WHAT A COOL CITY!
I want to make a return trip to Budapest/Hungary and also explore more of eastern Europe.
The city (orginially two, Buda and Pest) is divide by the Danube River, Buda is hilly and to the west and Pest to the east.
From Buda, looking over the Danube to Pest
Three primary bridges link the two.
Three primary bridges link the two.
Our hostel was incredible! I believe it was rated the number one hostel in Europe in 2009.
The location was also fantastic. We were on the Pest side at the base of the White Bridge (the central bridge), right next to a metro station and close to many of Budapest's sites and some great restaurants.
The location was also fantastic. We were on the Pest side at the base of the White Bridge (the central bridge), right next to a metro station and close to many of Budapest's sites and some great restaurants.
We spent a day at the famous Szchenyi baths.
The rest of our the time was split between eating and seeing sites like
Parliament,
Buda Castle,Vajdahunyad Castle, Andrassy Avenue (Budapest's Champs-Elysees), and Liberty Bridge.
Hungary was occupied by the Ottoman Empire, the Germans, and the Russians, and the influences of all three can be seen throughout the city. The buildings in Budapest bear witness to many years of turmoil, some are crumbling while others still host bullet holes.
Now for the food. Before our trip, we had heard mixed reviews, but Hungarian food far exceeded our expectations! The cuisine features meat and potatoes, and paprika is the spice of choice. Goulash, a soup/stew with meat, potatoes, and paprika, is one of the most prevalent dishes. They also love pork, lard, and sour cream...I can't complain about that.
Hungarian fried bread (Langos) with sour cream and cheese, on top of a garlic soup
Pork with cottage cheese pasta and paprika sauce
Goose leg, Thomas tried it because he'd heard Hungary had good waterfowl
Chicken paprikash was one of my favorite dishes. It consists of chicken pieces, browned in butter, cooked with onions and paprika, then served with a little sour cream mixed in #YUM. Budapest also had a lot of pastry shops, including one right next door to our hostel, so I was a happy camper.
Chicken paprikash was one of my favorite dishes. It consists of chicken pieces, browned in butter, cooked with onions and paprika, then served with a little sour cream mixed in #YUM. Budapest also had a lot of pastry shops, including one right next door to our hostel, so I was a happy camper.
Snack we picked up in a metro station...it was like a soft pretzel sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. You could also get them sprinkled with coconut, walnut, and a few other things.
All in all, AN INCREDIBLE TRIP :)
Wth. That hostel looks better than any place I'll ever live in. Glad you had a good time and some delicious noms.
ReplyDeleteI have been to that exact bath!!! And have a pic of that bridge exactly like that! When we were there we hiked to the top of the overlook above the bridge and for some reason there were fireworks over the bridge when we got to the top. So cool! And how good are those langos?!
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