Our itinerary

Here are the places we visited on this trip:

Day 1 – Saturday (12/27/2014)

After almost 3 hours by train from Vienna, we arrived at the train station Kelenfold, even though we bought a ticket to Ferencvaros. When we were on the train, the inspector appeared, marked our tickets and said in Hungarian something like “No Ferencváros” and that was it, change of destination! When we arrived at the station, which has absolutely no NONE sign in English, we went looking for a currency exchange to exchange Euros for Forints, the currency used in the country. I had seen on Google that 1 euro = 330 forints, but we only found 1 euro = 300, so patience, right? We exchanged the money right there and went to the machines to buy the tickets by metro (which lasts 24 hours and costs 1650 forints).

While we were in line, we realized we were in the third world when some men offered suspicious help to some oriental tourists. They tried to talk to them in English, but I didn't understand exactly what they were saying and didn't want to get involved. In addition, for the first time, we saw inspectors checking to see if the passengers had the tickets or not. Seriously, no one passes by without them seeing the ticket. Wouldn't it have been easier/cheaper to have a roulette wheel? Despite this somewhat turbulent beginning, we were surprised by how modern the station and the train were. Take a look:

Budapest

For those who don't know, the city is divided by the Danube River, with Buda, which is more historic, on one side and Pest, which is more modern, on the other. In 1849, the first suspension bridge (Chain Bridge) was built over the Danube, connecting Buda and Pest, but it wasn't until 1873 that these two cities were united, along with Ôbuda, to create the municipality of Budapest. Most of the restaurants, shops and attractions are in Pest, so that's where we stayed.

Our hotel

We got off the subway at the hotel station, The Great White, and I confess that I didn't like much what I saw. We were not very impressed with the very old buildings, but to our delight, we saw a modern building and it was our hotel. We stayed at Eurostars Budapest Center (72 euros per day), because a friend told us really good things about it, and I recommend it too. I thought everything was great inside the hotel, but I think there are more impressive neighborhoods, if you know what I mean… lol.

We left our things in the room and went straight to the train station. Kelleti to buy our train to Bratislava for 2 days later. I tried to buy the tickets through Internet, but I didn't find any website that didn't charge a fee, so we thought it would be better to buy it there and then, in advance. We took a bus to the station and when we got there, we were shocked by what we saw. The station is very poorly maintained (not to mention worse things) and there is NO INFORMATION in English.

We managed to talk to a guy about buying international tickets and he showed us a counter on the other side of the station. When we got there, we found a lot of people waiting and a ticket machine! Believe it or not! I was shocked by that and very angry that I hadn't paid the fee at the station. website. Since our number was going to take a while to be called, we crossed the street and tried to buy our usual sandwiches at SPAR, but unfortunately they were out of stock (the first time I've seen that happen). Since the establishments around didn't look very appealing, we ended up going to KFC and filling our veins/arteries with that delicious greasy chicken. We went back to the station and waited another 2 hours to buy the ticket, which cost 10,850 forints for the two of us. Detail: the ticket did not have a restricted time, just the desired day (12/29) and the lady gave us a mini timetable for you to plan ahead and take a chance. Anyway, I thought it was a big mistake. If I had known it would be such a hassle, I would have bought it online and paid the fee! Just a tip. 😉

We left there and walked to the park. Varosliget, which is the largest park in the country. We didn't really like the neighborhood or the people we met along the way, but nothing bad happened, thank God. I thought the park was pretty cool, but I expected it to be better maintained, I don't know. I think I'm getting used to the Irish first world and becoming more demanding. Sorry. Inside the park, we saw the palace Vajdahunyad Castle, which is very beautiful as all the websites and travel guides say. It is a mix of several styles and today it is the Europe's largest agricultural museum. Around it, there was supposed to be the largest ice skating rink in Europe, but unfortunately for us it wasn't built yet.

We then passed by Heroes Square, which has the Millennium Monument and some interesting buildings around, like the Hall of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts.

