james_tesol_teacher Travels while teaching English in Europe

Ever since I saw the movie “An American Rhapsody” many years ago, I have wanted to visit Budapest. There was something about the Hungarian spirit, the chain bridge and the Budapest train station that drew me to the city.

 Hungary has a history of struggle and conflict dating at least as far back as the Roman conquest about 35 BCE. They have preserved against the Huns, Germanic tribes, and Slavs before uniting as Hungarians in 896 as a country of Magyars. Later the Franks, Mongols, the Turks, Austria, Germany and the Soviets conquered Hungary at various times. Maybe that’s why, even though Hungary no longer shares power within one of Europe’s great powers (Austro-Hungarian Empire), they are very happy to enjoy their own much less powerful country that is under no conflict with its neighbors

I was finally able to visit Budapest, spending about a week in this marvelous city in 2013. Budapest is a fascinating city with a rich, contradictory and complex history set in one of the most important cities of Europe during parts of the 19^th and early 20^th century. As part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, fine buildings were constructed along with wonderful parks and gardens. The “Princess Diana” of her time, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (known as Sisi) had a fondness for Hungary, and she persuaded her husband to spare no expense to make Budapest a grand city. Today it is a city that has been recently discovered by tourists, providing both the funding to make Budapest more tourist friendly while at the same time making some important sights quite crowded.

Budapest was a joy to visit. The people are very friendly and the people in the tourist trade - - except for staff selling tickets at the train station - - speak English (and indeed perhaps the majority of people from 18 – 35). Even though Budapest is a large city (over 200 square miles within the city limits) with “must see” sights spread across the city, most areas of the city are easily accessible because the public transportation is inexpensive, efficient and clean. While Vienna was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, many of Budapest’s buildings and sights are more magnificent than those in Vienna. The Parliament building that sits overlooking the Danube River is breathtakingly ornate. The opera house is simply spectacular. The Buda Castle complex, including the grounds and its views overlooking the city, is amazing. The wide boulevards throughout the touristy parts of the city as well as walkways along the Danube make strolling around city very enjoyable. The

 The city is quite an inexpensive place to visit by European standards. I suspect this will change as more tourists discover its charms, as the infrastructure continues to improve and as more sights are rehabilitated. For now, you can continue to enjoy many lovely sights along with other dingy reminders of communist days past. It is certainly not as efficient (or spotless) as either Vienna or Salzburg, but it is certainly welcoming to visitors. It appears to love Americans because they believe the caused the Soviet system collapse; I think the Soviet system collapsed under its own weight (as do most empires eventually) perhaps hurried along a bit by the US. There is even a statue of Ronald Reagan near Liberty Square and the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy.

 Budapest suffered both under communism as well as during the Nazi occupation; many of its people as well as the city itself were brutalized by both. I believe this is because they have a deeply independent nature and tried playing both sides against each other during World War II. The “House of Terror”, a former prison and interrogation site under both the Nazis and Communists is a must see sight offering insight into this tragic past.

 I referenced several sources before travelling to Budapest, including: Rick Steves’ Budapest Guide, Frommer’s Europe, Rough Guide’s Europe on a Budget, Lonely Planet-Europe on a Shoestring, Europe by Eurail and Let’s Go Europe (all books), as well as Rick Steves’ Europe PBS Television Show (available on DVD) and Dennis Callan on YouTube. Even though I enjoyed all of them, I found Rick Steves’ material the most informative and thorough with the bonus of offering many tips and “off the beaten path” options.  

 The information below is a summary of the sites and activities I enjoyed while I was in Budapest. Because my pictures were taken with an inexpensive Nikon camera, some of the pictures in this blog were obtained from WikiMediaCommons at www.commons.wikimedia.org; where I used their pictures, I have cited the author.

 Pest, near the Danube – Pest, on the opposite side of the Danube from Buda, is where the downtown and business activity takes place.

• Deak Ter (Square) _ I was here many times as this is the only junction where all 3 metro lines converge. Good for people watching.
• Erzsébet tér (Erzsebet Ter – Beautiful, green park) – There is a McDonalds and coffee shops nearby.
• Andrássy út (main shopping Street)
• Váci utca - One of the oldest streets of Pest. During the communist era, this street had some of the more “westernized” shops, and was a magnet for locals. Now it is lined with expensive shops.
• Vörösmarty Square and Statue of Mihaly Vörösmarty – Poet who inspire Hungarian Nationalism in the 19^th century.
• Danube Promenade – Lovely walkway along the Danube between the Chain Bridge and Elizabeth Bridge. There are nice views of the Buda side from here.
• Little Princess Statue by László Marton depicts a playful little girl. Possibly one of the most photographed sculptures along this stretch of the Danube Promanade
• Girl with Her Dog – Another often photographed playful image along the Danube Promenade
• Ferenciek Tere (Franciscan Square) – This offers a good idea of what the buildings in Budapest looked like before cleaning. Grand facades but soot covered
• Károlyi Park (Károlyi Kert) This delightful, flower-filled oasis offers the perfect break from loud and gritty urban Pest.
• University Square (Egyetem Tér) - This is home to a branch of one of the oldest universities in Europe, Eötvös Loránd Technical University or ELTE. Eötvös Loránd University was founded in 1635. The square is being rehabilitated.
• Serbian Orthodox Church – The neighborhood church in what used to be an ethnic Serbian neighborhood.
• Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) – Budapest’s largest and oldest market, it is filled with souvenir and food stalls. You can get anything from paprika, fish, produce, meats and inexpensive Hungarian dishes that you can enjoy at one of the tables inside.

