Today’s itinerary was once again determined by our friend Tibor’s excellent travel guide to Budapest.
We decided to spend most of the morning in the Lipovaros (Leopold Town) District which is centred around the iconic Parliament Building.
We caught the M3 Metro train to Deak Ferenc ter and then wandered through the streets and public squares where the district is home to exceptional 19th century architecture entailing principally administrative offices and very expensive apartments.
In Vorosmarty ter we found a large square surrounded by smart shops, galleries and restaurants. We proceeded towards the Danube and then followed the river past the Ferenc Deak Statue and on to the Szechenyl Chain Bridge.
The buildings along the Danube’s bank in this region are seldom more than four storeys and provide a feast for the eye with many being decorated with Corinthian columns and sculpted figures of famous Hungarians. One such bronze statue was of Jozsef Attila a famous Hungarian poet. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences Building is typical of this superb architectural character which abounds in every direction; the beauty of this city is quite extraordinary.
All along the Danube River bank are cruise vessels many of which are around 100m long and comparatively narrow. Many of these floating hotels ply the Danube and associated river systems usually starting from Western European cities such as Amsterdam and Strasbourg travelling through to the Black Sea and/or vice versa.
Our relaxed good humour was abruptly brought to a halt as we encountered the numerous pairs of cast iron shoes and boots attached to the concrete wall on the riverbank. There must have been around a hundred pairs of footwear that serve as a memorial to the thousands of Hungarian Jewish victims murdered in the Holocaust - a striking and yet terrible reminder of man’s inhumanity. A further cause for reflection on such matters is the terrible event of 25th October 1956. This was the commencement of the uprising of Hungarians against the oppressive Soviet regime which had tortured the nation (both in actual and metaphoric sense) in the post Nazi period. The October day saw the Soviet troops and army tanks enter the city and commence firing at and killing hundreds of civilian protesters. These dreadful times are acknowledged in film and graphic photographs in an underground museum adjacent to the Parliament Square. We spent time here and left feeling hollow and shaken to think that this was so recent!
Shoes remembering victims of Holocaust, Budapest
Nearby we came to the vast and iconic Parliament Building. This 1902 building is the largest in Hungary and is an eclectic blend of architectural styles. Apparently it comprises 691 sumptuously decorated rooms and there is a great deal of ceremonial regalia on display which we unfortunately didn’t have time to see.
When you see travel advertisements for Danube River cruises they invariably depict the Parliament Building at night with its 94m high burgundy coloured dome surrounded by a total of 365 marble and red capped spires.
Parliament building, Budapest
The location of the Parliament is directly opposite the Royal Palace on the other (Buda) side of the Danube. This placement was intended to signify that Hungary’s future was to be of a democratic foundation rather than a royal prerogative.
After a coffee break we walked further north up the Danube towards the Margit hid (Margaret Bridge). In the middle of the bridge is a walkway down to Margaret Island which is in neither Buda nor Pest.
This island comprises gardens, shaded walkways and lightly forested areas. There are ruins of a Franciscan church and monastery together with a one-time Dominican convent where St. Margaret is buried. Margaret was the daughter of King Bela IV who pledged her to a life of devotion in a nunnery if the Mongols who had overrun Hungary in 1241-42 were expelled. The Mongols were defeated and Margaret at age nine was sent to a nunnery. She was canonised only in 1943.
Fountain, Margaret Island, Budapest
As the temperature had now reached the high twenties if not low thirties we decided to rest adjacent to the water fountain. This very impressive and large fountain puts on an orchestrated sequence of water spouts and aquatic ballet for periods of five minutes before repeating.
Our return to our hotel entailed tram #6 and then tram #2 back along the river to Liberty Bridge.
In the later afternoon we went for a spa/swim in the hotels indoor thermal pool. This grandiose pool is within a cathedral like building with multiple columns along the sides and decorative Art Nouveau features around the perimeter. The water is high in calcium and magnesium hydrogen carbonate which is said to be good for joint pains, arthritis and blood circulation!
Thermal pools, Danubius Hotel Gellerrt, Budapest
As we found out there are several other thermal water pools within the hotel precinct. One was at 36°C and one of the outside pools had a wave generator to add to the fun.
We had pre-dinner drinks in Chris’ and Diana’s room overlooking the Danube and then caught a #2 tram to Pier7. We all had a quick pasta or pizza type meal and then headed to the Danube to partake in a river cruise to see the city lights.
The boat we were on had about 200 tourists and each was provided with headphones offering a choice of 30 languages to hear the guided tour.
Danubius Hotel Gellert at night
Parliament at night, Budapest
Budapest at night looked very beautiful with practically all the major buildings, bridges and monuments well lit to emphasise the structures and their architecture.
We then returned to our Gellert Hotel for an early night after another truly fabulous day of sight-seeing in Budapest.
Tomorrow, Friday is our last day here as we meet up with our G Adventures travel group for the Balkans and head south for Serbia on Sunday.