Upon my parents suggestion, my wife and I recently visited Budapest. We fell in love with the city, which may call the 'Paris of the East'.
Our podcast features a discussion of the city and our favorite places. Below are a list of links to some of the places we discussed.
But we decided to go one step further and compile a list of Budapest's more unusual features. Didi you know there is a wave pool in the middle of the city? Or that you can enjoy a mojito at Ernest Hemingway's favorite bar? Or find random statues of American's in Budapest. It's all part of Budapest Uncovered.
Below are a list of the top attractions that we discussed in the podcast.
-The Buda Castle
-The Mattias Church
-Fisherman Bastion
-The Basilica
- Parliament
-The Terror Museum
-The Jewish District
-Holocaust Museum
-The Weeping Willow Sculpture
-Shoes on the Danube
-Obuda
-Vargas Museum
-The Gellert Baths
-The Szechenyi Baths
-Free Walking Tours of Budapest
-The Grand Hotel - mentioned by Hawkeye's Dad
-The Market
Did you know Budapest was formed when two cities, Buda and Pest, on either side of the Danube River, decided to form one city, Budapest
The Basilica is the tallest building in Budapest and offers one of the best views of the city. Above are the steps to the dome. Below the view from the top of the church
Yes, that is a statue of actor Peter Falk, depicted in his best known role as Columbo. Falk had relatives with Hungarian roots. Keep an eye out for lesser known Americans George Washington and Ronald Reagan, both with statues in Budapest.
Our podcast features a discussion of the city and our favorite places. Below are a list of links to some of the places we discussed.
But we decided to go one step further and compile a list of Budapest's more unusual features. Didi you know there is a wave pool in the middle of the city? Or that you can enjoy a mojito at Ernest Hemingway's favorite bar? Or find random statues of American's in Budapest. It's all part of Budapest Uncovered.
Below are a list of the top attractions that we discussed in the podcast.
-The Buda Castle
-The Mattias Church
-Fisherman Bastion
-The Basilica
- Parliament
-The Terror Museum
-The Jewish District
-Holocaust Museum
-The Weeping Willow Sculpture
-Shoes on the Danube
-Obuda
-Vargas Museum
-The Gellert Baths
-The Szechenyi Baths
-Free Walking Tours of Budapest
-The Grand Hotel - mentioned by Hawkeye's Dad
-The Market
Budapest Uncovered
How Budapest got its name
Did you know Budapest was formed when two cities, Buda and Pest, on either side of the Danube River, decided to form one city, Budapest
Visit one of the world's oldest subways
Built in 1896 for Hungary's Millennial Celebration, the original subway line went from the center city to the fairgrounds. Two things will immediately catch your attention. The condition of the subway. It's been restored to it's original state.
Secondly, the original line, (the Yellow Line 1) is merely below street level.
A wave pool in the middle of Budapest? Yes
The outdoor pool at the 100 year old Gellert Resort is also a wave pool.
The outdoor pool at the 100 year old Gellert Resort is also a wave pool.
Though I prefer the 100 year old indoor pool
Check out the fist of St Stephen
The fist of Saint Stephen, former king and one of Hungary's most important historical figures, is preserved in the Basilica. You have to put a 200 Ft Hungarian coin in the box to turn on the light to see the fist.
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| The right hand of St Stephen |
The Basilica is the tallest building in Budapest and offers one of the best views of the city. Above are the steps to the dome. Below the view from the top of the church
Ride the one of the most beautiful street car lines in Europe
I highly recommend a ride on the Budapest street car Line 2. Named one of the most beautiful trolley lines in the world, it travels along the banks of the Danube River and offers stunning views of the Buda castle and Parliament. Sit on the side of the river for the best views.
Discover random statues of Americans placed threat Budapest
Drink at Hemingway's favorite bar
(even though he never visited Budapest)
Ernest Hemingway was known to frequent Havana's La Bodeguita Del Medio for he enjoyed his mojitos. A second location exists in Budapest on the edge of the Jewish district inside the courtyard of an old communist cultural affairs building
Discover the remnants of the Soviet era
(there aren't many left)
Most of the statues and monuments from the communist era have been removed form Budapest. Above is one of the only remnants of the Soviet era, a memorial / gravesite of Soviet soldiers who died in Budapest during World War II while pushing the Nazis out.
Many of the statues from the communist era were bought and placed in a unusual tourist attraction called Momento Park on the outskirts of Budapest
The Red Star that replaced the cross above Parliament during the communist era. The star now sits in a museum below the building
Check out the Terror Museum (a Must See)
Located in a former headquarters of the secret police, this building depicts the atrocities of the Arrow Cross (the Hungarian Nazis) and the communist secret police. The basement was once used for torture and hangings. The museum is one of the most visited attractions in Budapest.
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| A piece of the Berlin Wall outside the Terror Museum |
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| During the noon sun, the overhang casts a terrifying shadow on the museum |
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| Artwork outside the Terror Museum depicting an 'Iron Curtain' |
Visit the world's most beautiful McDonald's
Many consider the McDonald's at the train station at Nougat Square the most beautiful McD's in the world. This video by a young child visiting Budapest captures the stunning interior.
