Budapest Day 3, Hungary · PIXELS & TRAVELS

Budapest Day 3

Shoes on the Danube bank, the old tram to the Adidas outlet, a boat across to the Buda side and an evening at Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest.

Annina & Nicolas 13 August 2021 · 3 min read

Today we check out of our hotel on the Pest side and then enjoy breakfast at Espresso Embassy near the Danube. Right afterwards we go to the “Cipők a Duna-parton”, the Shoes on the Danube Bank, which were created to commemorate the pogroms against Jews carried out by the Arrow Cross in Hungary during the Second World War. The sight is shocking and moving at the same time.

A dark shoe with a red ribbon in the foreground, more shoes behind it at the edge of the embankment wall and the Danube — The shoes on the Danube bank · 2 photos

A row of shoes made of dark metal on the stone edge of the Danube bank, a bridge and a domed building in the background — The shoes on the Danube bank · 2 photos

Then we take the ancient line 2 tram to just beyond the Petőfi Bridge. The bumpy, noisy ride doubles as a sightseeing tour for us, since we have a direct view of the Danube and the Buda side the whole way. We get off at the “Boráros tér” stop. Our destination is the Adidas Fashion Outlet Store, which is said to have very good bargains. We are both looking for new shoes. Annina already finds something before reaching the Adidas store and buys shoes from the competition: Pumas. Nicolas, for his part, buys two pairs of shoes at Adidas (let’s see how we are going to fit those into our EasyJet hand luggage … :P). We also pick up our lunch at Spar and take the tram back to “our” little spot on the Danube. We eat there and then walk back to our hotel, where we have left our suitcases. We chat for a long time with the receptionist, who very kindly gives us all sorts of tips for our next stop in Budapest. We are spending the next three days on the Buda side, which is known for its many castles. Since the famous Chain Bridge is currently being renovated, we can only get to the other side of the Danube by boat. That way we also get to take a short boat trip.

View across the Danube of a white building with a red dome and pointed towers on the bank, a bridge on the left

Once on the Buda side, we first check in at our new hotel, which is very nice and modern. Then we set off to explore and walk up the hill to Fisherman’s Bastion, a lookout terrace with turrets next to Matthias Church. The architecture is fantastic. From there we enjoy not only the view over the whole Pest side of the city, but also our pizza and the dumplings that we have delivered via Wolt.