 |
| The Chain Bridge |
Buda Castle
Almost every country that I visited in Europe has their signature castle on its own. Buda castle is at the southern tip of castle hill and you can take either walk up the hill or take a funicular (A cable railway) to reach the top of the hill which you have to pay. It's not too expensive but expect some slight queue. The area is made up of a complex castles and palaces and it is now the home to the Hungarian National Gallery, History Museum and National Library which easily takes you half a day or so to explore them. There are also some historical squares to explores including the Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion.
 |
| Walking up the hill to Buda Castle |
 |
| National Gallery |
The national gallery is located within the Royal Palace of Buda's building. This place is really worthy for visiting not only for the Hungarian art work but also we accidentally discovered a place where you can actually have a perfect view of the entire Budapest city at the top floor of the gallery. There is a a balcony overseeing the chain bridge and river view and it is true that the view is always better from the top.
 |
| The Chain Bridge |
 |
| Matthias Church |
 |
| Fisherman's Bastion |
The Chain Bridge
You wouldn't miss this in Budapest and this is the bridge that connects the Buda to the Pest side of the city. It gives a fantastic view of the Danube river and there are pedestrian walkways at both sides to stroll across while enjoying the view. I like how people just sit around there and have some drinks and perhaps talking about life in front of this spectacular view.
Shoes on the Danube
It's about a few minutes walking distance from the bridge and it is opposite the house of Parliament. These are to commemorate the killing of Jews during World War II. The methodology was the Jews were lined up at the edge of the river being stripped off their clothes and shoes and shot at the back of the head at point blank range. You will still see people placing flowers and wreaths over there as well as some notes to commemorate the lost ones.
Central Market
The central market is really close by to the chain bridge which I assume it is the reason why it is called the central market. This historical market hall has been there for ages and the local people still do their everyday shopping here for fresh food and spices. There are 3 storeys and there is a lidl supermarket at the lower ground. I would dropped by here everyday when I was there to pick up my drinks and food for the day.
 |
| Central Market |
Szechenyi Thermal Bath
The thermal bath is one of the main reasons that I always wanted to visit Budapest. There are at least 15 indoor medicinal pools in the bath complex and also 3 huge outdoor pools. The pools are fed by natural springs and the the indoor pools are mineral pools of different temperatures. There are also sauna and steam rooms around and some spa services at additional charge. There is no time limit of how long you can stay there which you can stay as long as you wish until they are closed for the day. One tip is to go early or go slightly later to skip the peak hours. The ticket price also varies depending on the the time of visit. You can visit their website for more information on ticket price and the services that they provide (http://www.szechenyibath.hu/prices#). We went there during afternoon and stayed for a couple of good hours there before leaving when they closed. The crowd was still okay and we managed to get a locker without too much searches.
 |
| Changing room |
There is also another thermal bath near Gellert Hill which is relatively smaller and less popular. There are more local elderly people there than Szechenyi and if you want to dodge the tourist crowd, this is an alternative place to go. The entry price is about the same.
St. Stephens Basilica
Just like any other county in Europe, there is always a magnificent church. We visited the church in the late afternoon and it was closed so we only managed to see the exterior part of the church, which is mightily stunning. The entry is free but you are encouraged to give donation. It is situated in the centre of a lovely square with plenty of restaurants and bars nearby to dine in after visiting the church.
The transport
We bought our Budapest card online from the website for transport around the city including the trams, buses and metros. With the Budapest card, you are also entitled for free entrance to certain sightseeing and services. However, be careful on where you buy your Budapest cards from. We bought it online from supposedly the official website, but we were told that we are not entitled for certain free entrance to museum and discounts because the cards were offered by a different merchants. We also went to the tourist centre to find out more but conflicting information were given by different centres. We gave up and merely just used the cards for free transport around the city. You should just get it for the sake of moving around the city at ease but not anything else.
Also, make sure to validate your ticket/card every time before your start your trip at the ticket punching machine. I have witnessed a few times undercover inspectors doing their job catching people without tickets or without validation of the tickets. And if you are caught you will probably end up with substantial fines which is the last thing you want it for your trip. Just remember to validate your tickets.
The transport system in Budapest consists of a combination of trams, metros, trolley buses, buses and trains which they are all at different designs and sizes. Some of them look old but vintage which I find it really interesting. I started this spot the vehicle game on my own and these are mainly what I saw throughout my time in Budapest.
Will I come back? Maybe.
Comments
Post a Comment