Back from Bodacious, Boisterous Budapest — The Travelogue

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

Let me continue with a few more thoughts on our visit to the capital of Hungary before getting into more images. My first impression of Budapest was sort of mixed.  Our shared shuttle bus from the Liszt Ferenc International Airport Sunday evening traversed narrow streets lacking character.  I was surprised by the amount of vehicular traffic, as well as the number of pedestrians and cyclists out and about.

Then, when we pulled in on the thoroughfare in front of the Hotel Vision, my perspective changed.  A nighttime view of the Danube River and its boats and grand bridges helped temper my perspective.

Yes, Susan and I had, indeed, arrived in a great city; and we had taken the initial step toward another wonderful and memorable vacation.  In case you missed it, here’s a link to my narrative post. So, without further delay, here begins the travelogue. 

Yes, that’s me on the Buda side of the city, with the Liberty Bridge in the distance and some guy with his horse keeping watch.

Certainly not your average “side street.” This narrow lane is representative of many of the streets near our hotel: Pedestrian friendly, outdoor dining, and buildings with brilliant facades.

A “one-and-done” attraction for us was the Great Market Hall. Impressive to view from the outside, but somewhat chaotic and crowded inside. Believe it or not: There’s an Aldi store on the lower level!

A view of the Rudas Thermal Baths, located directly across the Danube from our hotel. The baths, which was founded in 1571/1572 during the time of Ottoman rule, is one of many across the city. Yes, we enjoyed our visit; but once was enough for me.

Recognize this guy? Yes, it’s TV character Detective Columbo and his dog, one of the many bronze sculptures we encountered across Budapest.

Well, I got kind of close to the status at the Szent Gellért-szobor, a steep, steep park just north of the Rudas Baths. It was a lot easier going down that going up.

In magnificent interior of the Donehy Street Synagogue is breathtaking. It’s the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world.

Okay, another image of a cool old building. Now that’s a real archway!

Of course, we often took advantage of the many fine cafes for coffee and more while touring the city. I had cafe Americano, which Susan had something more creative.

Let me conclude the roll of images with another dramatic, spired building located somewhere in Budapest.

Some final recollections:  On two occasions we encountered locals who were aware of the fractured democracy unfolding in the United States.  A woman server, learning that we were Americans, noted, “Yes, and we have Orbon.”  And, a man at a cultural institution said he had plans to visit the USA in 2026, but was putting the trip on hold. 

So, there. Budapest through thoughts and images. Have you visited the Hungarian capital? If so, please share perspectives. 

Back from Bodacious, Boisterous Budapest — The Narrative

Boat

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

The concept of “less is more” or minimalism can be applied to architecture, as well as to other fields like art and music. Well, that genre certainly doesn’t apply in too many ways to the grand Eastern European capital city of Budapest.

One week ago, Susan and I returned after spending eight nights in this 150-year-old metropolis punctuated by the Danube River and marked by magnificent bridges connecting the hilly Buda on the west, home to the castle of Hungarian kings, and the somewhat flat Pest on the east, which features the unmistakable Hungarian Parliament building, stunning museums and cultural institutions, shops, and restaurants.

To describe Budapest in a single word: “Overwhelming.”  Well, somewhat. And, by that I mean both large-scale government buildings and cultural institutions as well as the smaller private residences feature spectacular windows and doorways and facades sporting mythological figures, floral and fauna, symbols, and much more.  Furthermore, many streets near our hotel hosted a wide range of restaurants and bars with outdoor seating; pedestrian, cycle, and vehicular traffic were robust during daylight and evening hours, and buses and trams regularly traversed streets and boulevards.  Also, people — both natives and visitors — were out and about in droves most days to take advantage of the mild early fall weather. 

What follows are some additional observations and a few images taken during our visit.

Yes, We Were In Budapest, Hungary But … This was not a surprise, but is worth noting. During our time in Budapest, we observed so many examples of “Americanization,” to use a somewhat encompassing phrase.  Fast food restaurants that originated in the USA were prevalent in the tourist-focused section of town and in the outer neighborhoods.  Teenagers demonstrated their prowess on skateboards in a plaza near the Gellert Hill Cave.  Vandals  posted stickers in public places.  And, we frequently encountered natives sporting lots of tattoos and wearing ball caps — you guessed it — backward. 

