Hungary

So far our blog has six days from Hungary, in Budapest in August 2021. Budapest is the first stop of a city trip that continues by train in Austria.

On 11 August we fly from Basel to Budapest with EasyJet. We spend the first two nights on the Pest side. Late in the evening, at half past eleven, we walk to the illuminated St. Stephen’s Basilica. The next day at noon, on our way to breakfast, we pass the Parliament, the largest building in Hungary, right on the Danube. In the afternoon we have a cocktail in the ruin bar Szimpla Kert. At sunset we ride the Ferris wheel.

On the third day we go to the Shoes on the Danube Bank, which commemorate the pogroms against Jews carried out by the Arrow Cross in Hungary during the Second World War. Then we take the old line 2 tram along the Danube to Boráros tér. Because the Chain Bridge is being renovated, we move to the Buda side by boat for three nights. In the evening we walk up to Fisherman’s Bastion next to Matthias Church and look out over the whole Pest side.

On the fourth day we get up at a quarter to six and photograph the Parliament from directly opposite as it is reflected in the Danube in the red glow of dawn. In the afternoon we look for shade on Margaret Island, and in the evening we take a boat trip on the Danube. On the fifth day we sleep through the sunrise. We explore the Castle District and go on a free walking tour about «Buda Castles». For the sunset we climb up to Fisherman’s Bastion for the fourth time that day.

On the last morning we do manage to get up early and watch the sun rise just above the Parliament from Fisherman’s Bastion. In the afternoon we walk for half an hour with our luggage to Budapest-Déli station and take the direct train to Vienna.

It is hot during our days in Budapest, 35 degrees on the first day. On the fifth day it is over 36 degrees, and we retreat to the hotel over midday. We often have food delivered via Wolt, to Fisherman’s Bastion, to the Japanese garden on Margaret Island or to the Danube. Many things are somewhat to considerably cheaper than in Switzerland. The train to Vienna costs 9 euros including a drink and leaves on time, only the air conditioning could have worked better. At sunrise there are only a few people on Fisherman’s Bastion, mostly wedding couples with photographers, at sunset there are many.