Budapest — Final Stage in former Austria-Hungary
Maybe there is a reason why I took so long to write and publish an article about my trip to Budapest. This was the final stage of the journey across former Austria-Hungary I took during June 2023. An on-the-road adventure that started in Venice and found its conclusion in the Hungarian capital. Exploring former Austria-Hungary (probably the weirdest nation ever existed) was something I had in my bucket list for long.
Maybe the reason is that, right in these days, I’m contemplating the shocking possibility of moving to Hungary’s capital for a while, in a sort of temporary exile from Lisbon. I love Portugal, and Lisbon is de facto my home now. However, I need a break, and I need to enjoy a better accommodation for reasonable prices. And Lisbon’s prices are nothing even close to reasonable.
If I open the article with such a premise, you can already guess how much I enjoyed Budapest.
I put Budapest strategically at the end of my journey, including 2nd July, date marking my birthday. I think, it was the first time ever I was intentionally trying to give myself a present, and celebrating the day I came to this mad world.
In the past, I’ve considered that day nothing special. In the darkest moments, I even considered it a curse. In other moments, I was simply taking my birthday for what it can be, in the eyes of a cynical: a step closer to the grave.
I’m still well aware that one more birthday is a step closer to the grave. However, I wish to be cremated, not buried. And before burning for good, I want to be on fire with life.
Budapest… What better place to be ignited with life?
The Arrival
The bus took like 2 hours from Zagreb, not more. The two cities are closer than it might look. It was a pleasant trip, admiring the vast plains Hungary offers, and the majesty of Lake Balaton. Another place to visit before I burn.
I couldn’t believe my Airbnb: few meters from the river, 5 minutes walk from Margaret Island.
Entire cozy place for just 30 EUR a night! In any other place in Western Europe, I’d have paid at least 100 EUR a night, for such location!
While taking the tram, I was immediately delighted by the amount of parks and green decorating the city. We are animals after all, and animals need green spaces — unless you are a desert lizard.
But more than that, I was stricken by the overwhelming amount of architectural beauty spread across the whole city. In most cities, even European capitals, you have few incredible monuments in the very centre, within 5 km, and then an endless carpet of anonymous post-modernist buildings, or even giant concrete blocks still standing from the Soviet times, if you visit the East. However, Budapest is different. You can feel the obsession for beauty all around the city, as if the Hapsburgs were still there, ordering the architects how to design things and how to preserve the several grandiose buildings that embellish Budapest in its every corner.From what I could see while sitting on the public transport, even modern neighbourhoods try to keep some sort of standard in terms of architectural beauty, green, and cleanliness. It’s very impressive.
The Walking Tour
I’ve always underestimated walking tours. In Zagreb I learned they are a simple, inexpensive, enjoyable and effective way to explore a new city.
That’s why in Budapest I immediately booked one and went along. The meeting point was on the castle hill, in front of the Matthias Church.
1 — Matthias Church
This was the most important church of the Kingdom of Hungary, where at least two monarchs were crowned.
Tradition says that the first church was built already by the first king of Hungary, Saint Stephen, in 1015. The guide immediately started talking about king Stephen, in an entertaining way. She said something like:
“Isn’t it weird that a king is considered a Saint? Well, when Hungarians established themselves in this area, and founded a kingdom, the rest of Europe was like, ‘Mmm, you can stay, but if you want to stay in Europe, you must become Christian.’ That’s why Stephen accepted to become Christian, and so the Pope conceded him a crown. Thanks to this act, Hungarians became Europeans and the history of Hungary began.”
Because of this conversion, the first monarch of Hungary was canonized saint. I guess bringing an entire people of pagans to embrace Christianity overnight is nothing short of a miracle, so the rank of saint seems deserved.
I immediately felt an analogy with today’s world. In the 11th century, to be part of Europe, you needed to be Christian. Ten centuries later, if you want to be part of Europe, you must accept democracy It’s always about accepting a package of values. Interesting, isn’t it?
As you can see, the building is an impressive example of Gothic style. And this is just one of the several gems hosted in the city!
2 — The Fishermen’s Bastion
The same square hosts a curious terrace known as “The Fishermen’s Bastion”, thoroughly guarded by a bronze statue of King Stephen himself.
