Category: Hungary

The Statues of Budapest’s Castle District

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn HungaryLeave a comment

Walking around the Castle District that sits high on the hill of the Buda portion of Budapest is certainly a wonderful experience. In addition the Royal Palace, Matthias Church, and Fisherman’s Bastion, you will see a variety of statues as you walk around the area. From popes to kings, there are many different statues on the grounds. Some of the more interesting statues aren’t necessarily dedicated to any particular individual.

King Matthias and His Hunting Party
Holy Trinity Column
Andras Hadik on Horseback
Lion Guarding the Palace Entrance
St. Stephen

There are statues of people riding horses including those of St. Stephen, Prince Eugene of Savoy, Andras Hadik, and Gorgey Artur. One of the more interesting is actually a fountain that is on the side of the palace of King Matthias and his hunting party. The Holy Trinity Column outside of Matthias Church is probably the most recognizable with all of the different features.

Historian that is Part of King Matthias’ Hunting Party
Pope Innocent XI
Dramatic Statue of Prince Eugene
Memorial of Buda Castle Recovery
Gate Leading to the Palace Courtyard

There is also a statue of Pope Innocent XI and the Memorial of Buda Castle Recovery. The gate leading into the palace courtyard is adorned with a variety of statues. It wouldn’t be a palace without a statue of a lion guarding the entrance. All of the statues located throughout the castle district simply adds to the historic feel of the area.

Details of the Holy Trinity Column
Statue at the Bottom of the Trail Leading to the Castle District
Relief of King Matthias
Gorgey Artur

Celebrating Key Milestones Through Travel

On By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado, Egypt, Florida, Hungary, Uncategorized9 Comments

We have always enjoyed linking travel to key milestones in our lives. By celebrating a significant event in a special location not only enhances the memory of it, but also makes recalling that memory easier. One of the most common milestones that we usually celebrate during a trip is our wedding anniversary. We were supposed to be in Turkey this week, which was on anniversary, but obviously that didn’t happen. Our last two major milestones were celebrated completely differently. We celebrated our 20th anniversary by visiting Walt Disney World, which was certainly a wonderful trip, especially since it was just the two of us. Five years ago was our 25th anniversary and we decided to go to Aspen, Colorado for a long weekend. Two years ago, we spent it in Egypt and last year we visited Hungary. We will likely celebrate our anniversary later this year once we’re able to travel once again. Do you like to travel on birthdays and anniversaries or do you prefer to celebrate them at home?

Celebrating Our Anniversary with Disney Characters

Aspen, Colorado

Standing Outside of the Bent Pyramid in Egypt

Enjoying the Views in Budapest

 

Top Things to Do in Budapest, Hungary

On 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.

  1.  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
  2.  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
  3.  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
  4.  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
  5.  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
  6.  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
  7.  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
  8.  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
  9.  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
  10.  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
  11.  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
  12. 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
  13.  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
  14.  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
  15.  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.