< Start at the beginning of this series: Grand European River Cruise

Right in the heart of Europe, Budapest is home to almost two million Hungarians in a country nearly the size of Indiana. The country spans both sides of the Danube – the first of three waterways that we’ll enjoy on our river cruise. Historic Buda is on the east bank and the more modern Pest (pronounced “Pesht”) is on the west. Spanning the river are eight bridges, the oldest of which is the Chain Bridge, which opened to the public in 1849 (above).

As comfy as our stateroom is, today we have places to go and fabulous things to see! The morning is warm and sunny and today we have two excursions, so let’s get started!

Panoramic Budapest

We started with a bus tour of Pest (Pesht). I realized pretty quickly that photos were not going to happen as I strained to see through the dirty windows of the bus, bouncing around and zipping by many places of interest. Luckily one of Pest’s most spectacular buildings sits on the banks of the Danube and can easily be seen from the Buda side, where we went next. The photo below is the Hungarian National Parliament – a magnificent Neo-Gothic building, completed at the turn of the 20th century. Visit the link for visitor information and some impressive interior shots.

Across the river: the Hungarian National Parliament

Our bus crossed over the river to Buda and dropped us just a short walk from one of my favorite stops of the entire cruise.

Another fabulous day was upon us.

Matthias Church (Matyas Templom), is one of the most architecturally impressive churches I’ve ever seen with its fabulous tiled roof and intricate steeples. This 13th century Gothic church was named after the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinas, a celebrated patron of the arts and humanities. Because it was Sunday and Mass was in progress, we were not allowed inside but if you visit the link, you can see some gorgeous photos of the interior. In the photo below – another beautiful mosaic walkway.

In the photo below, along with more detail of the tile work, you may notice a black raven with a gold ring in its beak. According to our tour guide, King Matthias had removed a ring from his finger, and a raven – drawn to shiny objects – snatched it up. Matthias chased the bird down, slew it, and retrieved the ring. In commemoration, he took the raven as a symbol for his signet ring, which he then wore on his pinky finger. There are at least two of these ravens perched high on this fabulous church.

Fisherman’s Bastion sits high atop Buda Hill in the Castle District. It was absolutely incredible – like something out of a Disney movie. Open all year round 24/7, most of this area is free to visit, with the exception of a few of the top turrets, the interior and the museum. There is a cafe on the terrace and a chapel inside.

The seven turrets represent the seven Hungarian (Magyar) tribes who founded the area in 895. According to some, Fisherman’s Bastion was protected by the guild of the fishermen during the Middle Ages. For more history of this fascinating place, click on the link.

And what could be better than a square in Europe with a statue of a king or a saint? How about a king AND a saint! St. Stephen was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarians and the first King of Hungary. This magnificent bronze statue was erected in 1906 and its pedestal is decorated with reliefs that illustrate his life.

On our way back to our bus, we walked by The House of Houdini. We just had to take a look in the lobby and, among other things, a Chinese Water Torture Cell was on display. It was an original prop from the “Houdini” miniseries and holds 52 roses for the memory of Harry Houdini. Notice the feet sticking out of the top? Click on the link above for more info and for a beautiful photo of the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle at night.

In the photo below, the flags of the European countries wave in a square near Buda Castle and Sándor Palace.

Budapest Thermal Baths

We had another history tour planned and ended up canceling, opting instead for a little rest and relaxation. Once again our bus crossed to the other side of the Danube, this time over the Liberty Bridge. We walked thru the Gellert Hotel to the Gellert Spa for a little bubbly!

It was a treat just walking through this gorgeous hotel – a feast for the eyes.

Usually I’m not that comfortable with PDBs (public displays of my body), but what the heck – I’m on vacation! There were several different areas at the spas, and the first area we visited did not thrill us at all. We paid a considerable amount for this excursion and walking into a public pool was not my idea of a good exchange. Once in, it was certainly a lot more relaxing than another walking tour and when we started thinking about being in Budapest, much less at a spa, we relaxed and went with it. The photo below is from the Gellert Hotel website. Check it out for more photos. We talked to another couple from our cruise who booked this on their own and just walked across the bridge. They probably saved a bundle, but who knew we would be docked just across the river!

The draw of this area is the “wave”, which springs into action once an hour. In an effort to escape the brunt, I actually went into a more treacherous area and was repeatedly slammed by the wave. Not that I was hurt, or in danger in any way, but I couldn’t wait for it to end. When asked if we wanted to go again, we all said no thanks.

There was an area just above the wave pool that had several smaller pools – not hot tubs because they weren’t bubbly, or even hot for that matter. The draw for that area were the drinks for sale, but it seemed a little crowded and not as appealing to us.

We finally made our way to the area that was more of what we had in mind for a thermal bath. Although I decided against photos, there was another area that was hot and bubbly and that is where we spent the rest of our time. Ahhhh. The centuries-old tradition of soaking up the restorative powers of a Budapest nourishing spa. It was complete with small fountains, where lions spit just the right amount of water to loosen up just about every muscle in your neck, shoulders and back. Can we go back?

We returned to our ship and left shortly thereafter for Vienna. After such a wonderful morning, a relaxing afternoon, another delicious dinner and our customary couple of glasses of wine, we slept like babies.

Next up: En route to Vienna

Happy trails,
Barb