Creation date: 30 December, 2012

Erszebet Bridge

Building of Hungarian Academy of Sciences



Matthias Church (Mátyás Templom)
or Church of Our Lady was founded
by King Béla IV in 1242

Mátyás Templom, Roman Catholic church
(view from other side)

Budapest

Parliament House

I came to Budapest, the capital of Hungary on 16 November, 2011. Danube river divides Budapest into two parts: Buda and Pest. My hotel was in Pest side. I recommend all tourists to reserve hotel in this side because Buda part is hilly and many museums, galleries and shops are in Pest side. Although Buda Palace, Fisherman's Bastion, Roma Catolic Church and Citadella are located in Buda part, two full days are enough to see these places.

Szechenyi Chain Bridge

Erszebet Bridge (top view and in perspective)

I had a bad practice in Italian restaurant on my first day in Budapest. I just changed Euro to Hungarian Forints and went to have a lunch in this restaurant. When I paid for lunch instead of 200 I gave 2000 HUF (Hungarian Forints). When I realized, I returned and asked to the water. But he said, that I gave him 200, for sure, and I might lose it somewhere else. After this occasion I did not go to Italian Restaurants in Budapest.  

I bought the ticket from hotel to the “Hop On Hop Off” sightseeing bus tour. This ticket included two bus lines, (the red and the yellow) and one boat tour with three destinations. When I looked to the routing of these buses I noticed that one of the bus stops was not far from my hotel, so I decided to start my trip from the station near my hotel on 16 November and continue on 17 November, because the next day was free if you apply today. But the guy from reception recommended me not to wait here and go direct to the starting point of these buses, because the starting point was not far from this station and if I start my tour here, bus would go to the last station for parking and I’d have to wait until the next trip to begin. But I thought there’s no difference to walk then wait in starting point, or to sit here into the bus, travel by bus and wait there. Therefore I walked to the nearest station of “Hop On Hop Off” buses. There was no sign of this bus stop, therefore I spent much time, while looking for the bus stop. Finally I found the guy that was selling the tickets and he told me to stay in the regular bus station to catch the "Hop On Hop Off" bus. I came to the station and noticed that, there was no sign of the above mentioned buses. I waited more than half an hour, the scheduled time was already up but there was not a bus on the horizon. Suddenly, I saw the red bus, but it was a mirage. Because when I tried to hop to this bus they said, that my ticket belongs to other company, I was not their passenger. I think it would be better to name these companies differently, if they share the same business, in order to not confuse the tourists. Then I noticed the only difference between buses, it was a giraffe head, painted on the back side of “our” buses. When I understood, that it’s impossible to catch any bus here, I remembered the recommendation of the receptionist. It was late and I decided to start bus tour tomorrow from the origin point of these buses, from station number 1

Hero Suare

Műcsarnok (Palace of Art) on Hero Square

Szépművészeti múzeum (Museum of Fine Arts) on Hero Square

After breakfast on 17 November I went to the Presidency House and made some photos of the house and the bridge, then directed to the bus station No.1 When I arrived to the station, the bus just had departed. I found the ticket seller and asked him about next bus. He said the next bus would be after 45 minutes. He also said, that today is "smoke alert" in Budapest and the yellow line would not work. After waiting for an hour, finally, I took the bus. I came out on the Square of Heroes, made some photos of square and monuments. When I was walking around the Square I found the street named by Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. Then I went to the Museum of Fine Arts, but it was very interesting and I exited when the gallery was closing. I found some paintings of Mone in this gallery. The last bus of the Red line was at 17.30, so I couldn’t catch the bus and went to the metro. In evening of this day I went to the port and took a boat trip on Danube River. It was included to the ticket of bus tour.

18 November – After my practice with Hop-On buses I went directly to the bus station No1. There was a couple of people, waiting the giraffe buses. I came to the guy and asked him the same question about buses. He replayed the same story about "smoke alert", that only one line would work. I caught the bus and went to the Buda part of the city.

Bus stopped in piedmont and we were lifted up by funicular railway. Below is the photo of funicular. On other photo you can see the monument of bishop Gellért on Gellért Hill. He was killed here in the 11th century. He was put into barrel pierced with nails and rolled down the steep hill.

Funicular railway and the ladders to the Buda Castle

Buda Palace

Eagle statue, Buda Palace

Garden in Buda Palace

Buda Palace

This part was under Ottoman Empire nearly 160 years (1526-1686), and they made some changes into this castle. There is a museum of Buda Castle History and Hungarian art gallery inside of this castle.

There is an old Roman Church named Matthias Church not far from Buda Castle. Behind the Matthias Church there is a The Fisherman's Bastion. This bastion was built during the Middle Ages by the guild of fishermen.

Fisherman's Bastion

In evening I returned from Buda on foot. When I returned to the Pest, as I told my hotel was in this part, I found an interesting cup in a souvenir shop. The guy in this shop offered me his help and I asked him the price of the cup. He said it costs 1500 HUF (Hungarian Forints), but he can give it me for 1000 HUF. I paid and he gave me the cup. When I was leaving the shop other guy said me that I did not pay for the cup. I pointed to the first guy and said that I had paid him already. The second one said that he does not know this person. Meantime the first guy was leaving the shop. I caught him and got back my money. He was a swindler. So, I advice you to be careful in the shops and restaurants of Budapest!

Liberation Monument (Szabadság Szobor) at Citadel was erected in 1947, after liberation the city by Soviet soldiers.

19 November – I crossed the bridge on River Danube and went to the Citadel on Buda part. Citadel was strategic point to prevent the air attacks. Therefore on the Second World War German Army positioned their Air Defense troops in this part. There was Liberation Monument outside of Citadel, but nothing to see inside of museum, only some windows with story about history of Citadel and one underground barrack with some figures. Buy the way, the toilets cost 100 HUF outside of museum, inside it’s free but there’s no soap. So before entering to Citadel don’t forget to buy soap, in case you get your hands dirty.

Wax figures inside of Citadel museum

This is my short story and impressions about Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

Creation date: 30 December, 2012

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