Another little oddity in Budapest is the Cave Church. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a church, in a cave. Saint Ivan’s Cave (Szent Iván-barlang) is named after a hermit who lived there and healed people. The church was founded in 1926, by a group of Pauline monks after a pilgrimageContinue reading “The Cave Church”
Monthly Archives: August 2014
Mega Soviet statues!!
The shadow of the Soviet Era falls long over Budapest and nowhere shows the actual physical dominance of the USSR better than Memento Park. This unusual tourist attraction sits several miles out of the city and hosts some of the regime’s epic statues that used to literally loom large over the citizens. Below is aContinue reading “Mega Soviet statues!!”
Margaret Island
The other half was constantly intrigued by the island in the middle of the Danube. This green, leafy oasis is Margaret Island and it allows a peaceful break from the city. The island has a range of activities on offer from sedate walks, to a zoo, water park, pubs and clubs. Imagine how his little faceContinue reading “Margaret Island”
St Stephen’s Basilica
Another stop on the Budapest whirl wind tour is St Stephen’s Basilica. One of the top ten most photographed buildings in the world it’s named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary. Apparently his mummified right hand is rather gruesomely still housed in the Basilica’s relic shrine. Today, it is the third largestContinue reading “St Stephen’s Basilica”
Market alert!!
You know it has to happen, sooner or later I would find where they had stashed the pinnacle of my holiday joy – the FOOD MARKET!! In Budapest’s case this is the Central Market Hall (Nagy Vasarcsarnok) close to the green Liberty Bridge. This colourful, bustling cornucopia of consumerism offers a huge variety of stallsContinue reading “Market alert!!”
Super special spa day!!!
Budapest is famous for its hot springs and proliferation of spas (about 80 springs dotted around the city I believe.) The natural hot water is so bountiful that it is used for domestic hot water apparently!. So you can’t possibly visit Budapest without indulging in at least one of its watery based fun palaces. Today,Continue reading “Super special spa day!!!”
Buda old town
After admiring the fantasy Fisherman’s Bastion and taking gazillions of photos of the tiled roof of the nearby church, we headed further into the old town. From the adorably cute “eye” windows that feature heavily in the local architecture, to reminders of war time damage, the town is full of interesting features. Here’s one of theContinue reading “Buda old town”
Buda’s Castle District
Budapest is literally a city of two halves. Old Buda on one side of the mighty Danube and new comer Pest on the other. Buda is the former capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and sits on the west bank. Budapest is made up of 23 districts, all numbered clockwise, in widening circles. District 1 (The Castle District) isContinue reading “Buda’s Castle District”
Shadows of war
I am not a good student of history but during my travels I learn more about the world and its past horrors. Hungary has its own share of sadness and this is evident in every corner of the capital city. One of the most poignant memorials to World War Two and the price that HungarianContinue reading “Shadows of war”
Hitting the tracks to Budapest
After a delightful few days of puttering around Bratislava we hop on the train for a few days in Hungary’s capital city Budapest. I was unaware that although Budapest became a single city with its unification on 17 November 1873, it is essentially three different towns separated by the Danube. Buda and Óbuda – theContinue reading “Hitting the tracks to Budapest”