Before I travelled to Budapest, I was told that it would be one of the most beautiful cities I would see during my trip. I arrived at the train station with high expectations, eagerly anticipating what lay in the city before me. I was, of course, thrilled to finally discover that the city of Budapest was every bit as grand as I had heard.
My Itinerary
The Adventure
My first impression of Budapest was unfortunately rather unlike the amazing city I would come to discover as my adventure continued. The train brought me to the outskirts of the city, with no obvious connections to the center, where there was only a small mall and no noteworthy attractions. Spotting a hill, I decided to walk towards it, hoping to get a good vantage point of the city.
Gellért-hegy
That hill was Gellért-hegy, a tall hill overlooking the Danube. The park on and around it was rather pleasant, and there were some cool statues and what seemed to be ruins in the area. From atop Gellért-hegy, I finally found that there would be plenty to see in Budapest once I crossed the river. After crossing to the east side of the river, I saw more of the impressive and well-known attractions, such as old offices and churches.
Szent István Bazilika
Walking through the old town of any European city is one of my favourite things about travelling. It always amazes me how buildings of seemingly little importance are so intricately detailed, and how many of them there are. Whether it be offices or stores or homes, every building you walk past seems noteworthy in some aspect. And towering above it all, always, church spires visible from a distance, calling you to them. In Budapest, Szent István Bazilika, or St. Stephen’s Basilica, is an impressive church building that overlooks the streets of old Budapest. Its two corner towers and tall central dome give it a unique silhouette.
Országház
Finally, I found myself by Országház, the Budapest Parliament building, an impressive large building by the river. I found it hard to move on from the parliament building to what I had planned next. Unfortunately, my consistent lack of planning in my travels caught up with me in Budapest. I hadn’t planned to spend a full day in the Hungarian capital, and had a train to catch to Bratislava in the afternoon. I ended up in another mall area, from where I caught my train. Now that I have been to Budapest, I know that it will require another trip to explore it fully.
Highlight
The Budapest Parliament was easily my favourite building in Budapest. It is impressive at both a large and small scale. The building itself is massive, but filled with intricate details that make it stand out. It was not dissimilar to many of the churches and cathedrals that I encountered in my travels. Pointed arches, tall towers, and ornate details all brought the parliament building to life. I did think that it was unique though, since it was not constructed like a church, merely incorporated comparable architectural features. It’s shape, form, and purpose were different. The roof also stands out to me, having a distinct red colour. Even though it is not a bright red by any means, appearing really more brown, the tint was enough to make it stand out for me.
Cost
The only money I spent in Hungary was 1800 Hungarian forint ($7.17 CAD) on another souvenir flag. I was tempted to buy some local food as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend any more money that day. I guess I’ll just have to go back someday.
Concluding Thoughts
Though short, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Budapest. I look forward to revisiting sometime. I would like to see the parliament building again, see some new highlights that I didn’t manage to see this time, and try some Hungarian food.
Check out my drawings inspired by this trip, and other pieces in my Europe Collection.
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