Highlights of Budapest

As G only had one day to spend in Budapest, we wanted to make sure we saw all the highlights.  We booked the All in One in Budapest walking tour which seemed to offer the broadest range of sites in Pest.  

Due to the efficiency of the public transport, we were a little early arriving at our starting point in Heroes Square, so had a little time to explore.  The Millennium Monument was an imposing centrepiece, topped with a statue of archangel Gabriel.  According to legend, he holds the crown of Hungary in his left hand which he offered to St Stephen in a dream.  The column is surrounded by seven statues depicting the Magyar chieftains on horseback who settled their people in the area now known as Hungary. 

Two colonnades stood behind the column, with statues of 14 of the most prominent figures in Hungary’s history, starting with King Stephen I, holding a cross.  The colonnades were topped by sculptures representing Wealth and Labor on the right side and Knowledge and Glory on the left.  A tethered balloon was visible in the background, being a tourist attraction from which you can enjoy panoramic views across the city.  

As we walked towards City Park, we had a lovely view of Vajdahunyad Castle from the bridge. It was originally built in 1896 from cardboard and wood as part of the Millennial Exhibition.  Made up of different architectural styles, including Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, it proved so popular that it was later rebuilt from stone and brick. 

The Anonymous statue of a man sitting alone, head bowed and covered with a hood, recognised an unknown chronicler of the early Magyars, reminding viewers that history is often told by voices from the shadows. 

The outdoor concert area of the House of Music had impressive acoustics and even allowed space for trees to grow.  Nearby was the Memorial to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence. The striking rusted iron pillars represent the strength and resilience of the Hungarian people.  The different heights of the pillars represent diversity and form a wedge shape, making an angle of 56 degrees to the main road, in reference to the year of the revolution.

We caught a metro to the centre of town, disembarking near the imaginatively named Budapest Eye and walking on to St Stephen’s Basilica, the largest church in Budapest. We stopped at the statue of the Fat Policeman, with his cheerful expression.  His stomach glowed brightly from all those who had rubbed it seeking good luck and immunity against weight gain. 

The Szechenyi Chain Bridge connecting Buda and Pest was destroyed during World War II, with only the towers remaining.  It was rebuilt and reopened in 1949. Multiple river cruise boats were lined up nearby. We could see Buda Castle, the Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church – our planned attractions for the afternoon.  

The Shoes in the Danube Bank was erected in 2005 as a memorial to honour the Jews who were massacred by members of the Arrow Cross Party during World War II.  They were ordered to take off their shoes (which were considered valuable and could be resold by the militia) before being shot at the edge of the water, so that their bodies fell into the Danube river.  

Our final stop was the Budapest Parliament Building where we had finished our ride the day before.  It was definitely time for lunch, so we took Petra’s advice and made our way to Roma Etelbar where we enjoyed a nice lunch.  G had pork roast “Brasso” style, whilst Si had Chicken breast Matrai style with parsley potatoes which was topped with garlic sour cream and smoked cheese.  I settled for a lighter goats cheese salad. 

The Fisherman’s Bastion was heaving with people and we had to wait our turn at the viewing platforms.  The original walls were built in the 1700s and were protected by the guild of fishermen who lived under the walls.  

Matthias Church, formally known as the Church of our Lady of Buda Castle, was used as a coronation church for Hungarian Kings and also as a mosque for over 150 years by the Ottoman Turks. It is now a Catholic Church and the insides were stunning, with beautifully coloured walls, frescos and stained-glass windows.  

Despite the heat of the afternoon, we had the energy for a visit to Buda Castle.  Our efforts to catch a bus were thwarted when we missed the stop and ended up at Clark Adam Square near the funicular. We were relieved to find there were two lifts available to take us up to the castle ramparts where we had an amazing view across the city. The Fountain of King Matthias was most ornate, featuring King Matthias in a royal hunting scene with a hidden love story. The fountain shows a young peasant girl stroking a deer, who fell in love with the hunter, only to later find he was the King of Hungary and realise that they could never be together and died of a broken heart.  

After exploring the castle grounds, we walked back down to Clark Adam Square and caught a bus back to Pest to find a place for afternoon tea. We were keen to try the local speciality, dobos cake, a sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel. We also ordered a sachertorte for comparative purposes.  A quick poll at the end found the Si and G preferred the sachertorte, whilst I liked the dobos cake.  

We visited a couple of porcelain shops looking for souvenirs, but found nothing of interest, and also browsed a design shop, again without success.  We passed a large group of protesters before boarding a tram back to our accommodation.  We were exhausted from our big day out, so bought a lasagne and salad to heat up for dinner. 

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