Budapest, a Melding of Contrasts: Part 3
Moving through Budapest on a hot, sunny, day requires some planning to find cool places duck in for a respite from the heat. Luckily there are many choices, varying widely to meet any travelers tastes. Put on your walking shoes and let's step out into the energy that is Budapest.
Your day can start wherever seems most convenient for you. A beautiful place is the Hotel Gellért with its historic baths. It is located at the foot of the Liberty Bridge (photo above) on the Buda side of the Danube. Public baths have long been a fixture in Budapest. The natural hot springs beneath the city make that possible. There are many baths throughout the city and they are very popular with locals and visitors alike. They feature various types of hot and cold baths, some are gender specific, some are clothing optional. They may also have massages, saunas, wave pools, and other attractions. The Gellért Baths were established in 1918 and are beautifully decorated in the Art Déco style with statuary, mosaics, tiled floors, etc. An excellent brasserie with outdoor seating facing the river adds to the charm of the hotel and baths.
Chapel inside the Cave Church.
Wooden sculpture of St. Stephen in Cave Church.
Just across the the street and up a short path is The Cave Church or Rock Church. It was initially conceived in 1926 by a group of Pauline monks, expanded inside the Gellért Hill in the 1930's, used as a Nazi hospital during WWII and then walled off by the Communists in the 1950's. The concrete wall was removed in 1991 after the Communist regime fell. This place is fascinating. Not often do you see a church totally inside a large cave with alcoves of altars, pews, sculpture, paintings, and a gift shop. Services are held here even now.
Another adventure on the Gellért Hill is The Citadella. It is a prominent landmark on the Buda side of the river as it seems to hover over the city from on high. Getting there is easy if you have a car. if not you can take a bus, a tram and a bus or just walk up the well-marked paths to the summit. The walk requires about 20 minutes and some endurance but you will enjoy beautiful views, which are just as beautiful walking downhill.
Liberty Statue at the Citadel.
The Citadella was orginally built as a fort in the 1800's and was used an an air raid shelter in WWII. Now it houses a small museum and cafe. The soaring statue at the summit is named the Liberty Statue, no relation to the statue in New York harbor. It was erected in 1947 and from it's base expansive views of Budapest can be seen, day or night. It's worth a trip for the photo-ops on a clear day or maybe just a great leg workout during the climb.
Hungarian open-gfaced sandwich at Central Market.
After you've visited Gellért Hill, hunger is bound to set in. No problem because the historical Central Market Hall is just across the Liberty Bridge on the Pest side of the river at the termination of the Vácí Utca walking street. It was completed in 1897 and damaged in WWII but refurbished in the 1990's. If you're a foodie, you'll love the three stories of meats, produce, spices, spirits, food stalls and souvenirs. It's not hard to spend an hour or more here. There are many purveyors of the Hungarian national spice paprika, both hot and sweet. You will also find honey, lavendar, dried peppers etc. The food stalls on the top floor are very tempting and popular, I'll leave the tough decisions to you.
Central Market Hall 1st floor fruit stands.
Ancient gold medallions and Hungarian National Museum.
Once you've regained your strength you can head to the Hungarian National Museum. A multi-columned facade draws you into a large lobby area. The museum houses a large, diverse collection of all things Hungarian. This is another one of those places that could consume a day of exploration if that is what interests you. It contains items from the Stone Age to Roman times through the 21st century, from royal artifacts to everyday items, paintings, furniture, maps, and instruments of torture plus many more national treasures. It' s hard to describe the breadth of the collections.
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) met an aging Beethoven when he was 12.
Not too much further into the city is the Jewish quarter with it's huge Dohány Street Synagogue. At 159 years and counting, the Moorish revivalist style structure is magnificent. It is the largest Synagogue in Europe and the 2nd largest in the world, seating 3000.
Keep walking deeper into the city and you will pass through bustling streets, eventually arriving at the State Opera House. It is a Neo- classical building originally opened in 1884. It is the hub of several theatres and cultural venues.
Dobos Cake, a Budapest coffee house favorite.
The Opera House is located on Andrássy út, the elegant shopping street in Budapest. It is lined with designer boutiques, cafes, department stores and coffee/wine bars. During Communist times, Budapest was a destnation for those Soviet bloc citizens who desired the finer things. Andrássy út was the place to be and it still is. In 1896, the street was so important that Budapest built a subway directly beneath it, about 1 foot beneath it. It is the 3rd oldest electrified railway in the world! New lines have been added over the years and now cover much of Budapest, providing transportation to 1.27 million per day. There is also a tram system for use above ground. Very nifty!
Rubik's cube wallpainting by Neopaint Works Group. Erno Rubik, it's inventor, is Hungarian.
At one end of Andrássy út is St. Stephen's Basilica. It is an imposing building in the shape of a Greek cross. It took 54 years to build and is beautifully adorned inside with paintings, marble and gilt ceilings inside the dome. Most interesting is the actual hand of St. Stephen which is preserved there and brought out annually on the feast of St. Stephen, Aug. 20. You can view the hand through a glass enclosure in a chapel near the main altar (if you wish). The St. Stephen I'm referring to is King Stephen the first of Hungary, died in 1038 and canonized as a saint in 1083. There are many conflicting stories about the hand, but it is nevertheless revered as a true relic today.
Sidewalk cafe in Budapest.
Head west to the Danube and you will see the Castle Hill across the river, the Parliament to your right and, with good eyesight, the Hotel Gellért in the distance to your left. You've seen many of the highlights of Budapest.
But don't be fooled. You have only scratched the surface of this city. It's long and diverse history makes for a complex metropolis. It feels a bit like a diamond in the rough, except it's not rough. I will make a return visit if the opportunity arises...I have lots more to do here!
Do you want a small glimpse of the Soviet era in Budapest? You'll see it in my blog post, Budapest: Part 4.
