Looking downstream to the Hungarian Parliament Building on the Pest side of the Danube
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Looking downstream to the Hungarian Parliament Building on the Pest side of the Danube |
Click on any image to see a larger (2400 x 1600 pixel) version!
The tickets for the hop-on, hop-off bus we purchased on the first day we were in Budapest also included a one-hour ride on one of the many sightseeing tour boats, and we decided that this is sonething we absolutely had to do, especially since one gets to photograph many famous sights in a way that is not possible from the shore. So, on May 25, 2024, we headed down to the departure point of the tour boats, and after a wait of a few minutes, we got to board. One can opt to get a (non-complimentary) drink before the cruise; we skipped that, but what we didn't know is that those who chose to have this drink (almost everyone, as it turns out) were the first people admitted on the boat. The result was that by the time we got to board, there were practically no seats left and it was standing room only, except for a couple of seats from where one could not see anything. Live and learn...
This is the second page documenting our trip to Budapest; from here, you can also access page 1
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Another view, looking upstream |
The baroque Saint Anne's Church on the Buda side of the Danube |
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Margaret Bridge seen from our sightseeing tour boat |
Passing under the Elisabeth Bridge |
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By the Széchenyi Chain Bridge |
Looking up to Buda Castle |
What the Colosseum is to Rome and the Eiffel Tower to Paris, the wonderful St. Stephen's Basilica is to Budapest. There is a modest entrance fee (under $5 when we were there), unless you want to climb the too many steps (302, I think) to the panoramic dome terrace, in which case it costs a little more. The basilica is truly magnificent and well worth the visit. This is a Roman-Catholic place of worship with masses celebrated regularly; there are also frequent concerts given in the basilica.
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The basilica photographed from Bajcsy-Zsilinszky street |
The front of the basilica facing St. Stephen's Square |
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The dome of the basilica |
The main entrance |
Inside the basilica |
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Inside the basilica: looking back towards the entrance |
The 1905 organ was completely restored in 1993 |
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The altar of St. Stephen's Basilica |
Looking straight up into the dome |
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The pulpit |
Statue of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary |
György Vastagh – Prince Imre |
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Looking toward the altar and the statue of Saint Ladislaus on the right |
Looking across Saint Stephen's Square towards the Fat Policeman |
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View from the square to the basilica |
By the Great Synagogue |
Entrance of the Great Synagogue |
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The twin octagonal towers of the Great Synagogue |
Jászai Mari Square |
On Thursday, May 16, we rode a bus to Adam Clark Square and bought two round trip tickets for the Castle Hill Funicular. It has to be said that by and large, Budapest is a rather inexpensive city, considering that it is a European capital and an attractive and desirable tourist destination. Unfortunately, you would not come to that conclusion if you based it on the funicular ticket prices: each round trip ticket for adults costs 5,000 Hungarian Forints, plus a convenience fee of 150 Hungarian Forints (they don't say for whose convenience). When we were there, this came to $11.30 per ticket, or $5.65 per segment (as these are round trip). Now the length of the ride is 312 feet and it takes just 90 seconds. A quick calculation shows that the journey thus costs 1.8¢ per foot or 5.9¢ per second! It was the only time in Budapest that I felt fleeced; fortunately, the view from the top was worth it.
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Taking the short (and not inexpensive!) ride on the Castle Hill Funicular |
The Buda Castle funicular station |
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Looking down onto the Széchenyi Chain Bridge from Buda Castle with St. Stephen's Basilica in the background |
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Zooming in for a closer look |
The Hungarian Parliament Building seen from Buda Castle |
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Buda Castle District map |
Gorgeous wrought iron fence by the Habsburg Gate |
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The Habsburg Gate |
Turul sculpture by Gyula Donáth |
Riding the funicular back down |
After the New York Café, this was the second "fancy" place we ate in. Is a modelled after a Parisian covered passage (like this one) and it is just superb in terms of materials and workmanship! It is perhaps not quite as flashy as the New York Café, but it is every bit as fine from the décor to the quality of the food and the attentiveness of the staff. Instead of a flamboyant standup violonist, there was softly piped-in classical music, and the conversations at the various tables were noticeably more hushed than in the New York Café. So which one is better? We wouldn't want so say. Both have their charm and are worth being experienced. Go for it and make up your own mind! You won't regret it.
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Párisi Passage Café |
The Polygon Court |
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The café is modeled after a Parisian passage |
The details and workmanship are exquisite... |
...and our brunch was predictably wonderful. |
We conclude these two pages of souvenir photos of our trip to Budapest with some more images taken while walking around town, displayed in no particular order. We didn't just like Budapest: we loved it! The architecture, the history, the sites, and the amazing friendliness of the people who could not have been more helpful and considerate, all these things contributed to a most wonderful experience. The icing on the cake is that Budapest is very affordable compared to many other European capitals (except for the funicular prices—don't get me started on those!) 😊
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Brudern House is home to the Párisi hotel |
On Ferenciek Square |
On Váci Street |
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On Váci Street |
On Váci Street |
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On Váci Street |
On Váci Street |
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The Matild Palace hotel with the Elisabeth Bridge in the background |
The Ernst Art Gallery |
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Kálmán Mikszáth Square |
Statue of Kálmán Mikszáth |
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The Well of Hungarian Justice |
Krúdy Gyula Street |
Plaque of Charles XII of Sweden |
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Hungarian State Opera House |
Another view of the Hungarian State Opera House |
The photos on this page were taken between May 14 and 18, 2024.
This is the second page documenting our trip to Budapest; from here, you can also access page 1
The photos of both pages can also be found in a gallery
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