My parents’ trip wasn’t totally over; we had a few days together in Madrid! But… that will have to wait until the Madrid blog. On our first weekend by ourselves again, we tackled Budapest. I monitored the flights for more days than I care to admit, and we finally found a time when it wasn’t insanely expensive to go!
Around the same time, I discovered the Aria Budapest, a music themed hotel that’s won countless awards with Conde Nast, Travel + Leisure, TripAdvisor and more. It was a definite splurge, but we loved it from the moment we stepped foot inside!
In the musical theme, the main foyer boasted an amazing piano key floor. (I don’t normally post hotel photos, but this one was so fun!)
The hotel isn’t particularly large, but each corner of rooms has a different musical genre for the theme. We stayed in the jazz wing, which meant we had Duke Ellington on our wall!
Our balcony overlooked the entirety of the property, complete with a bird’s eye view of the piano lobby.
Since we used guides quite a bit with my parents, we decided to explore on our own. Sometimes it’s nice to have a more flexible schedule! Not to mention, it left time for shopping – which is exactly where we started J Did you know that Hungary is the home of Herend china? Neither did Meadows! He reluctantly accompanied me to the store (which is full of beautiful pieces) so we could get a few more pieces to match our wedding china!
We began our self-guided tour by crossing the Chain Bridge over the Danube River from Pest to Buda. The two cities merged to become Budapest in 1873.
Walking the bridge helps you see the city from its best angle… over the water. You can perfectly see the Buda Castle behind me.
Our first stop was the Fisherman’s Bastion. This gorgeous terrace sits up on the hills overlooking the river. It was built in the late 19th century and offers some of the best views of the city. The weather was cold, but perfect for walking around and climbing up hills.
We came down the hill and crossed the bridge back over to the Pest side. Here, we visited St. Stephen’s Basilica. Completed in 1905, the church is named for the first King of Hungary. The wooden sheds that you can see in front of the church were being erected in preparation of the Christmas markets.
We entered the basilica just in time to see part of a service. I was totally speechless (probably a good thing considering the church service going on around us!). The marble panels and the shimmering gold were so spectacular as the light poured into the cupola and down below.
Then, we climbed the dome!! As the least athletic person you know, I can honestly say that the 364-stair climb to the top was completely worth it! We got a bit dizzy from the endless spiral staircase, but shook it off quickly.
Depending on where we stood, we could see different landmarks around Budapest. In this photo, you can see Parliament in the background.
St. Stephen’s dome stands 96 meters high, which is the same height of the Parliament building. This symbolizes the equal importance of church and state. To this day, no other architect in Budapest can build higher than 96 meters.
Our final stop of the day was my absolute favorite of the trip, the Christmas markets! We visited on November 19, and the largest market was in full swing. The stores ranged from selling Christmas ornaments and décor to animal skins to knit hats and scarves.
But the best part of the Hungarian Christmas markets was the FOOD! Our fabulous concierge gave us a million food recommendations (none of which we could pronounce), but then finally said, “You know, we’re just really into fried sweets here!” Sooo… we were in heaven!
Our favorite treat of all was the kürtőskalács (good luck trying to order that when you visit!) – also known as “chimney cakes” for us struggling-with-Hungarian Americans. Holy moly, it was so delicious. It’s yeast dough wrapped around a cylinder to create the chimney shapen, then it’s covered in butter and sugar and cooked over hot charcoals. Later, you can add toppings like walnuts or cinnamon; we opted for cinnamon, and we didn’t regret it. Diet: 0, Tummy: 1.
The gluttony continued into dinner! Yet again, the concierge hooked us up with a fabulous new restaurant, Tama. Top to bottom, this restaurant was a 10 – ambiance, food, drinks (we loved the Hungarian sparkling wine… who knew?!) and service.
After dinner, we walked to an area full of bars. We had the best of intentions to explore the Budapest nightlife, but then the rain came. There we were… all dolled up from dinner and getting soaked. We persisted until we saw the block-long line at the bar we wanted to try. We retreated to the hotel and had a drink at the bar there.
On Sunday morning, we ventured to the Hungarian Parliament for our guided tour. During our walk over, we ran into President Reagan! Hungary put up the statue in his honor in 2011 in appreciation of his role in ending the Cold War and communism.
As we approached Parliament, I quickly realized I had underestimated how large it is! It is quite a piece of architecture. Also, I need to give a huge thank you to Mrs. B for recommending the tour; we probably wouldn’t have done it otherwise, and we really enjoyed it!
Our guide explained that construction began in 1885 and completed almost 20 years later. The statistics behind the build out are astounding: 100,000 construction workers, 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40 kg (88 lb) of gold (used in the leaf technique). The entire building is symmetrical, both outside and inside, and there are 691 rooms inside.
Since the building is symmetrical, tourists like us are able to walk the halls the politicians do! But really, we were on the opposite side as them.
Eventually, we entered the main hall, which was stunning. The Hungarians truly created an opulent and regal setting for Parliament.
Just behind the main hall sits the crown jewels. The dome where they’re held is easily the most magnificent room we saw. The ceiling soars with stained glass and gilded arches. Back on the ground, the guards perform their ceremonial changing of the guard. Sadly, they don’t allow photos in this room.
Before we left, our guide led us into the general assembly hall.
Outside the hall, the guide pointed out where politicians would leave their cigarettes by the window while they ran inside to vote!
When our tour concluded, we walked along the Danube River. It was the perfect place for a peaceful Sunday stroll.
With a bit of time before we needed to head to the airport, we made the best use of our final moments in Budapest:
We immediately went back to the Christmas markets. We needed another chimney cake!
We bought a couple of Cokes (duh) and took a cheesy photo in front of the Christmas tree. Did you guys see the Coke bottles where the label turned into a bow this holiday season?! Meadows is holding one, and I think they are so cool.- We lounged in another beautiful room at the Aria. How fabulous are those chairs in the back? It was a glorious place to relax before flying back to Madrid.
Fun fact:
- King Stephen’s mummified right hand is housed in a chapel in the basilica and has a procession in its honor once a year.
- As I mentioned, both the basilica and Parliament are 96 meters tall. This is deliberate, as the number 96 holds special meaning for the Hungarians. It’s a reference to the nation’s millennium, 1896, and the conquest of the later Kingdom of Hungary in 896.