Day two of our Budapest adventure, and we headed for the Castle District to explore, and to enjoy the best views the city has of Budapest’s iconic Parliament building.
This area (in particular the Fisherman’s Bastion – named after the Fishermen who sold their wares in the main square once upon a time), is very firmly on the tourist map – get here early before the coach loads arrive! It’s well worth paying the small fee to climb the walls of the Bastion to appreciate the scenery and the views across the water and beyond.
Once you have appreciated all the beauty the main square has to offer, then wander along to say hello to the giant mythical Tural Bird (an important beast in Hungarian folklore, you might find him firmly perched on top of the Tree of Life, or indeed here keeping a watchful eye over his majestic city!), and then beyond to the Palace for a further spot of statue admiration…
And once you’ve had your fill (or as was the case with us, the weather has the better of you – I hadn’t quite appreciated just how hot Budapest could get!), then you could either take the Castle Hill Funicular back down again, or (like we did) take the mammoth set steps down at the side of the Castle Garden Bazaar which gives you fantastic views over perfectly manicured gardens, before spitting you back out on to street level below, perfect for transport options, both local and not so…
Flagging in the heat, we took the tourist hop on/hop off bus option for the shade alone (but which gave us views of where we had just walked on the (now) opposite side of the river), before hopping off at the wonderfully cool and enticing Central Market (built in 1896, restored in 1994)… Budapest (along with the rest of Hungary) is famous for its paprika, and you happen to be looking for some, you can’t go far wrong here…
Hopping back on the bus after lunch, we headed to The Whale for a spot of further shopping with the added luxury of air-conditioning! Happy with purchases from M&S, Next and Gap (quite the novelty for us temporary Muncheners) we took a taxi back to our hotel. And here comes a word of warning… All taxis are licensed, so it’s unlikely that you will have a bad experience, BUT – do call one in advance if possible, taking one from a stand means that you are taking a bit of a risk and may well end up paying above and beyond the standard fare (like we did!!)… If you think you have been diddled, make sure you ask for a copy of the receipt at the of the journey, and get in touch with the City Transport Office, who should be able to help deal with any complaints…
Next up, a final photo tour of the city, and a very fine Hungarian restaurant…
Yes, this is all good for encouraging me to make the visit.
I think everywhere is hot this summer (sweeping generalisation!) – the temperatures we had in Germany were sweltering.
We always seem to get ripped off with taxis – we must have ‘mug’ written on our foreheads.
It’s still unbelievably hot here, looks set to cool off next week though and I am not going to complain! Thanks Trish x
It looks so different in the summer compared to when I went in the winter. Gorgeous! I wish we had made it to the Central Market. We were there over Christmas and the hours were limited. It looks absolutely incredible!
I definitely need to go in the winter! Thanks Elizabeth! :)
What a stunning city – it has never been on my radar before but I would love to visit one day
Thanks Kara, it’s really worth a visit! :)
i went to Budapest years ago and I don’t think we saw half the things you did. I really must go back. xx
Thanks Emma, yes you should! The hotel we stayed in is great for kids as well! :)
Such stunning architecture, the fisherman’s bastion looks beautiful
Thanks Bex. It’s a really striking building isn’t it? :)
Wow the weather looks amazing. I have never been to Hungary, but it looks beautiful
It’s really beautiful! Thanks Jen! :)
Wow it looks absolutely amazing! Such beautiful photographs x
Thanks so much Sonia! :)
Wow what some stunning pictures! What a beautiful place. x
Thanks very much Sarah! :)
Such beautiful architecture – the Fisherman’s Bastion looks fabulous in particular x
It is full of stunning buildings! Thank you! :)
Stunning location, architecture, statues and of course, photos! Added Budapest on the list of must-see places!xx
Thank you Oana, I think you would really like it! :) x
Budapest is on my wish list of places to visit, there is so much to see and do that I think it would need repeat visits to attempt to see everything
I definitely need repeated visits! Thanks so much! :)
Great pictures :)
Thanks Gemma!
Looks like an amazing city – I’ve never been, but hubby says it’s wonderful. Just need to persuade him to take us.
Make him! :D Thanks Erica!
Your photos are beautiful – the sky is what catches my attention in most of them as it’s just beautiful x x
Thank you so much Cass! :) x
ooh Budapest is on my bucket list!
And it won’t disappoint when you get there, promise! :)
Wow, your photos are very clear and stunning views! They really brought the place to life for me.
Thanks so much Nadine! :)
The market looks amazing. One thing I love about being abroad is finding a market and having a real good look x
That’s one of the things I love too, or failing that a really good supermarket! Thanks Rachel! :)