 Leopold (Lipótváros ) Town and nearby sights – Leopold town is on the “Pest” side of the Danube River. This is the historical business center of the city, dating back to the 18^th century. At the time of my visit, there was major road construction around the Parliament building so it was difficult to easily get to some sights. When construction is complete, I imagine the area will be better than ever.

• Parliament - I got there early in the morning to get tickets because the building can get quite crowded. The building is unbelievably ornate, rivalling the beauty (and ostentation) of most of the storied buildings in Central Europe I suspect. Budapest felt a bit underappreciated as the second major city in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the Parliament Building showed Vienna that Budapest was a world class city as well.
• Kossuth Tér (square) – Many interesting monuments in this square near the Parliament. This square is sprinkled with interesting monuments and packed with Hungarian history. Get in line to buy tickets to the Parliament.
• Attila József – Statue of the revered yet troubled poet who he committed suicide at 32.
• Holocaust Monument – Hungary had one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. Tragically, most did not survive the Nazi’s during World War II. These “shoes along the Danube” serve as a memorial to the hundreds of thousands that never returned.
• Liberty Square (Szabadság Tér) – Home to the Soviet War Memorial as well as the plush homes to some former high class residents of the area.
• St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István Bazilika) – built at the end of the 19^th century, this magnificent church combines many architectural styles.  There is an observation deck that, at 500 Ft, offers nice views of the city (I did not climb it)
• Gresham Palace – Fabulous Art Nouveau structure, originally home of aristocrats but now the site of a luxurious hotel. Beautiful lobby.
• Chain Bridge (Széchenyi Lánchíd) – Iconic symbol of Budapest that connects Buda with Pest (the 2 sides used to be separate cities). Originally built in the mid-19^th century, it was destroyed during World War II and rebuilt.

 Theresa Town:Andrassy Ut to City Park – Theresa Town is a neighborhood in Pest. Most people visit this part of the city to experience Andrassy Ut. Andrassy Ut is a grand boulevard in Pest that is home to classical buildings, diplomats, shops and former home to many wealthy elite. The first underground metro in Continental Europe was built under Andrassy Ut. It is easy to walk the entire length of this lovely street to Heroes’ Square. Yes there is a lot of traffic, but with wide sidewalks on either side there is nothing to fear.

• Hungarian State Opera House (Magyar Állami Operaház) – Beautful Renaissance style opera house built in 1886. More fabulous than the famous opera house in Vienna, this palace for music is magnificently ornate interior. It is reported to have the best acoustics of any music hall in Europe except for 2 or 3. I was fortunate enough to take a tour of this great building.
• Dreschler Palace – One of the landmarks of Budapest, it has fallen into disrepair. There are plans to convert it to a hotel.
• Franz Liszt Square (Liszt Ferenc Tér) – Don’t be fooled by the statue in the front of the Square – it is not Franz Liszt; his statue is further back. This is a pleasant looking square with shops and cafes nestled under some leafy trees.
• House of Terror (Terror Háza) – one of my highlights while in Budapest was visiting this devastatingly haunting site where first the Nazis and then the Soviets imprisoned and executed so many Hungarians. As I left the museum I noticed a poster listing many of the former officials of this despicable place that are still alive and living in Budapest. It’s hard to fathom what led to such cruelty, and now so easy to understand how people in Budapest are so happy to be rooted in the European Union.
• Diplomatic Quarter – As you leave the commercial and heavily trafficked section of Andrassy Ut, notice the many foreign embassy’s that used to house Budapest’s wealthy citizens.
• Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere) – built to celebrate Budapest’s 1,000^th year birthday in 1896, this large square is a gathering spot for locals and the entrance to the lovely City Park. Heroes’ square is at the end of Andrassy Ut.
  • Millennium Monument and Obelisk – At the far end of the square, this is a memorial to the 7 founding tribes of Hungary as well as other figures from Hungarian history from the 10^th to the 20^th century.
  • Museum of Fine Arts (Szépművészeti Múzeum) – Built in the neoclassical style in the early 20^th century, this house International artwork including the work of some European masters and a large Egyptian collection. It is sometimes compared to a lesser version of Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum.
  • Palace of Art (Kunsthalle Műcsarnok) – Another neoclassical style building constructed in the early 20^th century, this house contemporary art. This was also the sight where several anti-communist heroes were memorialized after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
  • City Park (Városliget) – The site of the 1,000^th birthday party for Hungary in 1896, it is currently a relaxing place close to the center of Budapest. In addition to gardens, ponds, statues, I explored the following here:
    • Vajdahunyad Castle – You expect Walt Disney’s Tinker bell to fly out of the castle and sprinkle fairy dust on you. It was built in the late 19^th century based on ideas from castles around Hungary and other places in Europe such as Transylvania (now part of Romania), and actually consists of 4 buildings in different architectural styles.
    • Széchenyi Baths (Széchenyi Fürdő) – Constructed in the Baroque style in the early 20^th century, this medicinal bath is claimed to be the largest in Europe.
    • Budapest Zoo – One of the Oldest Zoos in Europe.

