Budapest, Hungary

After departing Bratislava Slovakia we drove the back roads to Budapest.  This would be our first time in Hungary and mark the beginning of our most eastern waypoints on this great journey.  Budapest has been a place I have wanted to visit for a long time but frankly I had not done a lot of research prior to our arrival.  As this trip has worn on I have gone from well planned out days at the beginning to researching what we want to do just days prior to arrival or even after we have arrived.

Driving into the city was pretty chaotic with all the bus only lanes, winding lanes and streetcars.  I won’t say it’s easy driving into major European cities.  I’m starting to long for a break from driving, especially in foreign countries.  Trains are definitely easier!  

After managing the traffic we pulled up to what turned out to be another amazing Kimpton.  Sitting just a block back from the river and block away from the Margaret bridge the Kimpton Bem Budapest by IHG is in a pretty good location on the Buda side of the river.  The hotel has only been open for a year but is in a beautiful old building facing a park which fronts the river.  The staff was top notch and like every Kimpton we have stayed in Maverick was treated like gold and a pet fee wasn’t to be found.  I booked the stay with 134,000 IHG points taking advantage of their 4th night free perk for holders of their credit cards.  No free breakfast or suite upgrade at this hotel but the room was still plenty big and there were many local coffee shops where we could grab something in the morning.

Margaret Island

After a long drive we needed to stretch our legs so we took a sunset stroll around nearby Margaret Island.  Accessible via the Margaret bridge, this river island is quite large and quite fun to walk around.  There are busy areas and quiet areas.  There are historic sites such as the ruins of a Franciscan Monastery , the ruins of a Medieval Dominican Convent and Royal Mansion and the Margaret Island Water Tower.  There are also plenty of places to walk, jog, bike and eat.  I’m sure we did not see this place at its peak since it was late October when we arrived but it was still a great walk with the dog.

Exploring the history around the park

After our walk it was time for some dinner.  We got a recommendation for a casual restaurant from one of the staff at the hotel bar to go to Bem Söröző Étterem which was right around the corner from our hotel.  The staff welcomed Mav and took our picture after we ordered a meat platter for two.  I’m not entirely sure if he took our picture because he thought we would want one or if we were taking on some sort of eating challenge without knowing it.  That meat platter was hefty!  Just a giant pile of meat and potatoes.  We were still in the land of meat and potatoes.  It was pretty good but definitely way too much food for two people, even with some K9 assistance.

The meat and potato plate, the picture doesn’t do it justice

Buda – Fisherman’s Bastion & Buda Castle

On our first full day in Budapest the sun was shining and the temperatures were comfortable.  It was a great day to get out and see some of the city.  We decided to stick to the Buda side of the city and walk down along the river towards the Fisherman’s Bastion & Buda Castle that dominate the skyline on this side of the river.

After climbing the hill (no funiculars for us, but it is available if you need it) we reached the Fisherman’s Bastion.  From its higher vantage point this impressive structure offers beautiful panoramic views of the river and surrounding city.  The original walls were built in the 1700s forming part of the walls of the castle with the current structure built around the turn of the 20th century.  Because of its views this tends to be a popular spot for people to take their Instagram pictures with views of the city behind them.  Even in the off season the area was buzzing with photo takers.  

Fisherman’s Bastion and the views from the walls (top row), Mav eyeing my chimney cake (bottom)

We snapped some photos of our own and admired the views before heading off to find the infamous Hungarian chimney cakes we had heard so much about.  We found Chimney Cake Kürtős Legenda Halászbástya cooking them to order at a nearby park and quickly ordered a couple of the traditional cinnamon and sugar flavor cakes.  Two thumbs up for these tasty treats.  Maverick helped us polish them off of course.

With our sweet tooths satisfied we trekked to the nearby Buda Castle.  This historic castle and palace complex has roots dating back to the 1200s and served as a residence for the Hungarian Kings in Budapest.  Today it houses several museums.  We didn’t visit any of them because we had the pup with us but he is allowed to walk the grounds.  There was a festive atmosphere on the grounds with music and plenty of people hanging out and admiring the views of the city.  

