This was part of our 2013 winter family vacation trip to visit Europe’s Golden Triangle. Sister (our daughter), Brother (our older son) and Cutie (our younger son) joined us on this trip.
(Click here to see all our trips.)
Day 1: Great Synagogue
We took a morning train from Vienna to Budapest. There was Wi-Fi connection on the train when we were in Austria, but the connection suddenly stopped when the train crossed the border into Hungary!
We arrived in Budapest before 1pm. That gave us enough time to visit the Great Synagogue, which was the largest synagogue in Europe. The synagogue had two very tall towers. The interior was huge with gorgeous decorations and two-tiered balconies: the upper level was used by female worshipers in the old days. There were many visitors inside to marvel at the amazing synagogue.
There’s a stunning silver Tree of Life in the garden behind the synagogue. The tree looked like an upside-down menorah. Its metal leaves were etched with names of Holocaust victims. There was also a beautiful stained-glass panel with a picture that looked like flames. The site was surely not to be missed
Day 2: Pest Side, Thermal Bath
Budapest, on the Danube River, is the capital and the largest city of Hungary. It is actually consisted of two cities: Buda on the west side of Danube, and Pest on the east side of Danube. The famous Chain Bridge over the Danube connects Buda and Pest.
Like most big European cities, Budapest is best visited by foot or by Metro. Budapest has a very old Metro Line that was built not very deep underground. Passengers must go above ground to get to the opposite direction of the line. It’s very unusual.
Today we would focus on the Pest side. Hungarian Parliament was probably the most recognizable building of Budapest.
The inside of Parliament can only be visited by guided tours. We pre-booked the 10am English Tour. The interior of the Parliament was intricately decorated and awe inspiring. We first walked past a well-guarded dome, where the real Hungarian crown was displayed (no photo allowed). Then we got to see the gold-hued legislative chamber. The most interesting feature was, however, the cigar holder outside the room on a windowsill, where parliament members “parked” their cigars.
After the Parliament visit, we had a quick snack and cake break before more sightseeing. We walked past Szabadság tér (Liberty Square) to arrive at the famed Chain Bridge, another symbol of Budapest. The weather was foggy and cold, so we didn’t linger.
The Great Market Hall was where local people and tourists do their shopping. Food and souvenirs galore! We had lunch at the market hall before returning to the hotel to rest.
Rei and I planned to soak in the Széchenyi thermal bath this afternoon. Sister and Brother didn’t like hot springs, so only Cutie joined us. Another metro ride took us to the Heroes’ Square with a monument celebrating the 1,000th anniversary of the Magyars’ arrival. There were many statues of great Hungarian heroes. Unfortunately, we were unfamiliar with the Hungarian history and couldn’t recognize any of the heroes.
Széchenyi thermal bath was huge with several different areas. It’s very relaxing to soak in the hot springs, especially with today’s foggy weather.
Day 3: Buda Side, Hungarian National Museum
Today we were doing the Buda Side. We took another metro ride to reach Castle Hill. The Turul Bird statue was impossible to miss. According to the legend, the giant Turul Bird dropped his sword here to indicate the spot where the permanent home of the Magyar people would be.
Fishermen’s Bastion was another beautiful structure with rampart that provided excellent view of the Danube with the Chain Bridge and the Parliament and cone-shaped domes that resembled the tents used by the Magyar tribes. A statue of St. Istvan, the first Christian King of Hungary, stood inside the rampart.
Nearby Matthias Church was considered the best church in Budapest. According to the legend, Matthias Corvinus was away when the king passed away. The queen sent a raven to fetch him. The raven brought the ring to Matthias, and he returned to become the Hungarian King. Be sure to look for the raven with a ring on its beak on a spire of the church.
The interior of the church was decorated elaborately. There were many splendid stained-glass windows. The ribbed domes were decorated with beautiful patterns, and the walls were painted with amazing figures and patterns. Inside the church, one could also find the Hungarian Crown Replica (the original one was inside the Parliament).
There were other attractions on Castle Hill that we had to skip due to lack of time. We simply returned to the Pest side to visit Hungarian National Museum. The museum had a large collection of artifacts. This was a place for visitors to learn Magyar history.
This ended our winter vacation of 2013. The 2 to 3 days each we spent in Prague, Vienna and Budapest certainly didn’t do the cities justice. However, we had to return home so that kids wouldn’t miss any school days. Hopefully we will have opportunities to visit these places again!
Amy 'n Rei 