Remember, Hungary Once Was Really, Really Red. Even with eight days for exploration, we did not visit every “must see” attraction across Budapest.  The House of Terror Museum was one of destinations we decided to cross off the list. I have a fair knowledge of what transpired during Hungary’s decades under Communist rule and felt our time would be better spent in more “traditional” museums.  So, while taking a break from the Hop on, Hop Off bus, we ventured across the impressive Hero’s Square and took in the “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” exhibit at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. Like other attractions in Budapest, the museum was a grand edifice, and the exhibit proved to be engaging.  Must note that I did enjoy a beer at the Red Ruin Bar, a Communist-theme pub that featured good prices and very loud thrash metal music. 

Is the Danube River Really Blue? You’ve assuredly know the music from the famous waltz written by Johann Strauss. But I can attest the river really isn’t “blue” in color.  I also can attest that the river is what defines Budapest. Yes, before trains, planes, and automobiles, the vast majority of goods and services moved via maritime means. These days, the Danube continues to be used by boats transporting cargo; but along the docks at Budapest, luxury cruise longboats and passenger ferries comprise a very high percentage of traffic. I was mesmerized watching pilots maneuver these seemingly block-long boats along the docks just across from our hotel.  Yes, we took an hour-long cruise and enjoyed it.

Getting from Here to There.  As noted in my past “travel” posts, we do our best to take advantage of public transit when abroad.  While at the Munich Airport waiting for our connecting flight to Budapest, a man sitting close to us noted that public transit is free across metro Budapest for those over 65.  Really? Free? Sold! We wholeheartedly enjoyed this great feature, riding the Number 2 tram, which had a stop steps from our hotel, various buses, and the city’s four metro trains.  To say the Budapest Center of Transport is an efficient transit service bureau is an understatement: Some trains and trams ran every three minutes.  Doors closed in around 10 seconds. Passengers were respectful and offered their seats. And again, senior citizens pay nothing. 

And, Some General Observations.  We read that Budapest was a very safe city; we can concur, as we did not encounter any precarious situations. Most people were friendly and engaging, however we found some merchants — especially the guys at the Rudas Thermal Baths — to be somewhat brusque, to put it mildly.  And, I’m aware that the current Hungarian administration leans decidedly to the far right and may be returning to a decidedly authoritarian government.  Perhaps that’s why we did not come across any LGBTQ-themed businesses or even an image of a rainbow in a window.  One more observation: People in Budapest really like to smoke.  We paced our time on sidewalks to keep a distance from other pedestrians with cigarettes or vapes. 

Now, enjoy a few images.  A “travelogue” with more photos will be posted later this week.  

Beyond this historic facade lies the Hotel Vision, our home base during the eight nights we spent in Budapest. We enjoyed outstanding breakfasts, took advantage of the welcoming lobby areas, had delicious tapas at the restaurant, and were welcomed by the professional staff.

Along with the obvious grandeur of this building, note the symmetry. Well, the tree at left is a bit thinner than its counterpart at right.

The Number 2 Tram, which ran parallel to the Danube River, provided transport north and south, as well as offered connections to buses and Budapest metro stations.

Not sure if the Hungarian governing body was in session while we were in town; but a visit to the Parliament Building is a must for visitors, us included.

Just like what one now finds in many American cities: Stickers. Everywhere. Tell me: Do you care who BNE is? Yes, we know he was there.

As an English major, I could not resist taking in the “Marriage of Heaven and Hell” exhibit at the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. For the uninitiated, William Blake was a British Romantic poet and artist. His poem, “The Tyger,” is one of the most recognized poems in the English language.

What’s that in the distance behind the guy on the horse? Construction cranes! In an era when many cities are holding back on new construction, Budapest is moving ahead with building new office properties and renovating historic sites.

Let me conclude this post with this thought. While we had a very enjoyable eight days in a world-class European city, my vacation was somewhat tempered by taking in television and online reports detailing immigration raids by federal workers in Chicago and the looming government shutdown.  Fortunately, Susan and I did not encounter any flight delays; but as I write this there are no immediate plans by either party to get our nation back on track with a spending bill, or a decision by the party in power to curtail illegal actions by ICE agents.

In my notebook, I wrote this: “What happens to a nation when those responsible for order are clearly way out of order?” The world will find out in the days ahead.