Budapest: A Hungarian Rhapsody

I fell in love… again.

After all when you are cruising on the enchanting Danube River past centuries-old monuments lit up in golden hues and you have a trio of musicians serenading you with the beautiful Danube Waltz, even the most hardened of souls can soften.

Like it did with me.

The Danube which originates in Germany and passes through European capitals such as Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade has captivated writers, musicians and artists through the centuries.

And as we took a dinner cruise on the lilting waters one dark, romantic night in Budapest, we could see why.

The sight of the beautifully lit up Chain Bridge, Parliament Building, Fishermen’s Bastion and the 13th Century Matthias Church on either side of the river, as lilting melodies of the land come wafting in from a passing ship or two, was a memorable experience indeed.

Lined with charming red-roofed villages, steeply terraced vineyards, picturesque churches and the crumbling ruins of medieval castles, the Danube River offers a breath-taking panorama of the city.

As Europe’s second-longest river snakes through the heart of Budapest, it bisects the city into the hilly, old-world Buda district on one side and the more modern — but equally beautiful — Pest on the other. The magnificent Chain Bridge — built in 1849 — connects these two districts.

A walk on the bridge with its hundreds of odes to love in the form of love padlocks locked on the bridge by tourists and locals will make you want to believe in love again. An added bonus are the lovely views of the contrasting sights on both sides of the bank.

At once modern and historic, the city retains an old-world charm. While Pest is lively and pretty, Buda takes you back in time with its rich history and magnificent monuments.

Out of Hungary’s eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, three are in the capital, including the Banks of the Danube area which includes the must-see Gellért Hill, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue.

The best seat in the house to view the sheer magnificence of the city has to be Gellért Hill. The world heritage site offers unparalleled views of Budapest — it’s almost like a map of the city spread before you. The famous Hotel Gellért and the Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the hill.

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Exploring the city is a tourist’s delight. Grab a map and have fun as you try to connect the public transport dots that take you around virtually every place worth visiting. The public transport system is fantastic (and cheap) and a one-day (or three-day) pass, which allows unlimited travel across the network of metro, trams, buses, will take you places — literally.

The network connects some of Budapest’s most iconic sights including Parliament Building, Chain Bridge, St Stephen’s Basilica, Elizabeth Square, Hungarian State Opera House, Central Market Hall, among others.

A funicular runs up Castle Hill to Buda’s Old Town, where the Budapest History Museum traces life from Roman times. Here you can wander around Trinity Square which is home to 13th-century Matthias Church and the turrets of the Fishermen’s Bastion.

The highlight of any visit to Budapest has to be the Fisherman’s Bastion. The seven turrets represent the seven Hungarian tribes and offer sweeping views of the city sprawled before you like a bejeweled bride on a moonlit night.

You can also try sightseeing by helicopter or rent a Trabant, one of the most common vehicles in Hungary throughout the Communist era, which is regarded with affection as a symbol of the fall of communism. And if you wish you can hire a bicycle, or better still go down nostalgia lane with a horse-carriage ride or feel like royalty as you are driven around the famous sites in a chauffeur-driven antique car.

As you walk along the Danube promenade on the Pest side, there’s no way you can miss the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial. It was conceived to honour the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank.

For us, since we had very little idea of what to expect, the city left us in awe.

Budapest proved to be a city of full of surprises with its lively centre, beautiful parks, magnificent churches and thermal spas. And yes, the friendly and extremely helpful people.

We were blown away by the magnificence of Budapest even though we were on a short three-day tour. However, we were already making plans for a longer, more comprehensive holiday to this beautiful land.

After all, there were still many more secrets to uncover, many more hidden spots to explore and many more old favourites to revisit.

Food for thought

Hungarian cuisine is hearty and delicious. From the famous Langos (fried dough), to the delicious Gulyás (goulash), Hungarian cuisine will leave you asking for more.

Be it the langos (A plate-sized sheet of fried dough that is usually smothered with sour cream and cheese, garlic sauce or ketchup) or goulash (soup with beef, potatoes, and vegetables, paprika and spices), Toltott Kaposzta (stuffed cabbage) and the different types of meat stews, it is pure comfort food — hearty, homey, and hot all the way.

In desserts you must try Palacsinta (crépes), Kurtőskalacs (chimney cake) and the Dobostorta (Dobos cake).

Get off the beaten track

Before going to Budapest, we had all agreed that we must keep aside some time for a trip to the countryside.

After much pondering and help from a local couple, we decided to head towards Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe.

Our destination was the picturesque village of Tihany which lies on a huge peninsula on the north coast. Some say this is one of the most romantic places in the region, and not without reason.

The town stands on the peak of a small hill, which provides beautiful views to Lake Balaton and the Inner Lake (Bels-to), a popular fishing spot. The village lies on one of the most scenic parts of Hungary, the Tihany Peninsula.

To get there from Budapest, you need to take a train for a breathtaking ride through the verdant countryside dotted with fields of gold (rapeseed and corn) at every interval, to reach Balatonfured, about 140km from Budapest. From here you take a bus, or boat to Tihany.

Balatonfured itself is a popular resort town in Veszprem county and offers inviting views of the lovely Lake Balaton. The many anchored yachts swaying gently on the blue-green waters of the lake are a sight for sore eyes.

Tihany’s most famous landmark has to be the twin-towered Tihany Benedictine Abbey, built by King Andrew I, who was buried in the crypt in 1055. From the abbey the Pisky promedane leads to the Doll Museum.

You can approach the Abbey on a steep winding road by walking or cycling.

The area around the Abbey is made up of small streets and squares filled with traditional restaurants, handicraft courtyards, confectionaries and souvenir shops selling curious, handicrafts, paprika and lavender soaps, oils etc. (Tihany is famous for its large fields of lavender, which are resplendent in the spring).

On the northern part of the Tihany peninsula you can see Central Europe’s only remaining hermit colony created by Greek monks whom King Andrew I invited to Hungary.

Walking around Tihany is one thing you must definitely put on your vacation-to-do list.

Another must-see in Tihany is the Charles IV Calvary with 14 stations and 3 crosses that was originally built in the 1920s. it was dedicated to Charles IV who spent a short period in captivity in Tihany.

For a night out

Budapest boasts a thriving nightlife. Both downtown Budapest and the outskirts have plenty of bars and clubs, dance halls, discos. Many stay open until late at night. You can also have a fantastic night party on a boat on the Danube. Even the thermal baths host awesome parties with great music, laser effects and light show

However, for a totally out-of-zone experience, a visit to a ‘ruin pub’ — derelict industrial spaces that became hip Hungarian watering holes — will leave you asking for more. They are not only good places to party but also function as cultural community areas with film clubs, theatre performances, concerts and exhibitions. We were fortunate to witness a sensual Bohemian dance performance at one such pub.

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These are unique hotspots on the tourist trail of Budapest. At the start of the 21st century these pubs took shape in tenement houses and factory buildings doomed to destruction — equipped with rejected furniture of old community centres, cinemas, and grandmothers’ flats, bringing a retro feeling into these places. They were soon called ruin pubs — the exact translation of the Hungarian name.