 JEWISH QUARTER in Elizabethtown – Elizabethtown is in the Pest side of the Danube. At one time, Budapest had one of the largest Jewish populations of any major city in Europe. World War II changed that, as hundreds of thousands were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. The Jewish Quarter in the center of Elizabethtown was the heart of Jewish life in Budapest.

• Great Synagogue (sometimes called the Dohány Street Synagogue) – This beautiful synagogue is the second largest in the world (the first is in New York City), it was in a state of decay after World War II, but due to private donations it was restored to its current magnificent condition. 
• Jewish Museum – It contains many artifacts of Jewish life and religion. It also has a stirring exhibit of the Holocaust, including pictures of how many people of Budapest welcomed the Nazis.
• Tree of Life - On the grounds of the Jewish Museum. This is a shiny metal sculpture in the shape of an upside down menorah. Each of the thousands of metal leaves contains the name of a victim of the Holocaust. The work is by revered Hungarian artist Imre Varga.  
• Jewish Museum Memorial Garden – On the grounds of the Jewish Museum. Many people died of disease and starvation during the Nazi occupation. The Soviets buried many of them when they “liberated” Budapest on this spot.
• Raoul Wallenberg Symbolic Grave – The Swedish diplomat to Hungary saved the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews. For his troubles, he was imprisoned by the Soviets and it is believed that he died a Gulag. This is a memorial to him as well as other non-Jews who helped save Jewish lives during the war.

 Buda and the Castle District – Buda the oldest part of the city, dating back to pre-Roman times as a Celtic settlement. It contains the famous Castle Complex. Whereas Pest, on the opposite side of the Danube is flat, Buda is very hilly, with the castle sitting atop a hill overlooking the city. The best way to get here is bus # 16, # 16A or # 116. I took bus # 16A.

• Castle Hill Complex – The castle and related structures are one of Budapest’s top tourist draws. It is often very crowded here.
  • Royal Palace (Királyi Palota) – It was first built during the second half of the 13^th century, and has been destroyed and rebuilt. The current communist era rebuilt castle is far different than the other structures (baroque, renaissance and other styles) that had been here. The exterior
  • Promontory - From the castle promontory, enjoy some wonderful views onto Pest
  • Hungarian National Gallery (Magyar Nemzeti Galéria) – Hosts primarily Hungarian works. At the time I visited, there was an Impressionist exhibit including many works from Monet, Gauguin, and other French impressionists along with works by their Hungarian counterparts.
  • Sándor Palace – Originally built in the early 18^th century for an aristocrat, it is now the official residence of the Hungarian head of state.

1. Szentháromság tér (“Holy Trinity Square”),

• Matthias Church – Budapest’s great church near the Castle complex was originally built in the 14^th century, but has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The beautiful interior displays scenes from the history of Hungary.
• Fishermen’s Bastion (Halászbástya) – Below this site was the actual fish market in earlier times. During the millennium celebration of 1896, this fantasy castle was built. There are nice views from here. I did not pay the extra money to get views from the top.

 Margaret Island – An easily walkable 1.6 miles long and a few hundred yards wide, this is one of Budapest’s most popular playgrounds. I took a boat ride that was part of my Hop On/Hop Off Bus tour to get here. It is very close to the city, yet with its trees, the prohibition of cars, and people of all ages relaxing, it seems very distant from Budapest. There is a pathway along the edge of the island that is a favorite of joggers. At one time there were many religious orders on the island in the past, so there are some churches and related buildings on the island also. In fact, prayed for God’s help to protect Hungary during the middle ages; in exchange he sent his daughter Margaret to a convent on the island; the island is named after her.

 Citadella Fortress on Gellert Hill – This was built by forced Hungarian labor under the direction of the Austrians after the Hungarian Revolt of the mid 19^th century. The spot was chosen because of the commanding views high atop this hill. During the revolt os 1956, Soviet tanks shot down on the city from this location.

Budapest is one of the largest and most beautiful cities of Central Europe. It has a rich and sometimes tragic history that is on display through many of its buildings. The people are friendly, many speak English and the city is very inexpensive compared with other destinations in Europe. Also blessed with beautiful green spaces, I found Budapest to be a delight. I’d definitely like to return and spend more time here. Because more tourists are discovering the charms of Budapest, I suspect the next I visit it will be more expensive and more crowded.