The Old and New Charms of Budapest

Our week in the Italian Dolomites was supposed to be the last leg of our summer-long European tour. But due to unforeseen logistical challenges, we found ourselves with three more days to fill before our flight home left Munich. What to do? What is not too far from the Dolomites or Munich, that we’ve always wanted to visit but hadn’t gotten to yet? We both agreed on Budapest, Hungary, so off we went for a quick whirlwind.

Budapest

Budapest was originally a Celtic settlement, then later became the Roman city of Aquincum. Hungarians arrived in the 9th Century, building the separate cities of Buda on one side of the Danube, and Pest on the other. In 1873, the cities were unified and Budapest was born.

The city is perhaps best known for its classical architecture, something we noticed immediately and gawked at continually on our first day walking tour. The entire city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Within this area are the famous Buda Castle, the Hungarian Parliament (third largest parliament building in the world), the second largest synagogue in the world, and many more beautiful examples.

Another thing that caught our attention was all the public art on display, from small and whimsical to huge and majestic. We had to keep remembering to look up, as so many of the buildings we passed were adorned with wonderful sculptures.

The Spas

Another thing that Budapest is famous for is its spas. There are around 80 geothermal springs in the area and it’s the reason the Romans built a city there in the first place. The Ottoman Turks expanded on the Roman baths when they ruled the city, and many of these Roman and Turkish baths can still be seen today.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to experience the spas during our brief visit, but it’s still a main attraction for most visitors.

A Modern Renaissance?

Budapest has a long and rich history, but much of their unique culture was essentially dormant during the half-century of Soviet occupation. Though it’s now been over thirty years since the end of the Cold War, we felt like the city was still trying to define itself and find its place in today’s world..

Many of the city’s historical landmarks were either destroyed or neglected by the Soviet regime. Curiously, rather than restore some of these structures, they chose to knock them down and build a replica in its place. A practical choice perhaps, but we felt they had lost all their authenticity.

The Skyline Isn’t the Only Thing Changing

We were told that Hungarian people have long been reluctant to talk about their past and their role in the wars of the 20th Century. This is perhaps understandable as they went from being a major regional power, to losing much of their territory and prestige after World War I. However, there are signs they are now confronting their past. One such sign is the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial, a powerful work of public art. We saw many other recent and similar works.

Another sign of this internal struggle is the nightlife scene in Budapest. The hip and trendy places in the city are in the Jewish Quarter of the city. These so-called “ruin bars” are in old buildings that have been abandoned since the residents of the neighborhood were taken away in World War II.