Simply beautiful, but I warn you. If you want to walk on the top corridor to enjoy the view of the city, you need to pay an extra ticket, just to walk for a few meters on it. I don’t advise it. The view is great from every spot of the castle. Don’t fall for this tourist trap. That’s also what our kind guide warned us about.
Why is it called Fishermen? Where is this sea here? And even the Danube is well below the hill, too far for any fisherman. The name derives from the Fishermen’s Guild, which headquarter found place in this area of the castle. They used to sell the fish in the market set opposite to Mathias Church, and in time of war, their guild was even entrusted to defend the related bastion.
Nowadays, the “bastion” is not the original one, but rather another act of architectural virtuosism from the end of the 19th century.
3 — Buchu
During the walk, we bumped into a singular character…
Please, meet Buchu. He was born around the 17th century, when Hungary was working hard to keep the Ottomans at bay. The Turks managed to dominate large portions of Hungary for long, and they briefly took over even the Buda part, after years of controlling the Pest side.
During warfare, human creativity skyrockets, and Hungarians are no exception. Just like the Germans created fake tanks to cheat the British spy airplanes during WWII, tricking the allies into believing the Wehrmacht was much bigger than it really was, the Hungarians filled their villages with demon-like figures, in the hope of scaring the most superstitious of the Ottoman soldiers.
I’m not sure how effective Buchu was, but Hungarians are proudly confident into stating that this funny demon is a true saviour of the motherland!
4 — The Castle
Castle hill has a site called Budavári Palota, aka Buda Castle. The guide immediately asked us, “But where is this castle?”. That’s what everyone in the group was wondering.
Buda is a wide hill, that used to host a huge fortress, so a castle. Once the Ottoman threat was gone for good, the fortification fell out of use. Progressive interventions over time, turned the once-upon-a-time Buda Castle into a fancy capitol made out of outstanding churches, government and cultural palaces. The Budavári Palota itself hosts Hungary’s national art collection and the national library. It is said the library is home to thousands of books, including relics like samples of the Gutenberg Bible, and the Chronica Hungarorum, the first ever printed book in Hungary. Written in Latin, it is a compendium of earlier Hungarian history.
The collection includes periodicals, posters, photos, and even music sheets, coming from the Opera House.
All in all, this walking tour was very satisfying. 100% happy with the choice, so I can recommend it. You can book one on Guruwalk.
The Opera House
Among the endless gems hosted in Budapest, one shines brighter than the others: The Opera House (Magyar Állami Operaház)!
This building wasn’t supposed to be so gorgeous. The works began in 1875. Budapest was the co-capital of Austria-Hungary, and everyone agreed that in the 19th century, every capital worth of this name had to host a grand opera house. It’s just like nowadays having a grand concert arena. This is the kind of stuff people expect to find in a great city.
The construction was funded by the city of Budapest and by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary. Gossip says that the Emperor put the condition that the theatre should have not been bigger than its counterpart in Vienna. The architect Miklós Ybl respected such directive, but he made the interior even more “imperial” than the Wiener Hofoper. This allegedly irritated old Franz when he attended the inauguration.
There are no confirmations about this episode, but royal gossip is always entertaining, isn’t it? :D
Next time I’ll definitely visit the interior, which this time I just tasted for a few minutes.
Heroes’ Square
If you leave the Opera House on your left and you keep going down Andrassy street, eventually you will end in Hősök tere, the Heroes’ Square.
Who are these heroes? There are several personalities relevant to Hungarian history, but one wing is specifically dedicated to the Seven chieftains of the Magyars. These are the leaders of the seven Magyar tribes that arrived and settled in the Carpathian basin. They are described by Constantine VII, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, in his policy manual De Administrando Imperio.
Beside this document, little is known about the leaders of these tribes, so their names are more rooted in tradition and folklore, rather than documented in history.
A Hungarian chronicler known as Anonymus (yes, just Anonymus), names the seven chieftains in his Gesta Hungarorum (Hungarian Dees in Latin):
- Álmos
- Előd
- Ond
- Kend
- Tas
- Huba
- Tétény
The Square is the gate to another great landmark: Vajdahunyad Castle and its beautiful park.
Vajdahunyad Castle
Don’t ask me to pronounce the name. You can just ask me to enjoy the beauty of this place.