Buda Castle and some of the views of the Parlament building and Chain bridge from its vantage point.

Pest – Hungarian Parliament Building & St. Stephen’s Basilica

On our next day in Budapest we ventured across the river to the Pest side to get a closer look at the sights over there.  The first stop was a close up look at the massive Hungarian Parliament Building.  It seems a bit excessive, but nonetheless it is a sight to behold.  This is especially the case when it is lit up at night.  It is possible to take tours of the inside but I did not book one because we had Maverick with us.

Along the river near the parliament building is the Shoes on the Danube Bank.  A memorial to the people killed by the fascist party during WWII.  It’s simple but moving with sculptures of the empty shoes symbolizing those lost souls. 

From here we started heading away from the river to the mighty St. Stephen’s Basilica.   Most churches don’t allow dogs and this one was no exception. It also charges an entry fee. After months in Europe seeing many churches I have become a bit more selective about spending money to enter one. I passed on this particular church so I can offer no opinon on whether it is worth a visit.

After taking in the outer architecture of the basilica we needed a snack so we decided to try the traditional Hungarian street food known as Lángos. This dish is kind of a fried dough traditionally topped with garlic, sour cream and shredded cheese. We skipped the garlic because of our furry friend. It was heavy but delish and Mavi gave it two paws up!

With full stomaches we spent the next few hours roaming the Pest side of the city. This included stops at the Hungarian State Opera and and Dohány Street Synagogue (the largest in Europe), both of which are impressive structures.

We also made a stop at the Central Market Hall. Unfortunately Maverick was not allowed in here either, but I took a walk around the inside and found it to be a large and pretty nice market. The lower level has mostly food items such as produce and meat, while upstairs is full of merchandise if you are into shopping.

Clockwise from to left, 1) Mav in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building, 2) Mav and I in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica, 3) Mav drooling over our Lángos, 4) inside of the Central Market Hall, 5) outside of the market hall, 6) front of the Dohány Street Synagogue, 7) front of the Hungarian State Opera

For dinner we stopped at Mazel Tov, a pleasant dog friendly Israeli restaurant that offered some nice middle eastern veggie options. This was a nice contrast from our plate of meat from the previous night. Mav liked the meat plate better 🙂

Ruin Bars

On our last night in Budapest we wanted to try one of the infamous Budapest ruin bars. If you are not familiar, Budapest’s ruin bars are unique bars in old buildings, primarily in the Jewish Quarter, known for their quirky décor and lively atmosphere. Old abandoned buildings were converted into bars and decorated in all kinds of crazy ways.

We picked Szimpla Kert as our destination. This is the pioneer ruin bar and probably the most famous. The once abandoned factory has been transformed into a sprawling labyrinth of rooms and outdoor space full of graffiti and eclectic decor. Dogs are allowed in the bar so of course Mav made the visit with us.

Mav making himself comfortable in the ruin bar. I didn’t take many pictures inside because it is was pretty dark.

After exploring for a bit we grabbed a couple Pilsner Urquell’s and settled into a room with a live cover band playing mostly tunes we were familiar with. Mav made himself right at home lying at our feet in the corner under our table.

The bar was really fun and would be great to go back with friends some day to enjoy a full night out there as well as see some of the other ruin bars. As the bar got more crowded it became more difficult to navigate with Maverick so we did not stay very late. I really recommend checking some of these places out if you come to Budapest. I think most are open during the day so even if you aren’t much of a nightlife person you can stop in and explore without having to deal with the evening crowds.

After leaving Budapest we took a rest stop in central Slovakia which I covered in my Slovakia post here. From Slovakia we made our way to Krakow, Poland which is where we will see you next!

The iconic Hungarian Parliament Building lit up at night. Just an amazing view every time!