We continue along the avenue in front of the square, the famous and elegant Andrassy Useful, which had all its trees without leaves. I imagined it in autumn and spring and I think it must be even more beautiful. We walked to the subway station Bajza Street and we were surprised by its appearance. Look how beautiful it is:

We got off at the station Opera, which as the name suggests, gives access to Hungarian State Opera, which is a beautiful building from 1884. We went in to see if there were any shows still with tickets, but we only found Nutcracker (again!) with super expensive prices, so we left it there. On the way out of the building, I bought a delicious typical sweet bread, the Kurtoske, for 400 forints. I recommend it!

We walked to the St. Stephen's Basilica, which is beautiful on the outside and even more so on the inside. It is truly impressive! It dates back to 1851, took 50 years to build, can accommodate up to 8,500 worshippers and holds the city's most precious relic: King Stephen's right hand. We were so excited about it that we decided to buy tickets for the concert that was going to take place there that night (we paid 12,600 forints), in a few hours.

We had lunch at the cute little Christmas market in front and as we had to wait a while to see the concert, we decided to visit the building. Hungarian Parliament. This building took 20 years to build, being completed in 1902. It is the third largest parliament in the world, with 691 rooms and is one of the most famous attractions in the city. Because of the late hour, we were unable to go inside to visit it, but it was worth seeing it from the outside, especially at night, when it is very, very beautiful all lit up.

We walked back along the banks of the Danube and passed the famous monument Shoes on the Danube Bank, dedicated to the dead Jews who were thrown into the river during World War II. It is very moving. From there you could see the famous Chain Bridge, which connects Buda to Pest, and the castle too, both beautifully illuminated

Arriving at the bridge, we saw the hotel Four Seasons, which is also lit up at night and is stunningly beautiful. As there was a Christmas fair going on inside, we went in to take a look at the beauty inside and took the opportunity to take a look at the wine tasting of Hungarian wines. We found them all delicious, but the one we liked the most was the Thummerer Pince. Try them too! Oh, and the best part is that they are super cheap. Afterwards, we went back to the little market in front of the basilica to eat some more things and were surprised by a light show above it. It was just in time for us to go into the basilica to see the organ concert. The pianist was a famous Hungarian who was applauded a lot (I don't remember his name, of course) and there was also a flutist and a tenor who put on a show. It was amazing!

Day 2 – Sunday (12/28/2014)

We woke up early, had breakfast, took the subway to Ponte das Correntes (station Vorosmarty Ter) and when we arrived at the Danube, we took the famous cable car (Villamos) to the base of the bridge (it took less than 5 minutes). We crossed the bridge on the left side, as it is the best side to see the Buda Castle. 

To go up to the Castle, you can walk through the alleys or take the funicular, which is what we did (2200 forints for both of us). If you can buy the ticket First, buy it, because we had to wait in a bizarre line, especially in the cold.

 This huge castle was built in the 13th century by King Bela IV, but in the 16th century it was completely destroyed by the Turks. The appearance we see today is thanks to the Habsburgs, who rebuilt it in the 18th century and beautified the surrounding area. Today, the palace houses several museums, including the  Budapest History Museum, The Hungarian National Gallery, National Szechenyi Library, but we didn't go inside any of them to check them out, just to warm up. Oh, the view from up there is wonderful!

We were walking through Castle Hill from behind, including the street Uri Utca with its baroque houses, until we reached Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, built in the 13th century for the use of Hungarian citizens who were forbidden from attending Church of Saint Matthias. It was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, with only the tower and the gate remaining…

From there, we went to visit the famous Church of Saint Matthias, which is very close to the Fisherman's Bastion, built in 1895. I was shocked when I realized that we had to pay 2,400 forints to enter it! For God's sake, right? Anyway...of course we paid. This church was built on top of a 13th century building and was named after King Matthias in 1470. During most of the Middle Ages, Hungarians were not allowed to enter the site, which was for the exclusive use of the Germans. When the Turks took power in the 16th century, the church was transformed into a mosque. According to legend, an image of Our Lady appeared in 1686 during prayers by the Turks, who interpreted it as a sign of defeat, and indeed, they lost Buda to the Habsburgs. Several important events took place in this church, including the coronation of Emperor Franz Joseph I and the wedding of King Matthias. It is wonderful inside and out. Afterwards we walked around Fisherman's Bastion and took the opportunity to enjoy the view, which is really cool.

