Top Things to Do in Budapest, Hungary

On April 14, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Hungary5 Comments

Budapest is a wonderful city with many historic sites to see and visit. We spent six days in Budapest during our trip, which gave us the ability to visit many different places at a leisurely pace. Obviously you don’t need that much time, but spending at least three days would be beneficial. Budapest is really a combination of two cities sitting on either side of the Danube River with one Buda being on one side and Pest being on the other. We stayed in the busier Pest with all of the restaurants, hotels, and many wonderful locations like the Parliament Building and St. Stephen’s Basilica. Here are some of the locations that should be part of your Budapest itinerary.

Royal Palace (Buda Castle) – The Royal Palace, also known as the Buda Castle, is one of the most dominant buildings in Budapest. Sitting on top of Buda Hill, it looms above the Danube River with wonderful views.
Walking Towards St. Stephen’s Basilica on a Rainy Day
St. Stephen’s Basilica – The interior of the basilica is quite beautiful, but one of the main reasons for visiting the basilica is to go to the observation deck with its wonderful views of the city. It is one of the most popular sites to visit in Budapest, so it can be quite busy.
Amazing Views of the Parliament Building
The Parliament Building – Although we didn’t do a tour inside of the Parliament Building because the English tours were all sold out, just walking around the building with its unique architecture is worthwhile. With a height that is purposely equal to that of the basilica, the Parliament Building dominates the views of Pest when looking from the Buda Castle District.
Liberty Statue and Citadel Wall
The Citadella – The Citadella is a fortress located on the Buda side of the Danube and once again is another location with amazing views. The giant statue of a woman holding a palm leaf can be seen from throughout Pest. One of the best ways to get to the summit of Gellért Hill is to take the winding path from the base through the park.
Enormous Interior of the Synagogue
The Dohany Street Synagogue – There are many reasons to visit the Dohany Street Synagogue from its size, history, architecture, and cultural importance. It is also the location of the Hungarian Jewish Museum, Heroes’ Temple, and Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, which will give you a glimpse into the affects of the Holocaust within Hungary.
Matthias Church and the Holy Trinity Statue
Matthias Church – Located in the Buda Castle District, the Matthias Church is quite interesting with its colorful roof and unique features. Built in the gothic style, its bell tower can be seen from throughout the city and is as visible as the Royal Palace.
Iron Shoes Along the Bank of the Danube
The Shoes on the Danube Bank – It is certainly a somber sight to see as it represents the fate of the Jewish citizens at the end of WWII. As the Germans prepared to leave Budapest, they lined up citizens, tied them together with a rope, and had them remove their shoes. When one citizen was shot, the rope pulled in the rest of them into the river to drown.
Bratislava Castle
Day Trip to Bratislava, Slovakia – There are a couple of day trip choices when visiting Budapest, but we chose to go to Bratislava since we had already visited Vienna, which is the other popular day trip. If you have enough time to do a day trip, seeing historic Bratislava is certainly worth the time.
The Largest Tower of the Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest
Fisherman’s Bastion – Built in the late 1800’s, the Fisherman’s Bastion is a wall around the Danube River side of the Castle District with a very unique architecture. The views along the wall are definitely amazing as you overlook the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Parliament Building, and St. Stephen’s Basilica on the other side of the river.
Vajdahunyad Castle Near Heroes Square
Heroes’ Square – It is a short underground railway ride to reach Heroes’ Square. It is an interesting war monument, but is also the location of a park and several museums including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art.
Transylvanian Tomb
Hungarian National Museum – Located in the center of Budapest, the Hungarian National Museum is a three-story museum with many different historical and cultural exhibits.
Chain Bridge Looking Towards Pest
Széchenyi Chain Bridge – Connecting the cities of Buda and Pest to create the capital of Budapest, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge spans the Danube River. It is certainly worth walking across the bridge to see the views and to reach the funicular that will take you the top of Buda Hill and to the Castle District.
Church Exterior Outside of the Cave
Cave Church – Located at the base of Gellért Hill is an interesting church built in one of the many caves in the mountainside. Cave Church was built in the 1920’s and even served as a hospital during WWII.
The Original Goulash Stew in Budapest
Restaurants and Spas – Budapest has many different hot springs and spas as well as an abundance of wonderful restaurants. With so many wonderful places to see, it is worth taking some time to relax and enjoy the food and atmosphere of the city.
Gathering Crowds Inside of a Ruin Pub
Go to a Ruin Pub – An interesting trend has occurred in Budapest where dilapidated buildings are converted into pubs with a funky vibe. They are very popular and quite fun and worth taking the time to at least visit one of them.

Unique KölnTriangle Tower in Cologne, Germany

On March 30, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn GermanyLeave a comment

When visiting Cologne (Köln), if you want amazing views of the city and cathedral, going to the observation deck of the KölnTriangle is an absolute must. The building sits just across the Hohenzollern Bridge, which spans the Rhine River. The glass tower is clearly visible as you walk along the shore of the river with the sides of the building reflecting the surroundings. It is an easy walk across the bridge with all of the locks, passing the statue of Wilhelm II, to get to the KölnTriangle.

Without a doubt, the reason for going to the top of the tower is to see the panoramic views of the city. The cathedral is certainly the star of the view, but as you look around in all directions, there are amazing views everywhere that you look. Even on a cloudy day, such as the day that we visited, seeing the incredible cityscape was a highlight of our time in Cologne.

Even if you decide not to go to tower and see the views from the observation deck, the building itself is architecturally interesting. It is named the triangle due to the three convex sides that surround a circular core. The sides of the building are made up of transparent glass and aluminum sides, which makes up the reflective surface. It only takes an hour or so to go to the observation deck at the KölnTriangle, so we would definitely recommend taking the time as you will definitely be rewarded.

Patuxai (Victory Gate) in Vientiane, Laos

On January 6, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Laos6 Comments

In the heart of Vientiane is Patuxai, or Victory Gate, which is Laos’ version of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Just like the arch in Paris, going to the top of Patuxai provides amazing views of the city of Vientiane, which is the capital of Laos. The arch is made up of five levels that represent both the principals representing the coexistence of nations as well as the five principals of Buddhism. Regardless of the meanings of the five levels, today there are markets on each level as you climb to the top offering you the opportunity to buy local items and tourist trinkets.

Elephant Statue Made from Tea Cups, Saucers, and Plates

In the square where the Patuxai arch sits, there is an interesting statue of elephants and a temple made completely from tea cups, saucers, and plates. We were told that it was a gift from China, which has a lot of influence over the country of Laos. It is interesting to see both from the ground as well as from the observation deck of Victory Gate. As you would expect, all of the roads lead to the arch, including the main road that leads to Presidential Palace. Sitting between the arch and the statue is a fountain that wasn’t running at the time of our visit, but we imagine it is quite beautiful, especially at night.

View of the Elephant Statue from the Roof of Patuxai

The arch was originally built in 1968 to honor the soldiers who died during World War II as well as the war for independence from France. In 1975, when the communist party overthrew the Laos government, the statue was renamed to its current name of Patuxai from its original name of Anousavali, which means monument. Regardless of its name, the main reason for visiting Patuxai is for the views of Vientiane, which are wonderful. It will only take an hour or so to visit the arch, even if you take some time to shop in the different levels within Patuxai.