I prefer experiences as gifts. It is immortalized in our memory and cannot be broken or stolen. This year, a visit to Budapest was my birthday gift and one I could share. We travelled on the overnight train through Austria to Budapest.

Budapest is known for its historical sites, including the Chain Bridge, which connects Buda and Pest on either side of the Danube River. The central part of Budapest along the Danube has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has an enormous thermal groundwater system with about 80 thermal springs. Hungary is one of the more affordable countries in Europe because it is not yet part of the Eurozone. Their currency is the Forint.

Overnight train experience

The overnight train experience was a first for me. Due to the high volume of bookings, I ended up in a sleeping cabin other than Charl and Zander. I shared the 4-person sleeping cabin with three young German women. Fortunately, one of them could speak English well and helped me with information. The following morning, I had the opportunity to get to know Melanie better while drinking coffee. She is a travel blogger and owner of the blog goodmorningworld.de. As a result, she was able to give me many travel tips about Budapest.

Upon our arrival at the beautiful Budapest train station, she informed me that masks in Hungary are not mandatory.

Great Market Hall and Hungarian food

Our first stop was at the Great Market Hall, consisting of three floors. Traders sell fresh products, gifts, clothes, backpacks, and Hungarian street food. Many stalls sell Paprika which traditionally comes in eight different flavour profiles. There are lace embroidery and Russian dolls too. 

We had the Hungarian Langos for lunch and loved it. It is dough fried in oil and tastes just like South African vetkoek. On top of the flat vetkoek are cream cheese, grated cheese and any other topping of choice. I also tried the goulash soup, which reminded me of my mother’s soup with pieces of meat.

Castle hill

We visited Castle Hill in the late afternoon, where we had the most beautiful views of the city. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains medieval monuments and museums. The 13th-century royal palace is impressive. We, unfortunately, missed the “Changing of the Guards” ceremony but at least saw two men in royal outfits on their horses.

Parliament building and Jewish shoes memorial

I admired the symmetry and detail of Budapest’s parliament building on the banks of the Danube River. It is the third-largest parliament building in the world and is very impressive.

Close to the Parliament building is a memorial of shoes that moved me immensely. It is in memory of the Jews who lost their lives during World War II. The Jews had to take off their shoes before being shot on the riverbank. 

Szechenyi Spa Baths

Hungary is known for its thermal baths, and the Roman settlers built the first baths. The Szechenyi Baths and the beautifully decorated palace existed for more than 100 years. There are 18 swimming pools filled with mineral-rich natural hot springs and ten saunas and steam rooms.

The energy in the air was happy and relaxing. In one pool, there are even chessboards for visitors to play chess while relaxing in the water.

Zander experienced the spa baths as a highlight, and it was a relaxing way for us to conclude our Budapest visit.

regards

Emsia