We went down the hill, passed in front of a Calvinist church beautiful and we walked along the river bank to the tram station (tickets are sold at the underground metro station).

Just look at the view of Parliament from the tram station:

We took the tram to the Gellert Hotel, because there are the most famous thermal baths in Hungary. When we arrived, we didn't see many explanations in English, but we understood that they sold the entrance + locker or entrance + cabin, the latter being the most expensive (5500 forints per person, compared to 5100). We chose the second option, but when we were already inside, we discovered that the woman had given us the first one. It turned out that Celo had to go to the men's locker room and I to the women's, which wouldn't have happened if we had our own cabin. In my locker room, the women change where the lockers are and, believe it or not, the men can see them if they stand at the bottom of the stairs. Some morons were standing there watching, but in Celo's locker room it was more tense: some women walked by and insisted on looking at the naked men. People curious, right?

We understood that we had to buy hair caps (1400 for two), as well as rent bath towels (1400 for two), but when we went in, we saw that the cap is only necessary in the swimming pool, the only one we didn't go in because it's not very heated, in other words, a waste of money. We enjoyed the indoor pools, which have temperatures between 36º and 40º, but I found the environment a little claustrophobic, because there are no windows and it gives that stuffy feeling, you know? Besides that, the place is quite confusing and the staff isn't very friendly, so you have to be patient and take your time to figure everything out. After a while, we decided to take a bath in the outdoor pool, even though it was almost zero degrees. It was a difficult decision for me, but in the end, after the ordeal of running around in the cold in just a bikini, I thought it was worth it! By far, it was the best bath ever. The water was a great temperature (I think it was 40º) and the cold outside was bearable when we were in the pool. I can't say the same about outside the water... lol

We went to the hotel to get ready, as we had bought dinner on a boat on the Danube for website Viator. We went to the meeting point and when the tour left, we took the opportunity to talk to the guide until there. When we got on the boat, they told us that we would be sharing a table with other people, whereas when I bought the ticket, they said that we would sit at a double table. I took advantage of the fact that I was close to the guide and told her this, even reinforcing that it was our anniversary. (not really – ugly, ugly, ugly, I know). After a few minutes, she talked to the manager, who talked to the people in charge of the boat, and they decided to free up more tables and let the couples sit alone, because they had certainly complained too. The food was served at buffet and it was very tasty, even above our expectations. The view of the illuminated buildings and bridges is enchanting from inside the boat and for a few minutes, it made us forget that the dinner was one of those mega touristy ones, you know?

Day 3 – Monday (12/29/2014)

We did the checkout at the hotel, but we left our things at reception to walk around the city until it was time for the train. We took the opportunity to visit the famous Dohany Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world, second only to New York. We took a tour in English with a very nice lady, who explained the smallest details of the history of the Jews in the country. She took advantage of the cold weather and told us everything she had to say inside the building, which was great. When she finished talking, she walked with us outside and only showed us the places already mentioned (cemetery, tree, sculpture, etc.). It was spine-chilling…

We took advantage of the fact that we were nearby and went to see the famous market. Gozsdu Udvar, which is a place kind of hidden in the middle of the buildings with several cool restaurants. It usually gets busy on the weekends and on weekdays at night, but when we went during the day it was relatively empty. We chose Cafe Vian, because the atmosphere seemed cozy and we got along well with the food and wines chosen. Everything was delicious!

We then finally went to see the city's main pedestrian street, Vaci Utca, full of shops and restaurants, highly recommended in all the blogs I read. I personally avoid shopping, but I found the street very pleasant even with the cold weather. The best thing about it is that it ends (or starts?) at Central Market, which is huge, extremely clean and very interesting. It was worth the visit, but if I had known it was so cool, I would have set aside more time to walk around at a leisurely pace.

We went back to the hotel, got our things and went to the station Kelleti by subway. It took us a while to figure out the layout of the platforms, but we got on the right train to Bratislava. Phew…what a relief! 🙂