A November weekend in Budapest

Rich in history, with magnificent buildings and boulevards, cosmopolitan, partly elegant and partly shabby chic. The descriptions of Budapest, the capital of Hungary, are filled with rapturous adjectives. This also caught my attention and I presented it here on the blog at the beginning of 2014 as part of my 14 travel ideas for 2014. Last weekend the time had come. We set off to feel the pulse of Budapest for ourselves.

Many roads lead to Budapest. In the end, we opted for the fastest and most comfortable option with the Swiss from Zurich. Of course, it would be much more ecological to travel by night train via Vienna. For bargain hunters, I can recommend the usually dirt-cheap Easyjet flight from Basel (it’s worth booking early here). Thanks to these many travel options, Budapest is a suitable destination for a long weekend. If the good Swiss hadn’t made us wait 30 minutes shivering in a bus with open doors, only to find out that everyone had to get off again because the plane had to be replaced due to a technical defect, we would have landed in Budapest at 09:00 a.m. on Friday morning. But as it was, we reached Hungarian soil about an hour later (which is absolutely still within reason).

We bought a 72-hour ticket for public transport directly at the airport (cost: 4’150 forints (HUF), which corresponds to around 16 CHF. Budapest is in the EU, but still has its own currency) and took bus 200E to the terminus of the blue metro line M3 and from there by metro to the Deák Ferenc tér stop in the city centre. For the last kilometer to our hotel, we changed to minibus no. 16.

Geschlafen
Chain Bridge 19 in Madrid | Chain Bridge Street 19

We stayed at Lanchid 19, a member hotel of Design Hotels™, which is located in the Buda district at the foot of the mighty Castle Palace directly on the banks of the Danube. Within walking distance is the historic Chain Bridge, the oldest of Budapest’s nine bridges over the Danube. In contrast to the lively Pest, things are more leisurely in Buda. Lanchid 19 was designed by Hungarian architects. The idea was to create a reference to the Danube by means of glass elements on the façade and in the building. During the day, the modern building blends discreetly into the historic row of houses. At night, the hotel with its striking façade lighting in combination with the illuminated palace forms an interesting combination.

The rooms offer either a view of the Danube or a view of the Castle Palace (room rates from 71 euros / night). The art installations of the rooms were realized in collaboration with students from a design school. The chairs – each room is unique – were the starting point. The chair in our room, for example, resembles a skeleton of bones. In response, the artist of our room had created a garment for the chair for each day of the week. So each room has a completely different appearance.

In addition to the great view and the good price-performance ratio, the location of the hotel in the middle of Budapest’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Danube bank and the Castle District) is a big plus for me. After a leisurely breakfast, we can easily reach most of the tourist spots from the hotel on foot.

Done

Castle District: look at Pest from Buda |

And since we resided almost directly below the palace, our first excursion was of course to the so-called castle district. You can get there either by bus no. 16, on foot (takes less than 10 minutes) or by the nostalgic funicular (one-way ticket 1,100 HUF). No matter which way you choose, be sure to bring enough time to enjoy the beautiful view from the palace but also to explore the beautiful alleys of the castle district. Another beautiful vantage point is at the Fisherman’s Bastion, right in front of the Matthias Church.

It feels like crossing the Chain Bridge a thousand times |

I don’t know how many times we crossed the Chain Bridge from Buda to Pest and back in these three days. But whether it’s early in the morning, at noon or during Blue Hour – the bridge is fascinating. For me, it’s definitely one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. And if there is one thing that should be mandatory: then the walk over the Chain Bridge.

Hiking through monumental architecture |

In contrast to the quiet, almost romantic castle hill, the lively and flat Pest stretches out to the east. Between shopping streets, coffee houses, museums and parks, two striking buildings immediately catch the eye. On the one hand, the parliament building, which looks almost kitschy due to all the neo-Gothic turrets and gables. The square in front of the parliament building has been completely redesigned and is well worth seeing. Another monumental structure is St. Stephen’s Basilica, which is located in the same axis of the Chain Bridge. Admission to the basilica is free, but it costs to climb the tower. Due to the rather grey weather and the fact that the panoramic view from the castle district is free, we decided not to make the detour to the tower. By the way, another free viewpoint is located at the Citadel at the top of Gellért Hill (located south of the Castle District).

