After having the most amazingly, relaxing day, my friend and I had an easy going Sunday with a walk in and around Budapest. We started our walk by the Hungarian Parliament, en route to our breakfast destination, Piknik. 

1. Breakfast at Piknik

Piknik is a small cafe, with a nice outdoor seating area, and serves mostly baguettes, tarts, and fruit smoothies.  I had a delicious prosciutto baguette, with cucumbers.  The cucumbers were a welcome addition.

2. Walk along the Danube River

After breakfast, we strolled along the Danube River, in search of a memorial I missed the last time I visited.  The Shoes on the Danube Bank.  Located almost in front of the Hungarian Parliament, this memorial, conceived by director Can Togay and sculpted by Gyula Pauer, is made up of 60 iron shoes of the WWII era.

As the plaque states, this is a memorial to the victims of the Arrow Cross Militiamen.  The memorial pays tribute to the over 3,500 people (of them, around 800 were Jewish), shot with arrows on the banks of the Danube.  They were instructed to remove their shoes and their bodies were washed away by the river after being shot.

Watch this video on YouTube.

To me, traveling is not just about seeing the beautiful and Instagram-worthy.  There is much to be learned about the history of a place, and recognizing that we can learn from the mistakes of the past…

3. St. Stephen’s Basilica

From there, it was a short walk to St. Stephen’s Basilica, named for King Stephen, first King of Hungary.  You can also go inside for a guided tour and, if you’d like, go up to the top for views across the city (for a fee).  We didn’t go in, since it was Sunday, there was mass being held.

4. Dohany Street Synagogue

We also passed by the Dohany Street Synagogue, or the Great Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world.  It also houses a museum and cemetery, well as a Heroes Temple.

5. Szimpla Kert, a ruin bar

There is so much to see, walking around this city.  But our actual destination was Szimpla Kert, or the first ruin bar in Budapest.  Ruin bars began around 2001, when a group of men were looking for a cheap place to drink.  Old, derelict buildings and abandoned spaces were transformed into casual places to hang out and drink.  Szimpla Kert, in addition to being a bar, also hosts farmers markets in this quirky and fun space.  When we went on Sunday, the market was being held there and it was overrun with tourists clamoring to take photos.  There’s plenty of places to sit, and a little restaurant upstairs, with more seating there as well.

We decided to buy some cheese and fresh strawberries from the vendors, and sit and people watch for the better part of 2 hours.

LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS STRAWBERRY IS.  So shiny and healthy.  Sweet and red.  Unlike strawberries in America, they may be smaller in size, but they make up for it in their burst of flavor.  Also, has anyone ever noticed, strawberries in America are white on the inside??? Hungarian strawberries, amazing! American strawberries, needs work.

6. Parliament Building

And then, it was back to the Parliament building, where we had parked the car, and back to the bus station as my weekend came to a close.  My apologies for not taking photos of everything I ate this trip.  I was really trying to live in the moment, which I will discuss in a later post.  It was a beautiful weekend, with a beautiful friend!

Day 2 recap: a relaxing walk in Budapest

• 8:30 am: Breakfast at Piknik | map
• 9:30 am: Walk along the Danube and view Shoes on the Danube Bank | map
• 10 am: Walking by St. Stephen’s Basilica and Dohány Street Synagogue
• 11 am: Strawberry, cheese, and people watching at Szimpla Kert | map
• 1 pm: Enjoy the parks around Hungarian Parliament again | map
• 2:30 pm: Bus back to Vienna!

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

1. Bus from Vienna to Budapest

I took RegioJet, roundtrip, for a total of 18 EUR | 21 USD.  The trip was comfortable, with a free hot beverage and movies/tv shows to watch.  The bus leaves from Stadion Bus Center (near the U2 Stadion stop) and arrives at Kelenfold in Budapest.

2. Arrival into Budapest

I bet you didn’t know, Budapest is a city split into two by the river.  Long ago, the city was two separate cities – Buda to the left of the river, and Pest to the right. The bus arrives on the Buda side. My friend’s apartment, on the other hand, is way over on the Pest side.  Normally, I would have taken the metro to her place, but there was some construction on the metro lines by her flat, so taxi it was.

From her place, we walked over to Margaret Island (Margit-sziget), which is an island in the Danube with plentiful parks and trees.  We strolled to the tip of Margaret Island, where we caught a public transportation river boat service (the BKK Boat Service) down towards the Buda Castle.  On weekdays, you can use your Budapest public transportation ticket to ride on the BKK for free.  Unfortunately, on weekends, you need to buy a separate ticket, for 750 HUF | 2.75 USD.

3. Lunch at Czako Kert

From the Buda Castle stop, we walked along the Buda side, uphill to our brunch spot.  For the geographically curious, the Buda side has hills, whereas the Pest side is flat.  We stopped at Czako Kert, a lovely little cafe with garden, which also houses a farmers market on the weekends.

4. Rudas Bath – the ultimate relaxation!

It was a short downhill walk after lunch to Rudas Bath.  Coming from a few weeks of grueling classes, I suggested we visit a thermal baths.  The famous bath, Szechenyi Baths, was renovating one of their outdoor pools, so we decided on Rudas Bath.  Originally built in the 1500s as a Turkish Bath, Rudas Bath has since expanded to include restaurants, a rooftop jacuzzi with panoramic views, and various different pools.  We paid for the “all in” ticket, which included access to all of their different baths and wellness areas, for 6,200 HUF | 23 USD | 19 EUR.  And there we stayed, for hours on hours on hours. 

I didn’t take any photos. To be honest, I just really wanted to relax and break free from everything.  That didn’t stop other people from doing full on photo-shoots inside the baths. However, to each his own! The baths were amazingly relaxing. Visiting a bath is an absolute must!!

5. Sunset and Dinner at Hadik Cafe

After we finished, after hours of baths, we watched the sun set along the river. Absolute starving and now en route to dinner.  It’s funny how you can work up an appetite when doing absolutely nothing.

From Rudas, we went to the Hadik Cafe, which is a legendary cafe where famous Hungarian writers used to hang out.  On the weekends, it has live music in the evenings.  The inside is pretty quirky, but it’s a fun atmosphere.

I ordered a delicious Spinach “főzelék” (a Hungarian stew), paired with a Hungarian craft beer, Monkey Temple.

By the end of dinner, we were both so exhausted, and in need of sleep! We literally got back to her apartment, showered, and immediately said good night. I love being totally on the same wavelength!

Stay tuned for the conclusion to my short 36 hours in Budapest..

Day 1 recap

• 7:25 am: Regiojet, Depart from Vienna (U2 Stadion) | map
• 10:15 am: Arrive Budapest Kelenfold bus station | map
• 11 am – 1 pm: walking on Margaret Island, boat ride to Buda Castle
• 1:30 pm: Lunch at Czako Kert | map
• 3 – 8:30 pm: Rudas Baths | map
• 9 pm: Dinner at Hadik Cafe | map

Go on to Day 2

Looking for a foodie adventure in Budapest?

Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/