Budapest

An unexpectedly beautiful city

By Michael Wilson

April 28^th, 2015

Across the Danube

I arrived in Budapest expecting a long weekend consuming a lot of cheap food and even more cheap drink. I hadn’t really planned on doing much exploring, but upon arrival I had clearly underestimated this city.

The first morning started with a walk toward the river Danube and across one of the many beautiful bridges.

The Citadella

Over the bridge and up a hill to see the Citadella, a fortress which was seen as a significant stronghold by Hitler during WWII.

The views from the summit are stunning, giving 360 degree views across the entire city.

The Palace and The Presidents house

The next stop was along the river to see the palace and the house where the president lives.

The architecture in Budapest is amazing, there’s so many grand buildings made of stone, which look like they were built yesterday as they’re so clean and well kept.

Parliament building

If you do a Google images search for Budapest, the results are dominated by photos of the parliament building. It really is a wonderful sight from across the river and up close.

Also, the square behind the building has a really nice atmosphere and I was amazed by how peaceful the area was. Only a handful of people walked around the square.

Margaret Island

Next, we hoped over the river again to arrive on Margaret island, a small park which lives in the middle of the Danube. It was really peaceful on the island and it was full of joggers and sunbathers.

We even came across a mini zoo on the island with all manner of animals, including rabbits, stalks, ponies and the coolest chickens I’ve ever seen.

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Medicinal baths are a tradition in Hungary, so we spent a whole day in the baths in City Park.

St. Stephen’s Basilica

Our final stop was St. Stephen’s Basilica, a huge Roman Catholic Church. We also took the elevator to the top to take in the views of the city once more.

Budapest by night

Budapest takes on a completely different look when the sun goes down. The lights come on and illuminate the buildings, making them take on a new appearance.