Travelogue: Budapest, Hungary

Finally, I’ve reached the last stop in our Eastern Europe tour before we went back to Vienna, Austria. As the saying goes, save the best for last. For others, they find Budapest, Hungary as the best in Eastern Europe in terms of sights. The architectures are a mix of baroque and neo-classical. It’s actually known to be the Paris of the East.

Danube River divides the city into two sides- Buda (the hilly side) and Pest, which are connected by the chain bridge.

Here are photos of Budapest cityscape. These were taken just outside a restaurant, where we had our first dinner in the city.

I forgot the name of the restaurant, but the interior reminded me of our very own Galileo Enoteca. The ambiance was just perfect for tourists like me.

We joined the cruise along the Danube River. I recommend doing this at night. It can be a bit chilly, depending on the season, but you’ll surely forget about the weather once you see the city lights. It’s just spectacular! 😀 Here are some of my photos during the cruise.

Hungarian Parliament Building

The Royal Castle

The lovely Chain Bridge, which connects the two sides of Budapest

Who said only New York has the Statue of Liberty? The Statue of Liberty in Budapest was erected in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from the Nazis during the second world war.

We also visited the famous Fisherman’s Bastion, which is situated in the Buda side. It has seven towers, representing the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin.

bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary

Matthias Church behind me, which was being restored at that time

one of the seven towers of the Fisherman’s Bastion

view from the Fisherman’s Bastion

 Castle District

St. Stephen’s Basilica, named after the first king of Hungary

the altar

the ceiling

If you’re a fan of the show Amazing Race, you’ve probably seen Heroes’ Square being part of it in one of their seasons. It’s one of the major squares in Budapest, which is very historical. It is surrounded by two important buildings, Palace of Art on the right and Museum of Fine Arts on the left.

Palace of Art

Museum of Fine Arts

The Millennium Memorial is located at the center of the Heroes’ Square. The statues represent the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary during the 9th century and other important figures of Hungarian history.

I’ve never failed to mention how much I want to go back to Paris. Budapest, being the Paris of the East, should  then be part of my must-visit with my future hubby. Haha! 😀 Seriously, it’s one of the cities that captured my heart. 😀