Today I took a walking tour of the fine city of Budapest and got a really great overview of the layout of the city. I am staying on the Pest side (since the city is separated by the Danube River and used to not have bridges connecting the sides), but we also ventured to the Buda side to explore some of the buildings there.
Our tour started near the center of the city (where the major subway lines cross each other) and then we headed to Heroes’ Square, a monument built in 1896, which was also hosting a snowboarding tournament. It was interesting to see the juxtaposition of the old buildings with the giant ramps covered in snow.
I have never really been a fan of history (I think having to memorize all the dates for school ruined it for me), but it has been fascinating learning about the history of the cities while I travel around. Despite the country’s long history, many of the key buildings were fairly new since many were destroyed in WWII. There are even bullet holes in some of the walls of the city as you walk down the streets.
We then went onto the grounds of a castle (that was never actually used as a castle), but each part of the building showcased a different style of Hungarian architecture. It was interesting to see some of the similarities between some of the buildings in Romania.
From there, we went to one of the city’s thermal baths to check it out (not sure I will get a chance to actually go to one, but it was cool to see!).
We then visited the National Opera House (where I am seeing a performance of Anna Karenina) and the main basilica in the city.
After crossing the Chain Bridge, which runs over the Danube, we hiked up the hill to visit the Buda Castle, where our tour ended. There were amazing views of the Pest side of the city from the balcony (including the Parliament building which is the 3rd largest in the world behind Bucharest and London)!
The three others on the tour and I hit it off, so we spent the rest of the day together exploring the city together. We saw the moving “Shoes on the Danube” memorial along the river, went out to lunch together (at a place that had Lego figurine wallpaper in the bathrooms…so amazing…I had to take a picture and am not ashamed at all), walked along the river at night and had some amazing hot chocolate (which was more like pudding).
We then headed to the Terror House, a museum that presents the history of Communism through very powerful displays. There was a car with the Communist symbol embroidered into the backseat, cards telling the story of those killed during the period, uniforms used by members of the different parties and prison cells. It is difficult to put into words how it felt seeing the very well organized exhibits that had coordinated visual and audio components. The whole place was very overwhelming for me since I can’t help but feel guilt and remorse for having a German background when I learn about the country’s ugly past. In each room, they had sheets with additional information you could take, so I am looking forward to spending time on my own to read more about what I saw and heard at the Terror House.
On a more positive note, we finished the night off at a ruin bar. The city is known for having bars in abandoned building that have a mish mash of random furniture and décor. For example, you can hang out in a bathtub for the night! My favorite room was one with all different kinds of televisions and cords. The pictures make the place look semi-creepy, but it was actually very cool. I wish Seattle had these!
We then headed to the Terror House, a museum that presents the history of Communism through very powerful displays. There was a car with the Communist symbol embroidered into the backseat, cards telling the story of those killed during the period, uniforms used by members of the different parties and prison cells. It is difficult to put into words how it felt seeing the very well organized exhibits that had coordinated visual and audio components. The whole place was very overwhelming for me since I can’t help but feel guilt and remorse for having a German background when I learn about the country’s ugly past. In each room, they had sheets with additional information you could take, so I am looking forward to spending time on my own to read more about what I saw and heard at the Terror House.
On a more positive note, we finished the night off at a ruin bar. The city is known for having bars in abandoned building that have a mish mash of random furniture and décor. For example, you can hang out in a bathtub for the night! My favorite room was one with all different kinds of televisions and cords. The pictures make the place look semi-creepy, but it was actually very cool. I wish Seattle had these!
