Hungarian Parliament modeled after the one in London and lit up like Paris. Breathtaking!
Day 8: Pest and a Lit Finale
Pest Walking TourPeter gave us our walking tour of the Pest side of Budapest as he lives in Budapest, so what better guide to have? Using Tom as his model to hold the Budapest map while he talked Peter explained where he was going to take us today on the Pest side, gave us our transit passes for our 2 full days in Budapest, and explained using the metro as that would be how we got to our first stop of the day.
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Image of the DayExcited to start our amazing evening boat cruise! It had been a wonderful, but hot, day. To be on the water as the sun was going down with a free drink of choice in our hands was fabulous! The wonderfully lit buildings along with the surprise fireworks made the end of our day simply magical!
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Pro-Tip: When using the metro in Budapest you do not have to run your ticket through a machine or pass through any type of turnstile, but there are transportation workers who hop on trains with you and ask to see your ticket. Make sure you have it handy. We were checked twice during our time in Budapest. Also, it is a very large city so make sure you get comfortable with using the public transit or you will be exhausted.
Pest Walking Tour with PeterAfter getting us on the metro and explaining how to use it, and that the drivers are paid by staying on schedule so don't dilly-dally getting on and off, we headed to our first stop of the day at Heroes Square. We then went through City Park making sure to go past and see the lobby of the Szechenyi Baths for those who might want to come back later. Then it was to St. Istvan's Basilica for a coffee (and strudel if you were so inclined, Peter made sure to point out a good place to Brett) break in the square. After that we headed to 'Liberty Square,' which was most interesting to me for its' Monument to the Hungarian Victims of the Nazis and the counter-memorial that has grown up around it. Then off to the Hungarian Parliament building with a final stop at the Great Synagogue before being let go for the afternoon on our own.
Our group of 4 on the back, or non-river side, of the Hungarian Parliament building.
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Traveling During Putin - we had no qualms about coming on this trip and actually hoped that we would be helping those who were helping Ukraine, which I think we did. We saw a lot of Ukrainian flags and banners with things like 'Putin, hands off Ukraine' on them in Prague and Krakow, but not in Budapest. This flag on liberty square below was the only one we saw while we were there. Given Orban and the Fidesz party I wasn't surprised. It was good to see this sign about President Zelensky and Ukraine as part of the counter-memorial in Liberty Square. It meant that, while we were there at least, Fidesz wasn't cracking down on free speech as hard. Hungary and Budapest are definitely worth traveling to, but I think its' good to keep our eyes open to the realities Hungarians are facing, just like in our own homes and country. And I want to be clear, never on this trip did we feel unsafe at all. For us, the war wasn't a travel issue.
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House of TerrorAt 60 Andrassy Boulevard some of the most horrific acts in Hungary during WWII took place. The House of Terror is the museum for that history. It is the former headquarters of both the Arrow Cross - Hungary's home grown version of the Gestapo under Nazi occupation - and the AVO/AVH - Hungary's communist secret police. The museum attempts to document the atrocities endured by Hungarians during the 20th century, but like the Monument to the Hungarian Victims of the Nazis outlined on our walk this morning, it has been controversial as it dispenses with the Arrow Cross collaboration with the Nazis quite quickly and focuses largely on the communists. Keep this in mind as you walk through the exhibits.
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The House of Terror overhang with the symbols of both the Arrow Cross and the communists secret police.
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Pro-Tip: You can rent an audio tour here if you want, but they also have a printout in English in each room describing what is in that room and its' meaning if you prefer to read it. It is a lot of reading, but you can also take these handouts if you like to scrapbook your trips like me.
Hungarian State Opera House
While Jess and I went to the House of Terror, Brett and Deb decided to do an English tour of the Opera House. Several months prior, when they said they'd rather not do the House of Terror, I gave them the option of my booking them either the Parliament tour or the Opera House tour. They opted for the Opera House and said it was fantastic and had been recently renovated beautifully.
While Jess and I went to the House of Terror, Brett and Deb decided to do an English tour of the Opera House. Several months prior, when they said they'd rather not do the House of Terror, I gave them the option of my booking them either the Parliament tour or the Opera House tour. They opted for the Opera House and said it was fantastic and had been recently renovated beautifully.
MenzaBefore we left Peter after his walking tour to head out on our free afternoon we asked him where a good place was around Franz Liszt Square for the 4 of us to meet up after our separate afternoon activities for dinner. He immediately said Menza. They were very busy and if you want to go I would recommend reservations. We managed to grab an outdoor table without having them. We enjoyed a bottle of sparkling wine with our wonderful dinner!
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We had an array of delicious dishes for dinner and of course, strudel. This one was a tart cherry strudel. Delicious!
Holocaust Monument
Before we headed to meet up with our group by the river cruise dock further along the river, we went to the Holocaust Monument. It is 50 pairs of bronze shoes commemorating those Jews who, instead of being sent to the camps, were killed by the Hungarian Arrow Cross in collaboration with the Nazis by being shot so they would fall into the Danube. The dazzling sun was setting on the other side of the river, providing a bright contrast to the distressing monument in front of us. I walked solemnly along taking note of the shoes and wondering about what the world lost with the deaths of those who would have worn them. What would those children have accomplished in their lifetimes, if they had been allowed to live?
Before we headed to meet up with our group by the river cruise dock further along the river, we went to the Holocaust Monument. It is 50 pairs of bronze shoes commemorating those Jews who, instead of being sent to the camps, were killed by the Hungarian Arrow Cross in collaboration with the Nazis by being shot so they would fall into the Danube. The dazzling sun was setting on the other side of the river, providing a bright contrast to the distressing monument in front of us. I walked solemnly along taking note of the shoes and wondering about what the world lost with the deaths of those who would have worn them. What would those children have accomplished in their lifetimes, if they had been allowed to live?
Evening Cruise on the Danube!
We all met up at the Legenda river cruise dock along the Danube that Peter had pointed out earlier. Peter came with a group that had met up with him at the hotel if you wanted guidance to get there, but we just met him there after visiting the Holocaust monument further up the river. While I don't know the names of most of the buildings we saw as went past them on our cruise, I think you'll agree based on the pictures in the slideshow below that it was a wonderful evening. The fireworks were a complete, and truly amazing, surprise! When we got off the cruise we teased Peter about how he really didn't have to go to all that trouble! I don't know why they were being fired off, but they were gorgeous with the background of the lit buildings. A truly spectacular end to an amazing day!
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Fireworks going off in front of what I believe is part of the castle complex on the Buda side of Budapest!