The Lights of Budapest
Didn't expect this city to become one of my favorites! A little bit dirty, fresh and young. But it works. We rented an air b&b to begin our Danube, Hungarian vacation. As we kept walking around to get ourselves acclimated with the area we just kept walking through this amazingly cool part of town. We didn't know that it was the Jewish District until our bicycle tour guide was telling us that the cool place to be is the Jewish district! Ah ha we have already found the cool place to be all on our own.
Throughout the city we encountered a number of groups of 20 somethings. Many were there for bachelor or bachelorette parties. We also ran into a number of groups there for simply a fun party-oriented weekend. It struck me that Budapest is like the New Orleans of Europe. People go there primarily for the food and good cheer. Also, Budapest was relatively inexpensive, which is why I suspect there was a high number of young people.
Speaking of food, there were a number of great restaurants. The national dish is Hungarian goulash so we made it a point to try this dish at several restaurants. It came in many different styles, some more brothy and others more like a thick stew. All were delicious.
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/hungarian-goulash/
Budapest is a crossroads of sort from Western Europe and Southeastern Europe. Thus, there is combination of many cultural influences which show themselves in the food and architecture.
Without a doubt, a must see sight in Budapest is the Parliament building and castle along the Danube river. You must plan to see these at night. The lights are magnificent.
We were told that there is a competition between Prague and Budapest for most beautiful lights. I will be discussing Prague in a separate blog. I would not pick one over the other because the styles are entirely different. That being said, I believe the riverside views in Budapest were slightly better than Prague because of the amount an uniformity of the lights. Prague might have the edge in other aspects.
The Jewish District has spectacular and interesting architecture. There is also a very poignant memorial along the river. It is called the "Shoes on the Danube" and honors the Jews that were killed during the Holocaust.
I highly recommend making a trip to Budapest. As I indicated, it is a very fun city and has lots to offer whether you are into food, architecture, historical sights, or partying.
Throughout the city we encountered a number of groups of 20 somethings. Many were there for bachelor or bachelorette parties. We also ran into a number of groups there for simply a fun party-oriented weekend. It struck me that Budapest is like the New Orleans of Europe. People go there primarily for the food and good cheer. Also, Budapest was relatively inexpensive, which is why I suspect there was a high number of young people.
Speaking of food, there were a number of great restaurants. The national dish is Hungarian goulash so we made it a point to try this dish at several restaurants. It came in many different styles, some more brothy and others more like a thick stew. All were delicious.
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/hungarian-goulash/Budapest is a crossroads of sort from Western Europe and Southeastern Europe. Thus, there is combination of many cultural influences which show themselves in the food and architecture.
Without a doubt, a must see sight in Budapest is the Parliament building and castle along the Danube river. You must plan to see these at night. The lights are magnificent.
We were told that there is a competition between Prague and Budapest for most beautiful lights. I will be discussing Prague in a separate blog. I would not pick one over the other because the styles are entirely different. That being said, I believe the riverside views in Budapest were slightly better than Prague because of the amount an uniformity of the lights. Prague might have the edge in other aspects.
The Jewish District has spectacular and interesting architecture. There is also a very poignant memorial along the river. It is called the "Shoes on the Danube" and honors the Jews that were killed during the Holocaust.
I highly recommend making a trip to Budapest. As I indicated, it is a very fun city and has lots to offer whether you are into food, architecture, historical sights, or partying.
