A Marathon in Budapest

At the end of this 48 hour adventure out east, my Apple Health had some news for me. Namely, that over the course of those 2 days, I had walked a great distance. 25.5 miles to be exact. I had endured a marathon’s distance of putting my feet one in front of the other. Throughout this time, I also saw much of Budapest, the capital and largest city of Hungary. When I took periodic breaks from destroying my arches, I was gifted wonderful views of the city and magnificent architecture. The beautiful winter weather amplified the effect of what I was seeing, with sunny skies overhead helping provide warmth in the colder environment of Eastern Europe. The scents of the city were perhaps the best part. In other words, I felt everything a marathon runner might feel during their 26.2 mile journey to the finish. Here’s my journey from beginning to end.

Buda: Views of Pest

I figured the easiest way to illustrate my exploration was to divide my two days into two halves. It is a fitting way to do so, considering that Budapest is divided into two clear-cut halves by the sparkling blue Danube River. One the west side of the river sits Buda, and to the east, Pest. Buda and Pest merged to become Budapest many years ago, but each side of the river still holds on to their ancient identities. And each side has its own distinct flavor. Buda is the hillier of the two sisters. Coming with that are superb views of the rest of Budapest. My first trek was to St. Matthias church, named after one of the many heroes of Hungary. Hungary has had a pretty bad history when it comes to being control of its own land, as just about every major empire that has existed has conquered Hungary. Thus, Budapest is full of places named after the many people who liberated Hungary over the course of the eons. But, back to the church. It looks brand new, especially due to the brightly colored tiles adorning the roof top. But, it was explained to me that the church is thrice remodeled, with the most recent being within the last 5 years. I chose to purchase a ticket that allowed me to get into the church, and included a guided tour of the striking bell tower that towers (no pun intended) over the surrounding Buda Castle District. This cost me only 2400 HUFs (these are Hungarian Forints; for reference 300 HUFs is worth about 1 dollar).

I was treated to stunning views of Pest after trudging up the 197 spiral steps to the top, passing by the massive 3-ton bells that were miraculously lifted up into the tower. Me and the 2 other people on this lonely tour enjoyed the 360 degree panoramic views unencumbered by the loads of tourists clogging the plaza below. It was well worth the money, and I’m unsure why none of the others down below went for it. I guess I can’t complain too much, especially considering how much I complained about the tourists in Amsterdam. I descended, and continued onward through the Castle District. There is no castle in this district, but rather the president’s residence, and some magnificent gardens. I kept trekking all the way down back to the Danube, and walked about another 2 miles down to Gellert Hill, which is the highest point in Budapest. It boast similar views to that of the church. As I slowly scaled the hill, I walked through a forest of the many monuments previously mentioned, to reach the summit, where I was met by a crowd that had taken the easier way up (by bus). The views were worth it. I could see the many bridges criss-crossing across the Danube, the boats slowly sailing by, as cars streamed like ants over the bridge. I avoided the crowds drinking mulled wine bought from a kiosk at the top and found a bench to enjoy Pest. For, that is the best thing to do in Buda: see Pest. (For a view from Gellert Hill, see the cover photo for this blog post.)

Pest: Food and Holiday Spirit (and more buildings)

I spent much more of my marathon on the Pest side, which had a larger and more diverse array of places to visit. Heroes Square hosted many more monuments and was also the gateway to a nice little park full of ponds, an ice-skating rink, a Christmas market, and a small castle (of all things!). Elizabeth’s Square, the city center, hosted the Budapest Eye, festively lit up in Christmas colors, as well as another Christmas market. Walking all around Pest, it was easy to see how much Budapest gets into Christmas spirit. There are three main Christmas markets full of delectable Hungarian food such as goulash, sausages, and lángos (a pastry topped with sour cream and cheese). People flocked to these markets like flies to a beacon. Why not? The atmosphere was festive, and you could feel the happiness and cheer in the air! And this spirit is all intermingled amongst the interesting buildings. The parliament building, which looked like it could house Hogwarts, was glowing at night, with decorum surrounding the exterior. There was a large Christmas tree outside of the St. Stephen Basilica (a tall building with a killer view at the top), as well as a mini ice rink for the kids to enjoy as the adults purchased sausages and palinka (a Hungarian brandy) from the surrounding market. Christmas spirit could not be missed. And that made the trip better!

But, there were some other memorable places in Budapest. I thoroughly enjoyed the basilica (although it seems like I have seen a trillion of them on this trip). The interior was as grand as they come, and the artwork was superb as normal. Taking the 300 stairs to the top of the dome, I was treated with amazing view of both Pest, and where I had been in Buda the previous day. I felt like I could sit up on the observation deck for hours, appreciating the beauty of the city, of the river, and of the people streaming through the below market. It was peaceful. The markets were all definite highlights, but probably the coolest “marketplace” I went to was in the Soviet Alley, a claustrophobic place lined with vendors selling everything from clothing to old Soviet pins. I enjoyed perusing the beautiful artwork, but I had even more fun looking through the thousands of Soviet pins, medallions, and banners that one vendor had. There were pins from the 1980 Olympics, there were medals for courage, there was so much interesting stuff! This quaint alley (that I would have missed if my friend Samuel, who I spent the morning with during my tour of Pest) helped me find it. Generally, Pest had a lot to offer. It had holiday spirit in surplus, and even with the marathon I walked, I felt warm inside when I left to return to Lisbon that Sunday evening.

Thanks for sticking with me everyone! I know its been 8 days since I last posted, but I’ve been busy traveling! I just got back from France yesterday, so expect a post or two for the cities I visited (and also some surprises about how I felt about France). I am finishing writing this with my flight home coming up very soon. My flight leaves tomorrow morning, and I will be home in less than 30 hours. It’s crazy to think that, but I am excited to be home! Until next time,

Jeremy Caldeira