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Friday, April 21, 2017

Things to See in Budapest

 


Phew! Writing a post while actual travelling is taking place is hard beyond words. Wherever we are, we usually start the day at about 9 in the morning - meaning we are already out and about, and we return in the early evening, exhausted and thoroughly worn out. However, I tend to let go of sharing stories from our travels once we return home, because we get back to normal life, right into the hub and the freshness of impressions and the feeling of fulfillment and adventure is not as intense as right then and there, hence I'll do my best to share the highlights of this trip.
 
 

Accidentally while browsing the net for the city's most popular places I found out about the Budapest card which is amazing to have because you've got tons of free things to visit and discounts for tons more. The best of all - free transport in the municipal boundaries of Budapest which includes buses, trams, the metro (the underground) and the boats. We are talking national (public) transport, not the privately owned, though with the card you get discounts for many of those too. We chose the 72 hours card and we used it to the fullest. Highly recommend it.
 
 
We love learning more about the countries we visit, so paying a visit to the National Museum is a must for us. The Budapest National Museum is a fantastic one, with head spinning collections, relics and artifacts. We also added the History Museum on the list, which is  in the Buda Castle and while there, you can see the hospital in the cave,  Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion as well. A bit further south, on the Buda side, you can go up the Gellert Hill and see the cave church, go up to the citadel and see their controversial Statute of Liberty.
 
 
 
 
 
On the Pest side is the St. Stephen Basilica, a basilica dedicated to the first king of Hungary, whose right hand is mummified and kept in the reliquary. The interior is quite impressive and noteworthy as it is decorated by famous artists and sculptors. An interesting fact is that it is 96 m tall and current building regulations stipulate that no other structure in Budapest can be taller than that.
 
In this picture you can see how the Basilica towers over the other buildings (look behind the Ferris Wheel)

 
 
Only the Parliament has the same height, which symbolizes the balance between the church and the state. The building of the Parliament is as if taken from a fairy tale  (as many of the buildings actually) with its decorative façade and we recommend visiting it at night too because it is illuminated and presents a fantastic view (as well as the whole promenade with the bridges). Then there is the Jewish Quarter and the famous (shopping) Vaci street, the Memento Park, Magrit Island, the spas.
 
 
 
 
 
We went to St. Lukacs Spa yesterday because the last two days there was a severe temperature drop and we even had sprinklings of snow, so we decided to spend the day somewhere inside and after museum visits we ended the day soaking in the bath for hours on end. It was divine. One important thing though - the entrance to this bath was free with the card, but do take your own towels and flip flops because they are going to charge you royally for them!
 
I hope I made this short and sweet. I have another post about what to never miss eating in Budapest coming soon!
Also you can see more pictures on my instagram account.

12 comments:

  1. Майя благодарю за прекрасное путешествие. Я давно и с удовольствием читаю ваш блог. Спвасбо вам!

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    1. Galina,thank you on the sweet comment! I hope you have pleasurable time reading my blog in the future too! Thank you for following our adventures!:)

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  2. Seems you've enjoyed the holidays very much. And the weather was nice as well! Don't know whether I'll ever come to Budapest but I've always dreamt of cruising down the Danube and that would bring me to Budapest after all... Maybe, when I'm 64 or so ;-)
    Have a great weekend,
    Marjan

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    1. Well, we enjoyed this whole week. It was a unique experience and adventure for us, albeit the severe temperature drop threatened to ruin it all, but we persevered :)
      You'll love it so put it on your bucket list.

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  3. The pictures show a terrific place and some breathtaking views.
    Lovely to read about your adventures overthere.
    I'm not a travel person, but if I ever change, I think Budapest will be on my list!
    Take care, Sigrid

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    1. Thank you Sigrid.We made a million photos. The city is so picturesque you'll have your head spinning :)

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  4. Awesome photos and travelogue - thank you.

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  5. It is great that you managed to post in between your travels. Budapest sounds amazing. I seldom mange to post about the places that I visit as my plans are often hectic. As you rightly said when I come back I just delve deep into everyday routine that I forget that I need to blog too.

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  6. Gorgeous photos, Maya. What beautiful sights to behold. No wonder your head is spinning with all that is to be seen and explored and to soak in!

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  7. I'm sooo jealous right now Maya. I've always wanted to go to Budapest and seeing your lovely photos makes me want to go even more. Those building are gorgeous and you shared so many interesting facts to. I'm really glad you found the time on your trip to post about this beautiful city, thank you

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  8. How lovely! It looks like a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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I love your comments! Thank you for taking the time to talk to me!