2014-3 Budapest, Hungary
Hello All,
Early July found us flying to Minneapolis, MN, and then Amsterdam, Netherlands, and finally on to Budapest, Hungary. To say we were exhausted after the flights would be an understatement! In Budapest we boarded the Viking Sky for a 15-day river cruise across Europe. Barb’s cousin Karen and husband Don from Alaska joined us on the cruise.
Early July found us flying to Minneapolis, MN, and then Amsterdam, Netherlands, and finally on to Budapest, Hungary. To say we were exhausted after the flights would be an understatement! In Budapest we boarded the Viking Sky for a 15-day river cruise across Europe. Barb’s cousin Karen and husband Don from Alaska joined us on the cruise.
After a shower, dinner and a
good night’s rest, our batteries were recharged and we were ready to begin our adventures.
No Hungarian city can compare to Budapest, in size or importance. Hungary’s
captivating capital combines old world-charm with a cosmopolitan lifestyle.
This glorious city is a work of art, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
Home to almost 1.7 million people, the city is actually the merging of two cities that span both sides of the Danube River—historic Buda on the east bank and the more cosmopolitan Pest (pronounced “pesht”) on the west. Dubbed “The Pearl of the Danube” and “The Little Paris of Central Europe,” Budapest is brimming with history, culture and attractions. It’s full of baroque, neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture, with plenty of exciting things to see and do. In this write-up we will concentrate on the Pest side of the city.
From where our ship was tied up we could see that the waterfront along the Danube River was spectacular—beautiful bridges and awesome buildings. We could see Buda Castle & Palace across the river with its green dome--it was first completed in 1265.
Home to almost 1.7 million people, the city is actually the merging of two cities that span both sides of the Danube River—historic Buda on the east bank and the more cosmopolitan Pest (pronounced “pesht”) on the west. Dubbed “The Pearl of the Danube” and “The Little Paris of Central Europe,” Budapest is brimming with history, culture and attractions. It’s full of baroque, neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture, with plenty of exciting things to see and do. In this write-up we will concentrate on the Pest side of the city.
From where our ship was tied up we could see that the waterfront along the Danube River was spectacular—beautiful bridges and awesome buildings. We could see Buda Castle & Palace across the river with its green dome--it was first completed in 1265.
Our ship was tied up at the foot
of the Szechenyi Chain Bridge which spans the River Danube between Buda and
Pest. Designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark, it was the first
permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, and was opened in 1849. There
are now many bridges that cross the river within the city.
Following breakfast we boarded a Viking Cruises Bus
to take in the highlights of Pest. From the bus we could see that it was a
thriving city with many artistically beautiful buildings.
As the bus traveled beside the
river we could see the Hungarian Parliament Building on the other side. It is
the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest
legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary--we thought it was pretty
spectacular.
Also along the river we passed
the “Shoes on the Danube Bank” memorial. Conceived by film director Can Togay,
he created it on the west bank of the Danube River with sculptor Gyula Pauer to
honor 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. Here is a
quick shot we snapped while passing by on the bus.
Our first stop would be at
historic Heroes’ Square. It is one of the most visited sites in Budapest.
It was created at the end of the nineteenth century to commemorate the
thousandth anniversary of the Magyar conquest of Hungary in 895. The large
building in the background is the Museum of Fine Art--on the right is Millennium
Monument.
At the center of Heroes' Square stands the
Millennium Monument, designed in 1894 by Albert Schickedanz and completed
thirty-five years later. Soaring above it is the Millennium Column, the focal
point of the monument. The column is topped with a statue of the archangel
Gabriel. Around the base of the monument are a number of equestrian statues
honoring the seven chieftains of the Hungarian tribes who, led by Arpad,
conquered the area now known as the country of Hungary.
We strolled around the square
taking everything in. Here are a few more shots taken at the square. The
statues were designed by Gorgy Zala. We found the detail and quality of them to
be excellent. Heroes’ Square has been declared a World Heritage Site.
There were also a number of
casts imbedded into the stone—each being a work of art in and among themselves.
Our bus returned us to the
ship and after lunch onboard we decided to walk into the shopping district of
Pest. We were surprised when we came upon a casino—don’t know why, it was just
unexpected.
Within the shopping district
the streets are closed to vehicles. It was easy to see why as there were many
folks taking advantage of the warm July afternoon.
As you can see American
fast-food chains have arrived here.
Sidewalk cafes, bars and other
eating confectionaries adorned the streets—and folks were taking full advantage
of them.
We will continue our
adventures in Budapest in our next write-up and will feature the Buda side of
the Danube River. We would love to have you tag along with us.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns