vectra van, my mother, brother, sister and I zipped into Budapest, “The Paris of the East”, a busy metropolis of 2 million people.

Executing the “Latin style of driving technique,” as described in the “What You Need to Know” section of the Budapest Visitor’s Guide, “Driving in Budapest should never be approached lightly, and certainly not by the faint-hearted. There is a highway code, although few seem to give it much importance”. Armed with that important tip, we follow the little blue signs with the white “i” (symbol of the tourist information center). Meandering over the Danube River that divides the flat “Pest” (pronounced pesht) side of the city’s hilly “Buda” district, which officially merged to form Budapest in 1872, we arrive at a typical house in a quiet residential neighborhood. neighborhood.

After a short wait inside the crowded tourist office, we were greeted by a burly gentleman. He preferred to serve us in German, since he spoke a little English. He showed us the available accommodations and we chose a small two-bedroom apartment in the heart of the city. For an additional 19.90 euros each (approximately 1 euro = 1 USD) we bought the recommended two-hour city tour.

We found our drab gray apartment building located on a narrow, one-lane street. There was no elevator. Our dark and gloomy third-floor apartment had very high ceilings but was incredibly quiet, even with a view of the open interior courtyard. Both bedrooms had more beds than we needed, and the kitchen included a separate dining room. The small bathroom had the necessary arrangement of a bath and shower, adequate for our needs.

Our next priority was finding a secure parking lot to keep our car off the street for two nights. We had been warned that because break-ins are a common occurrence here. After checking several of the official high walled parking lots, designated with the white “P”, we found one near our apartment and paid the owner for two nights ($6.00 USD per day). As is the norm for many sole proprietorships or small businesses in Budapest, cash is the only method of payment.

That night we explored the restaurant area near the opera house and stumbled upon Svejk Restaurant and Grill at 1072 Kiraly Ut 59/b. The server who greeted us as we walked in proclaimed, “You can eat as much as you want and as often as you want.” Yes, my kind of eating establishment! We sampled a delicious smorgasbord of grilled meats, seafood, vegetable dishes, pasta, and a variety of pastries for dessert. Wine, beer, juice, pop and coffee were included.

We woke up to a beautiful warm beautiful day and headed out for breakfast. We stopped at the Hotel Unio, several doors down the street from our apartment, and ordered a breakfast buffet of scrambled eggs, cold cuts, yogurt, orange juice, and terribly muddy-tasting coffee.

At 10:00 am we jumped into the little cab, included with our tour of the city, and our driver took his cab through the crowded alleys to the waiting tour bus at Andrassy Ut. This main street is Budapest’s answer to Paris’ grand boulevard. Along its route are impressive consular buildings and stately mansions of Budapest’s wealthy class.

The city of Budapest is filled with statues commemorating many famous Hungarians, from Emperor Franz Joseph, crowned King of Hungary in 1867, to the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, as well as other notable Hungarian artists, architects, and political figures. Statues are everywhere, planted in giant plazas, on hilltops, in hidden courtyards with barely enough space to place one.

Heroes’ Square at the Andrassy Ut terminal is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. This large square of granite tiles, dominated by the 36-meter (118-foot) column called the Millennium Monument, was built to celebrate Hungary’s millennium in 1896, although the project was not completed until 1929. Scholars arbitrarily chose 896 as the year in which Arpad led the victorious Magyar Accumula in the Carpathian Basin. The statues that make up the monument were renovated in time for the celebration of Szt Istvan Day in 2001, a national holiday in Hungary that marks the founding of the state. Two colonnades feature various Hungarian rulers and princes. They are topped with sculptures representing Work, War, Peace and Knowledge. In the center are Arpad and the other six main Magyar chiefs, grouped around the base of the column. At the top of the column is Gabriel, holding an apostolic cross and the Hungarian crown, signifying the archangel, who supposedly appeared to Istvan in a dream, urging him to convert the pagan Hungarians to Christianity. Flanking this square are two of Budapest’s main museums, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Arts.

Budapest has more than 40 museums and galleries, from agriculture, beer and military history museums to postal and telecommunications museums, banknotes, flags and mounts. There’s even a horror house museum for lovers of the ghoulish.

Next, our bus climbed the steep Palota Ut, in the Castle Hill district, after crossing Erzsebet Hid (Elizabeth Bridge) to the Buda side. We passed the Fisherman’s Bastion, which was a section of the medieval castle walls assigned to the Fishermen’s Guild for defense. Although it looks old, it was actually designed by Frigyes Schulek and built in the early 20th century.

