We’ll meet you at your hotel and embark on our Grand Buda and Pest Tour. The first spot is the Pest side of Szabadság (Liberty) Bridge, from where we will have a breathtaking, panoramic view of both sides of the city and you’ll soon understand how Budapest developed into the city you can experience today.
By taking advantage of the excellent public transport system, we’ll ride a tram and visit the historic Buda Castle area, the history of which goes back to the 13th century. We’ll see the Royal Castle and the Matthias Church, and another major landmark alongside these, is the intriguingly named Fishermen’s Bastion with an astounding view of the whole city.
After getting a feeling for the size of the city and having learned some of the history and mystery, we’ll proceed to visit the famous Heroes’ Square, which is Hungarian history in a nutshell. In a strange way, Hungarians are proud of their history, although it was anything but a happy success story. Perhaps, we are proud that we have survived all the occupations, revolutions, wars and foreign influence and managed to preserve our ancient language and diverse culture. Truly, Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” (those who can best adapt to changing circumstances and evolve!)
Next, we’ll return to the city, close to the Danube, and visit the iconic Parliament Building constructed in 1896 in the millennial year of the nomadic Hungarian tribes when they arrived here from Asia. As opposed to Buda, the Parliament is also the symbol of modern 19th c. Hungary when Pest developed into a world city.
Our next stop is the St Stephen’s Basilica, our largest cathedral is named after St. Stephen, the founder of the Hungarian Kingdom that existed from 1000 to 1918. An exceeding beautiful building inside and out and not without some oddities! If weather allows, we can go up to the rotunda to have another panoramic view of the city.
The Dohány utca Great Synagogue is our sixth ‘you-must-not-miss’ landmark. The history of Budapest Jewry is intertwined with the history of the city, and indeed, with much of Europe. This 19th century Neo-Moorish style synagogue, the largest in Europe, is the gateway to the fascinating Jewish Quarter.
Having coped with all the landmarks, we will have a quiet and relaxed drink on the terrace of a café near the Synagogue when we can wrap up what we have seen, practise our Hungarian, and plan how to get the best out of the rest of your stay.