BUDAPEST
Brian's niece, Emer Kirrane, lives in Budapest.
Below is her account of Budapest, the city that is now
her home.
"Originally two towns, Buda and Pest, the Danube now
marks a divide between two quite different sides of the
city. Buda is hillier, more residential, more affluent
while the Pest side is more industrial, more
business-oriented and, some would say, more fun.
There are some standard things one must do as a tourist
in Budapest:
• Take the funicular from the Buda side of Lanchíd
(Chain Bridge) up to the Castle, which houses a number
of fascinating museums and is a short walk from
Fisherman’s Bastion and the newly renovated
Szent
Mattyás (Matthias) Church.
• Walk up to the Citadella on top of
Gellért Hill and
think of St Gellért, reputed to have been rolled off
said hill in a spiked barrel. From this point, under the
“Liberation” monument which watches over Budapest, enjoy
a fantastic panoramic view of both sides of the city.
• Visit the
Thermal Baths. Those in the
Gellért Hotel
are more famous, but for a more authentic experience, go
to the
Széchenyi Baths in the City park where you can
wallow in hot or cold pools, have a massage or watch old
Hungarian men play chess in the water. Hungarian doctors
regularly prescribe visits to the baths for their
patients as an alternative remedy to certain ailments.
To get to the Széchenyi baths, take the yellow
underground (Europe’s second oldest) to the second-last
stop, perhaps stopping off at
Hösök Tere (Heroes
Square), a square flanked by the Modern and Fine Art
Museums and featuring a single monument representing all
of Hungary’s history, which makes it unique.
And then there are the things one should do to remember
Budapest:
• Visit in summer and find a hidden bar. Now not as
plentiful, or indeed hidden, as they once were, it is
still possible to come across a summer “Kert” (garden)
where you can enjoy a refreshing “fröcs” (roughly
pronounced frutch). If you can find it, try
Pótkulcs
(Spare Key) at 65 Csengery Street. It looks like it’s
just a door in a wall – enter!
• Take the
HÉV (public transport akin to the DART) 40
minutes to the picturesque village of
Szentendre. Eat
Lángos covered in sour cream and cheese as you wander
the cobbled streets.
• Visit the
House of Hungarian Wine on Castle Hill for a
taste experience. You are given a glass and some bread
and set free in a cellar full of excellent wines from
all over the country. Try the famous
Tokaj sweet wine or
Bikavér (Bull’s Blood).
• Take a
boat tour on the Danube at night and learn
about
Hungary’s fascinating past."
(Many thanks to Emer Kirrane for giving us such an
interesting and informative account of Budapest)
If you would like to learn more about travel to
the beautiful city of Budapest, please
contact us
or phone (065)9051046 Mon-Fri 10-5.30
|
For City Tours to Budapest please click
here
Budapest Academy of Music
For Flights to Hungary please click
here
Fisherman's Bastion
For Car Rental in Hungary please click
here
Take the Funicular Railway to the Castle
For Travel Insurance in Hungary please
click
here
Budapest's Statue Park
Take a boat tour of the Danube in Budapest day or night.
(All images of Budapest supplied by and reproduced with,
the kind permission of the Budapest Tourist Office)
Launch
of Lillis Travel Website, Wednesday 3rd September 2008.
See details and photos. |