You can just walk, being in the present moment, observing the spectacle of colors and architecture in this park. Or you can sit on a bench and have a chat with eminent figures.
Perfect station to rest after meeting the heroes.
The Parliament
We can clearly say that, after the US Capitol and Westminster, the Hungarian Parliament Building is the most iconic parliament building in the world. It shares the same gothic influences that shaped Westminster, and it still sits right beside the river. However, Országház (this the name in Hungarian) opted for a white-greyish stone and a style that it gets closer to the Jerononimos Monstery in Lisbon than Westminster.
Despite being in Europe, this parliament is younger than the US Capitol, being opened just in 1902. Curios fact about the Parliament: its height is exactly 96 meters. Why? This is a reference to 896, the benchmark year taken to set the beginning of the Hungarian nation. This would be the year when Seven chieftains of the Magyars moved to current Hungary and established a principality. There was a time when the building was taller. It was during the communist era, when a big red star stood on the top dome.
The best way to admire the parliament is from the river. If you want to go to braggart-level, you can book a trip on the amphibian bus, and have the sailing of your life! That shit is real! You take this bus that drives normally on the road and then, at some point, it takes a turn down to the river bed, and like a giant dog, splashes into the water. One of the coolest things I’ve ever done, I swear! :D
The building’s charm seems to not spare anyone. Legendary Queen’s vocalist, Freddie Mercury, got so impressed by the parliament that he wanted to buy it! His Hungarian guides burst out laughing and explained to the singer that the palace was the very parliament, and as such, no one could buy it. Nevertheless, they told him, “But we will see what we can do…”
At the end of Queen’s trip to Budapest, Freddie Mercury received a miniature of the Hungarian Parliament, a cute consolation present for who was dreaming much bigger. I can imagine Freddie shooting the music video for ‘Living on My Own’ inside the parliament…
Queen was the first Western band to ever play a concert on the other side of the Iron Curtain. People still talk about it till this day. I must write an article about the stories I’ve heard!
But back to the parliament, once you’re done with your visit, you can have a restorative and healthy meal at Govinda. They are specialized in vegetarian food, but it’s amazing even for non-vegetarian, I assure you. And even your wallet will greatly appreciate!
The Nightlife
In Budapest, the night is like the day: you have everything you want and need, 24h! More than the bars or the clubs, my heart was warmed by the moussaka being there for my stomach even at 5.00 am! What can we call this? Love? Budapest really cares about you!
I will mention one mandatory stop you have to experience during your nightlife in Budapest: Szimpla Kert. It’s meant to be a “normal” bar, but it’s huge and gets packed fast. Entrance is free, drinks are excellent (and cheap), and the place is cozy, yet punk and “cute industrial”, which means very colorful too. I don’t know how else to describe it. Just walk in, grab a drink and enjoy the vibes, and even the crazy things happening there. An example? A group of tourists busy on a crazy version of break dance, mixed with Greek-Roman “fight” and some unlikely acrobatics that still did the job in making the crowd go wild! :D
The Bud Spencer Statue
Forget Chuck Norris: In Hungary, Bud Spencer is God. If you don’t know Bud Spencer, educate yourself, or you won’t be allowed entrance in the country! :D
All you need to know is that on the 7th day, God rested… Chuck Norris took over… but Bud Spencer fired him…
Conclusion
Budapest is simply beautiful. You see beauty everywhere, even in non-touristic spots!
It gives you an idea of grandiosity, without being overwhelming or intimidating.
The city is big, yet, well connected and walkable, so that everything always feels reachable at any time. This is thanks to the fantastic public transport, always available 24/7. And if that’s not enough, Budapest can count on the second oldest subway system in the world! Get down there. You will find a true underground museum; no photos as I don’t want to spoil the spectacle!
In essence, Budapest was a fine birthday present for myself. The place definitely exceeded my expectations.
I know that I will come back soon, to stay longer, maybe even for a few months. Budapest adds more fuel to my motivation in becoming a true digital nomad!
There are still many things I want to see and do, like the Thermal Baths, the biggest miss during this trip. I have a reason though: it was July, it was hot, last thing I felt like doing was to bath in hot water! :D
Thanks for reading till the end!
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