Tam’s 5 Favorite Reasons to Visit Budapest

My 5 Favorite Reasons to Visit Budapest!

Visiting Budapest has been on my list since I was in my twenties, and I finally made it with my friend, Suzanne, from Adventures of Empty Nesters. I was, however, unprepared for how much I would love it! The only negative I have is that 3 days was not long enough, I needed at least a week, and probably more. I do hope to get back to Budapest … sooner rather than later!

A Beautiful City

Budapest is beautiful, and that is a fact! Did you know that Buda and Pest were two different settlements on opposite sides of the Danube River? I didn’t. They were united by the Chain Bridge in 1849. The two sides of this amazing city have very different vibes. Pest is the bustling city center, Buda is calmer with more residential neighborhoods and closer access to nature. Pest is more popular with tourists partly because of its nightlife, especially the “ruin bars”, which are lacking in Buda. I enjoyed both sides of the city, but spent more time in Pest. We stayed at the incredible Ritz Carlton in Pest, with amazing city views from our 3 balconies! The Ritz Carlton Budapest is the place to stay, a 5 Star marvel in Budapest, and I recommend you read Suzanne’s article about it on Adventures of Empty Nesters! She took the most amazing photographs and details our stay perfectly. I cannot compete with that article, so please head on over and see this fabulous hotel!

St Stephen’s Basilica

It is worth a visit to the city just to see St Stephen’s. The Basilica is a major part of the city, with a gorgeous square, nearby restaurants and shopping. It is huge, and utterly ethereal inside. I don’t even know how to describe it, except to say it had a very spiritual atmosphere. I love to see historical cathedrals, and although St Stephens is only about a hundred years old, it is still an incredible building.

Touring the City by Bus

I love city bus tours. I know, it sounds goofy, but I love cities that have open air double decker buses! Hop on, hop off! Suzanne and I really enjoyed being on the bus, learning about Budapest. We circled both Buda and Pest, hopping on and off at will!

The City Market

The City Market was one of the most colorful places I’ve ever seen! I loved the displays (except for the meat, I stayed away). I enjoyed seeing it, but I have to confess the crowd really got to me. I’d rather be on a stage in front of thousands of people than be among them!

A River Cruise

Any city with a river or ocean will find me on a boat or in the water! And Budapest has the Danube! The Danube River has always had a magical appeal for me, suffice it to say that hearing Strauss’s waltz (The Blue Danube to get to the waltzing, go to 1:20!) while growing up and reading historical romances gave the river a romantic aura. It did not let me down, in fact, I thought the water color was amazing. During our river cruise we were caught in an awesome thunderstorm, so I was able to take some very dramatic photographs! It may sound silly, but the storm was a great addition to the trip! As I said, I want to go back and stay longer to explore!

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