Destination: Budapest, Hungary (2018 Edition– Part 1)

My January holidays kept on rolling after my time in Paris and Toulouse following the new year: I had only four days between returning and packing up once more, this time going international. More specifically, I was headed to Central Europe to revisit the beautiful cities of Budapest and Prague, all the while to explore a bit more of each of their respective countries.

First stop on the itinerary was Budapest. I’d gone almost two years prior as a first-year assistante, but the two nights there weren’t enough to really take it all in. This time, I was set on staying five nights, not just to revisit, but also see the places that I didn’t get to last time. I was also keen on squeezing in a day trip or two while in town, as I got some great pointers from my Hungarian friend.

With that said, I caught my shuttle to Lyon Saint-Exupéry airport. My flight took off around 13:30 and two hours later, I arrived in Budapest. Upon landing, I used the airport’s *extremely spotty* Wifi to reach my Couchsurfing host whom I would spend the first two nights with (as I had trouble finding CS accommodation in Budapest– this host was kind enough to let me stay the first few nights while he had time). Then I purchased a ticket for the public bus (about 350 forints, which was just over 1€) to get into the center– journey time took about 45 minutes and upon reaching the center, I took the metro over to my host’s flat, which was located right in the 7th district, aka club-and-bar central. Having my first host’s flat situated in that part of Budapest made it super convenient to get to the famous ruin bars and night life while staying there.

I arrived at my host’s flat around 17:00, and he welcomed me in. Interestingly enough, my host was a man in his forties who’d grown up in Los Angeles (my city!), and he was a music journalist who was really into the music night scene, which kept him very busy during my stay. We didn’t hang out so much, but our occasional conversations were pleasant, and he gave me a small, but nice bedroom to stay in for two nights.

Getting settled in, I spent the first part of the evening resting, as I was a bit tired from my travel that day. I made myself some dinner, and then I decided to head out and see a bit of the ruin bars and pubs in the neighborhood– my host had also invited me to his music gig at one of the bars, which interested me, so I hung out there for about an hour or two. Got to hear some local and traveling musicians try their hand at the guitar– some were amazing, some were mediocre, but the ambiance was laid-back and a great way to start off the night.

Eventually, I decided to leave and head to Szimpla Kert, the oldest and most famous ruin bars in Budapest. History behind such bars is that, as recent as the past decade, they were established in abandoned buildings, stores, or lots. Definitely was an economic and quirky way of keeping such places from being torn down, although some bars have the reputation of moving from site to site after some time. Some, however, have stayed due to incredible popularity, including Szimpla Kert, aka “the mecca of all ruin bars.” I was to meet a Couchsurfer, a girl from Taiwan who was also visiting Budapest the same time I was staying– we’d messaged each other beforehand, and we decided to meet up that night at the most well-known (and touristy) ruin bar in the city. I was fortunate that my host lived less than a 10-minute walk from there, so it was extremely convenient.

Upon entering Szimpla Kert, my first impression was that it was definitely touristy. It was incredibly large, with two stories and multiple rooms to easily get lost in, as well as plenty of English-speaking tourists drinking, chatting, and otherwise getting the vibe of the entire establishment. Definitely didn’t have that intimate, local feel that I was expecting, but all the same the graffiti-fairy lights atmosphere was charming, and I had a pleasant time hanging out with the other Couchsurfer and her friend, a local who was from Albania, but currently working in Budapest. I just got a beer with them before heading back to my host’s flat for the night. I was tired, and I didn’t want to stay out too late, as I wanted to explore Budapest properly the next morning. I happened to cross paths with my host, as he was returning from his venue that night– we got in no later than half-past midnight, and I proceeded to hit the sack.

The following day was my first full day out in Budapest. First stop was the Buda side, which I took the metro to. I visited the Batthyány tér, a plaza directly across from the Parliament where I got great shots of the iconic building, before heading up to the Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, and Buda Castle. I paid to enter the church, which was lovely and had a small collection of Hungarian crowns and jewels, along with a corner dedicated to Sissi, aka Empress Elisabeth who’d ruled both Austria and Hungary back in the late 19th century.

After seeing the “main trio” sites of Buda, I continued to stay on the Buda side as I made the long walk up to the Citadella, a fortification located on Gellért Hill, where stunning views of both Buda and Pest greeted me. It happened to be snowy that day, but it didn’t deter me from capturing the gorgeous skyline of the Hungarian capital.

I descended the hill and made my way over to the Liberty Bridge, crossing it back to the Pest side. From there, I checked out the Great Market Hall, the largest and oldest indoor market in the city. While I didn’t buy anything inside, I enjoyed strolling through aisles of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, meats, and of course, the signature pálinka, which is an incredibly-strong fruit brandy– I’ve had it before and, while it can be tasty (when homemade, that is), it’s sure to mess you up (if you’re not careful!).

Nearing lunchtime, I was getting hungry, so I headed along the banks of the Danube to eat at the restaurant that I went to the last time I was in Budapest, which I’d found incredible. I passed by the Little Princess statue, perched along the tram rails– it’d been created by a Hungarian artist in the 1970’s, who’d been inspired by his daughter dressing up as a princess. Albeit touristy, it’s a statue not worth missing.

I made it to the restaurant, Bisztro Hungarikum, and I was lucky to have snagged a seat for one, as it was nearing peak lunch hours. I ended up ordering exactly what I’d ordered last time: Hungarian goulash, knotted pork loin with cabbage dumplings, and an apricot cottage cheesecake. I would say that, with the exception of the pork loin being just a tad drier, everything lived up to my standard. I can’t recommend enough just how good the food is, along with the service, which is family-run and so good that it puts even American hospitality to shame– seriously, the staff saw that I wasn’t enjoying the mulled wine I ordered and substituted with a red wine at no extra cost! Love that place to pieces, and I would 1000 percent go back.

Following lunch, I headed to the Parliament and spent the next half hour ogling at the architecture. I didn’t end up going inside that day, but I got plenty of photos with it before heading to St. Stephen’s Basilica, named after the first king of Hungary. I toured its interior (which had some really-nice stained-glass windows) before heading out and making my last stop at the Hungarian State Opera House. I paid about 2500 forints (8€) for a tour inside, which turned out to be a huge disappointment, because the interior of the theater itself was closed for construction and the tour lasted no more than 45 minutes. It was pretty, but I could’ve skipped the tour and had just taken a photo of the lobby instead, free of charge.

It was starting to get dark, so I returned to my host’s flat to rest and eat dinner before deciding on doing a ruin bar crawl later that night. I’d found the pub crawl online and I could pay in-person, so I headed out close to 21:00 (when it was to start) to the first bar that it was to start at. However, the actual pub crawl didn’t begin until close to 22:00– it was a small group that night, as it was a Tuesday. It ended up being fun, though, as I met some cool people from Brazil, South Africa, and the Netherlands. By the time we arrived at the last bar, we were ready to dance, and we danced plenty until I left around 3:00 to return to my host’s flat– I was utterly gone once my head hit the pillow, and I slept until close to 11:00, when it was time to wake up and leave my host’s place after two nights. I would be staying at my Hungarian friend’s mutual friend’s place (if that made sense) for the remainder of my stay, and I was to meet him close to noontime.

Overall, it’d already been a whirlwind of two nights in Budapest, and it was bound to continue that way for the next three. Part 2 to come soon in my next post!

— Rebecca