Living on an island, I forget how seamless it is for people on mainland Europe to travel between countries. Of course, there’s Eurostar in the UK but it doesn’t seem as frictionless.
Since I’d extended my stay in Vienna, I wasn’t going to have time to go to Budapest, which was originally on my list of places to visit on this trip. So I decided to go on a day trip instead.
I got on a train at 07:40 in Vienna and got off in Budapest. It was no different, in terms of bureaucracy, from travelling between London and Birmingham (and about the same time — 2½ hours). The journey was smooth apart from a 20‑minute delay somewhere along the route.
Last night, I did some research on possible places to visit and saved them in Google Maps. I also bought a 24-hour public transport pass to simplify moving around. This required installing the BudapestGO app.
Once we arrived at Budapest‑Kelenfold, I got the M4 tram to the grand Parliament building. The location also provided views across the Danube to the western side of the Danube. The Parliament building side is on the eastern side. The west side is called Buda and the east side is called Pest. Being on a hill, Buda has the best views. Pest (unrelated to the English word) is flat and has most of the cultural centres.
Apparently, the areas east and west of the Danube were separate towns. At the height of the Austro-Hungarian reign, the two towns were unified to become Budapest.
From the Hungarian Parliament building, I walked to one of the most popular spots: St. Stephen’s Basilica.
I’ve been in enough museums and churches this trip. So I decided to not visit them here.
After looking at the fine exterior of the Basilica, I passed the House of Terror Museum. I wasn’t planning on going inside. One reviewer regarded it as propaganda from the previous leader (Viktor Orban).
For a break, I found a cafe with the same name as one I went to in Kraków. When I got to the Masolit Budabest Books and Cafe, I found out that two were connected.
After leaving the cafe, I made my way to Fisherman’s Bastion and the hilltop castle. There were spectacular views across Budapest.
My final stop was Szimpla Kert. This was described as a “ruin bar”. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it. There was graffiti everywhere, the decor was psychedelic, and the colours were electric!
It had been a long day. I had time for a quick bite before getting the train. I found a cafe and had a delicious falafel wrap. Unusually, there was a generous serving of falafels, which restaurants often skimp on.
