Sign in with Facebook"tiganeasca's new Budapest Page" Budapest by tiganeasca
Budapest Travel Guide: 8,924 reviews and 16,363 photos
This boy is perched on along the Danube. Even my friends from Budapest seem unsure whether it is a particular (folk) figure or not. Anyone who can help me identify it, please write. In the meanwhile, just enjoy.
Budapest. I'm not sure what comes to anyone's mind when the capital of Hungary is named. I'm not even sure what comes to my mind when I hear it. In any case, I'm fairly certain that whatever it is that I had expected is not what I found upon arriving. We flew on Malev, the Hungarian national airline; it was a quick, unexceptional one-hour flight. We were met at the airport by Agi, who will guide us through the Jewish quarter later. Budapest is a much larger city than I had expected; if I had really given it serious thought, I might have expected it to be big. It is 2,500,000 people, twice the size of Prague. The city retains the flavor of its history: two cities, Buda and Pest, split by the Danube. Buda is quieter, more residential, and park-like. Pest is the city, any inner city: noisy, dirty, busy.
We stayed in the Hotel Astoria, a nineteenth-century grande-dame on the Pest side. The hotel has seen a lot of history, serving as the focus for a number of critical events in Hungarian history. Unfortunately, it has not worn entirely well. Our rooms were small, though certainly clean and well-kept. The air of a once-grand past was hard to escape, though, and brought Vienna (and the other half of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) to mind. Elevators were tiny and the walk from the elevator to our rooms was interminable--down one hall, left turn, down a second hall, jog left and then down a third hall. The rooms were at the end, of course. Our views were non-existent. We looked across a small back street to what appeared to be an apartment building. We were fortunate, though, in not facing the main streets since the hotel sits at a major intersection. The grandest room of all was the dining room in which we had our breakfast each morning. The hotel offered a wide assortment, everything from yogurt to cereal, eggs to meats and cheeses. Coffee was good and the room a delight. Dark wooden paneling with mirrors, large chandeliers, and a plush red carpet and plenty of gilt.
(If you want to read more, this travelogue continues in "PART II" above; the next entry is under Krakow, Poland; the first entry is the series is under Prague)
Reviews (9)
Don't miss the churches!
Local Customs
(1)
Hungary is a religious country, proud of its heritage. This is the Matyas (Matthias) Church, begun in the mid-13th... more travel advice
See the city from a distance
Off The Beaten Path
(1)
You should try to get to one of two (or perhaps both) terrific vantage points from which to see the city. My personal... more travel advice
Not a restaurant...but a must!
Restaurants
(2)
A pastry shop, and oh what a pastry shop! It's a classic and every guidebook recommends it. So do I: try Gerbeaud's. It... more travel advice
And they say English is tough! ;-)
Favorites
(1)
Take a really good, compact, thorough Hungarian (Magyar) dictionary. One of the most unhappy experiences I had in... more travel advice
tiganeasca's Related Pages
Budapest Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "Budapest - My dear hometown! :)"
- "Budapest, the "Phoenix bird", my lovely home city"
- "A fantastic town along the Danube River"
- "Budapest"
- "A New Year, A New City"
- "SUCH A GORGEOUS CITY"
- "I could get used to this!"
- See All...
Categories
- Things to Do in Budapest
- Hotels in Budapest
- Transportation in Budapest
- Nightlife in Budapest
- Restaurants in Budapest
- Shopping in Budapest
- Warnings Or Dangers in Budapest
- See All...
Nearby Travel Guides
- Budapest Travel Guide
- Obudai-sziget Travel Guide
- See All...
Explore the World
Badges & Stats in Budapest
- 9 Reviews
- 7 Photos
- 1 Forum posts
- 31 Comments
- 2,490PageViews
- See All Stats
- See All Badges (2)
Have you been to Budapest?
Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in Budapest
- Commented on aramat's Budapest Page
- Uploaded a Photo to "View of Pest from Fisherman's Bastion"
- updated a Budapest Travel Page "tiganeasca's new Budapest Page"
- Wrote a Review Don't miss the churches! in Budapest Local Customs
Top 10 Pages
-
Romania
Intro, 15 reviews, 66 photos, 9 travelogues
-
Tibet
Intro, 24 reviews, 54 photos, 5 travelogues
-
Nepal
Intro, 12 reviews, 26 photos, 4 travelogues
-
Chicago
Intro, 17 reviews, 12 photos
-
Moscow
Intro, 10 reviews, 16 photos, 3 travelogues
-
Bucharest
Intro, 10 reviews, 16 photos, 2 travelogues
-
Minsk
Intro, 10 reviews, 12 photos, 1 travelogue
-
Iasi
Intro, 9 reviews, 12 photos, 2 travelogues
-
Krakow
Intro, 9 reviews, 8 photos, 1 travelogue
-
Saint Petersburg
Intro, 9 reviews, 8 photos, 1 travelogue
Backpacking
Road Trip
Hiking and WalkingLatest Budapest hotel reviews
- St. George Residence in the Buda Castle Budapest
- 110 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 23, 2012 - Mercure Budapest Duna
- 57 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 7, 2012 - Oriental Hotel Budapest
- 9 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 8, 2012 - Hotel Hold
- 13 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 12, 2010 - Matthias Corvinus Guesthouse
- 1 Review & Opinion
Latest: Oct 2, 2011 - Ramada Resort Budapest
- 55 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 14, 2012 - To-ma Apartments Budapest
- 4 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 12, 2012 - Star Inn Hotel Budapest Centrum
- 72 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 13, 2012 - Vivaldi Apartments Budapest
- 2 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jun 23, 2011 - Boutique Hotel Zara
- 314 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 20, 2012 - Unio Hotel Budapest
- 39 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 3, 2012 - 4Seasons Apartments Budapest
- 49 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 6, 2012 - Holiday Inn Budapest-Budaors
- 30 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Dec 3, 2011 - Alta Moda Fashion Hotel
- 44 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Feb 20, 2012
Comments (29)
if we ever visit Budapest I will remember never to let my husband out alone lol, great tips, thanks for sharing
The statue by the Danube is called "Little Princess" (Kiskiralylany), by Laszlo Marton. He was inspired by his daughter playing around, dressed up in a costume.
great informative page
Nice page, thanks for all the tips!
Good tips & well worth going to visit
good feeling in this city
so, if I ever visit Hungary, then I`ll have to learn some Hun
The New York Kávéház is indeed a place to see. Great page!!
great page, nice info!
wow - I wonder if it`s the same city, such a diff. view
1 - 10 of 29
View 19 More