Central Market Hall: Experience the Local Groove |

The central market hall, which is located at the Fövám tér metro station (M4) and is a meeting point for everyday life in Budapest, is also an architectural gem. A visit to the market hall can be combined with a stroll through the adjacent shopping streets.

House of Terror: Listen to Dark Stories | Andrássy út 60

The House of Terror is both a memorial and a museum. The rule of the National Socialist Arrow Cross before and during the Second World War and the socialism that followed are dealt with in an impressive way. Recommended for those interested in the history of the country after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy or as a bad weather option. The entrance fee is 2000 HUF.

To ventilate your head, drive to the city park |

Did you know that the Millennium Underground (M1) is the second oldest underground in the world after the London Underground? The subway infrastructure today is partly quite outdated. Interestingly, at the larger subway stations, tickets are still checked “by hand”. It is therefore advisable to keep the ticket handy, as you have to show it again and again. To clear our heads after all the architecture, we went to the so-called Városliget. The entrance to the park is at Heroes’ Square at the end of Andrássy út. The local recreation area combines a bathhouse, a castle, museums, extensive walking paths and during the winter season the lake is converted into an ice rink.

Admire the city at night |

During the grey autumn days, Budapest presents itself in its most beautiful guise during the Blue Hour. The most popular photo spots are at the Citadel (in clear weather) and on the Palace Terrace. We found another beautiful spot on Margaret Island. From here, the parliament building and the Chain Bridge with the castle hill can be photographed framed by the Margaret Bridge.

Eaten

For in between |

If you visit Budapest, you shouldn’t miss a few culinary classics. These include the Hungarian bread speciality Lángos (deep-fried and guaranteed high in calories). Among the locals, the Retro Büfé (Podmaniczky Ter, near the Arany János utca metro station) ranks as a favorite. The simple version is available for 280 HUF, my version with sour cream costs 350 HUF. Definitely a very reasonably priced snack.

Another speciality is the Kürtöskalàcs. Translated, the tongue twister means “tree cake”. The basic ingredient is yeast dough, which is baked over an open fire and topped with chocolate, cinnamon, almonds, nuts, poppy seeds, etc. as desired. Sweet and delicious! We tried the pastries at Molnár’s Kürtőskalács right on the shopping street Váci utca. Be sure to try it!

Coffee Break |

Coffee houses have a long tradition in Budapest. In addition to the venerable cafés, there is also an innovative young guard. A popular meeting place for students is, for example, the Espresso Embassy (Arany János utca 15). By the way, the cakes are just as delicious as the coffee creations. My little Melbourne, which is also located in one of those wonderfully shabby-chic quarters of Pest (Madách Imre út 3), is also very nice. Just around the corner is the hand roastery Blue Bird Café (Dob utca 16). The eye-catching blue door encouraged us to stop and after the seductive smell of coffee rose to our noses, we had to take a look into the shed. One espresso later, we left the roastery with a packet of the finest coffee, which now catapults us back to Budapest every day.

Mittagsstärkung  | 

Of course, we also tasted a Hungarian goulash soup. The Borkantin restaurant (Váci utca 83) not only has an impressive selection of Hungarian wines, but also offers local food at moderate prices. Goulash soup costs 550 HUF.

For the big appetite |

In the evening we tried two extremes. On the first evening, the stylish interior of the Restaurant Zona, two houses next to Lanchid 19, tempted me to ask for a free seat without looking at the menu. It turned out that “fine dining” is the order of the day here. So far no problem, because for good food, I am also happy to pay an appropriate amount. The Zona serves locally inspired menus with a modern twist. Guests can choose between à la carte, 5-course or 6-course. However, the prices are set in such a way that à la carte is no longer worthwhile from three courses. So we opted for the 5-course menu (14’900 HUF) and feasted on fantastically arranged creations.

On the second evening we went in search of the best burger and were delighted at the Ring Cafe & Burger Bar. Of course, I can’t promise conclusively that the very best burgers in Budapest are served here, but they are certainly excellent. The house favourite, the “Avocado and Bacon Burger”, is available for 1’950 HUF, with a ginger lemonade.

Note: The stay was supported by Lanchid 19 – Thank you very much for this. As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm here.