The tour bus stopped in front of the imposing Citadel, built by the Austrians in 1851 as a public symbol of their authority over the Hungarians after the suppression of the 1848-49 Revolution and War of Independence. The 14-meter (46-foot) Liberation Monument, depicting a woman holding a Victory palm leaf above her head as a symbol of “liberation” from the Germans by Soviet troops in 1945, stands at front.

Getting off the bus, I took some photos of the impressive panoramic view of Budapest, the Danube River and its many bridges. I tried to negotiate a good price on a handmade magnetic chess set with one of the vendors, but before she and I could come to a mutual price, it was time to board the bus and continue the tour.

Adjacent to the Citadel is the pastoral Jubileumi Park, one of several large green areas in this city. The driver deftly maneuvered the bus around the narrow, steep hairpin bends, often braking for cars as we descended Gellert Hill. This hill and the monument on the eastern slope of the hill are named after the Benedictine abbot Gellert, who was employed by Saint Stephen. According to legend, he was thrown to his death from this hill in a barrel of nails during a pagan revolt in 1046.

We pass the Castle Tunnel, the brainchild of Count Istvan Szechenyi, and recognized by his compatriots as the greatest Hungarian. After going around a roundabout, our bus passed the famous Chain Bridge, also imagined by Count Istvan Szechenyi. Designed by Englishman William Tierney Clark and designed by Scotsman Adam Clark, the Chain Bridge was originally built between 1838 and 1849.

Margit (Margaret) Island Bridge jogs at an angle in the center of Margit Island. This green space 2.5 km (approximately 1.5 miles) long and 500 meters (1,650 feet) wide in the middle of the Danube River is prohibited to vehicle traffic. The island serves as a recreational area for runners and cyclists, it has a stadium, sports field, Olympic swimming pool, an adventure park and even a Franciscan church.

Our tour ended after a walk around the grounds of the impressive Parliament building. Imre Steindl’s design won the public competition to build a house for the Hungarian parliament. Work began on this massive structure in 1884 and it was finally completed in 1902. As expected, the project far exceeded budget.

We took a walk to St. Stephen’s Basilica, named after Hungary’s first Roman Catholic king, saint, and founder of the state. Work began in 1851, and the original 315-foot (96-meter) dome collapsed in 1868. The cathedral was finally consecrated in 1905. The famous ‘Chapel of the Holy Right Hand’ is said to house the wrinkled remains of the right hand of the holy king. .

Walking the flat “Pest” area is easy with a good pair of walking shoes, and Andrassy Ut is particularly pedestrian-friendly. After arriving at Heroes’ Square, an Australian student in front of the Palace of Arts sold us tickets to see a 3D video about Hungary. The informative 25-minute presentation featured various Hungarian historical sites and focused on the mineral springs, spas and caves for which this country is known.

That night we dined in the stately elegance of the rococo-style Danu Theater restaurant. A small string ensemble, accompanied by a pianist, performed Viennese waltzes and other pieces of popular classical music for patrons. The atmosphere set the scene for the evening’s lively performance by the 30-member Danube Ensemble and the 5-member folk orchestra, presenting authentic Hungarian choreography and music. The folk dancers displayed amazing stamina and frenetic energy, as they kicked high, slammed their boots, whirled, clapped and whistled in their native dress.

After the show, and still needing to get out of our big meal, we took a stroll across the Chain Bridge, lit up in golden yellow. The crescent moon hung above him, with the Citadel Museum, also bathed in a yellow glow, as its prominent backdrop.

We walked along the tram track that ran along the Danube River, the amber glow of the Parliament building shining like a beacon on the Pest side. We stopped for refreshments at a Belgian pub. This popular nightspot was a meeting place for most of the youngsters. The couples were engaged in animated conversation, enjoying a drink after a night on the town.

It was midnight when we finally opened the iron gate in front of our building and wearily climbed the wide stone staircase to our suite. Exhausted, but happy with the day’s achievements, we realized that two days is not enough to see everything in this beautiful and diverse city. One day, perhaps, we will return… to the city of statues.

For more information about Hungary e:mail [email protected]
If you want to know more about the city of Budapest, take a virtual guided tour of the city, check the program calendar, book your hotel online, check the city’s photo album, etc. visit the official Budapest site at: http://www.budapestinfo.hu