November
23
2009
By Amy Smithers
We'd recommend a few days in the city for the optimal adventure, but what if you only had one? Follow along as we help you find out what to do...
Chapter One
You wake up in a strange (but very comfortable) king size bed. "How did I get here?" you wonder. Ah, yes; Trufflepig booked it for you. You gaze out the window of the presidential suite and correctly identify the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and the Danube River. What a beautiful day in Budapest.
If you feel like ordering breakfast in bed, click here, and then move on to Chapter Three.
If you're ready to get outside and start exploring, go to Chapter Two.
Chapter Two
You'll want some nourishment to start your big day out. Taste some delicious pastries at Gerbaud, one of Budapest's most famous coffee houses. And perhaps take some confectioneries to go.
If you still don't understand what's going on in this post, click here.
If you've finished your chocolate croissant, move on to Chapter Three.
Chapter Three
Now that you've had a bite to eat, how are you feeling?
If you're awfully energetic and ready to climb a lot of stairs, go to Chapter Four.
If you'd like a quiet morning alone, go to Chapter Five.
If you're ready to dive right into some of Budapest's darker history, go to Chapter Six.
Chapter Four
You've made your way over to Buda, and up the many stairs to see Castle Hill, the home of many of Budapest's finest museums and historic buildings. You skip the super touristy undergound labyrinths (you'll see much cooler ones in other cities), but do check out Fisherman's Bastion, the Matthias Fountain, and the Hungarian National Gallery.
If you're still feeling historical, go to Chapter Six.
If you want a quiet night in for the evening, go to Chapter Seven.
If you're interested in an unusual religious experience, go to Chapter Eight.
Chapter Five
You wander over to the ELTE University Library; it is one of the oldest in Hungary, and has a beautiful multi-storied reading room full of rare books (not to mention that amazing old book smell). You're lucky today and you find it empty. You're able to climb up the wrought iron staircases to check out all the old volumes up close. You head out after an employee comes in and gives you a suspicious stare. You walk across the street to the Central Coffee House for a refreshment.
If you feel like cooking in your suite tonight, go to Chapter Seven.
If you fancy a stroll in the park, go to Chapter Nine.
Chapter Six
You arrive at the House of Terror, number 60 Andrassy. This very building was a Nazi headquarters during WWII, then run by the Arrow Cross Party, and finally by the Communist Political Police. During each of these eras, it was used to hold innocent victims for torture and interrogations. Interactive exhibits serve as a monument to those who died, and teach about the history of the building and the city. By the time you make your way through the museum, and down to the cells in the basement, you're so shaken up by the stories about the victims that you feel the need to get out of the building.
If you'd like to walk it off for a while, go to Chapter Nine.
If you want to talk about the experience over a meal, go to Chapter Eleven.
Chapter Seven
You arrive at Great Market Hall in time to pick up some fresh ingredients for dinner; foie gras, wild mushrooms complete with their official forager's certificate, fresh vegetables or maybe even some pickled fruit. You cart it all back to Gresham Palace to concoct your own personal taste of Hungary in your kitchenette.
If you're ready for some serious relaxation after all that walking and cooking, go to Chapter Ten.
If you feel going out for a beer or some cocktails, choose Ending One.
Chapter Eight
Atop Gellert Hill, you find Budapest's cave church, a curious little chapel carved right into the rock. The television monitors (to help the congregation to see the altar around the rock pillars) are the only indication that you haven't stepped back a few centuries. You sit for a moment in the quiet of the church, and then decide it's time for dinner.
If you feel like eating in, go to Chapter Seven.
If French-Hungarian fusion sounds tempting, go to Chapter Eleven.
Chapter Nine
You walk northeast on a tree-lined path along Andrassy, noticing a few mansions for sale that you might speak to your real estate agent about when you get home. At the end of the road you reach the stunning Hősök tere (Heroes' Square) and the entrance to Városliget (City Park). You amble through the pretty grounds, take some photos, and visit the famed "Statue of Anonymous" whose brass pen is said to bring luck to writers. With the sun setting, you decide it's time for dinner.
Go to Chapter Eleven.
Chapter Ten
It's bathtime. While the Gellert Baths may be known as classics and the Széchenyi Baths renowned for their size, you choose the Rudas Baths because of their long history. Built in the 1500s, this Turkish style bath house has pools of many temperatures, and evening hours open to both men and women. You meet quite a cast of characters in the lively thermal pools.
You decide to head out for a nightcap with a group of your new friends; go to Ending One.
You take a liking to one particular Hungarian, and decide to spend the rest of the evening together; go to Ending Two.
Chapter Eleven
Time to eat. At Borsso in Pest, you grab a little table in the warmly lit upstairs room, and eat the most delicious peach and roquefort soup, followed by a tasty Hungarian barley risotto.
With your belt bursting, you decide it's time for some relaxation; go to Chapter Ten.
You have a hankering for a few drinks before you call it a night; go to Ending One.
Ending One
With some newfound friends, you sit down for a long chat at Paris, Texas; a cozy bar in Pest with a great cocktail menu and walls covered in quirky old photographs. With your bottom comfortably settled in a leather club chair, you wonder if you can postpone tomorrow's flight home.
Ending Two
Seeking a little romance to end your evening, you emerge from the Rudas Baths and climb the nearby steps in the dark with your new amour, to reach the citadel at the very top of Gellert Hill. It's worth the huffing and puffing to see the entire city of Budapest lit up in front of your eyes. It almost seems silly to think about climbing back down.
Amy Smithers is an assistant trip planner at Trufflepig Travel, and a true child of the 80s. Send her an email for more of her favourites in Budapest, or check out her other posts on the Sounder.