Hungary: Return to Budapest

Almost nine years after my first visit to Budapest I returned to find an amazingly Western city that has still held on to its unique identity. While much of the city had to be rebuilt after World War II, Budapest's amazing architechure still stands tall and proud and justifably earns it the title of the Queen of the Danube.

In a city with so many sights and dining options, it's hard to pick a highlight. Castle Hill is a truly unique "neighborhood" that will fascinate history buffs, and the Turkish baths are quite exotic if somewhat akward for Western tourists. My favorite pastime in Budapest, however, is wandering the streets and people-watching. The city is unlike nearby Prague and Vienna in that it has better preserved its timeless quality, that indulges dreamers and romantics to believe they have escaped the 21st century for a short while. The coffee house culture seems more prominent here than in Vienna, and there is a distinctly youthful feel to this very old town.

Quick Tips:

As Budapest becomes more and more of a popular, modernized European capital the prices of goods and services will continue to rise. But for performing arts fans there are still bargains to be had for last minute seats to the opera, ballet, concerts, etc. Ask at the respective outlet's box offices and make sure to bring a phrasebook in case the ticket seller hasn't yet mastered English.

Best Way To Get Around:

The subway system is cheap and efficient, and covers most of the Pest side of the city that would be of interest to tourists. Trains and buses supplement the subway routes so that you can get around town without having to resort to using wildly overpriced taxi cabs.

The Hilton sitting on top of Castle Hill is an unusual concoction. The reflective bronze-hued windows and interior design elements often suggest the late 1970's, whereas parts of the hotel have been built around the remnants of a 13th century Dominican church and cloister. Rooms are certainly luxurious well appointed, and should not disappoint loyal Hilton Honors customers.

There are a few hotel suites that are all superior in quality if not bargain in price. The nicest featured a bath tub situated with an amazing view out the window. The decoration and furnishing of these rooms were oppulent to say the least.

There are multiple restaurants, bars, a wine cellar, fitness center and conference facilities to accommodate the needs of guests. But besides the unique design of old and new and the hotel's central location there is one quality that is certain to please any of the Hilton's visitors: the amazing views of the Danube below.

Originally a boarding school, the 70 room Andrassy Hotel is a great lodging choice for both business and leisure travelers. Having opened in late 2001 the Andrassy Hotel is a new hotel for most return visitors but its central location may be a draw for in the know tourists. Currently it is often used as an extended stay accommodation for long term business travelers.

There are balconies for most of the rooms in the hotel, and eight ambassador suites have living rooms and additional amenities. A full service restaurant off the lobby serves terrific food and the service throughout the hotel is attentive and courteous.

Right next door to Le Meridien is another world class accommodation: the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus. Opened in 1992 and currently being refurbished, the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus is popular with business travelers and high end leisure travelers including a number of celebrities.

The lobby is slightly off key, but the interior design of the rooms and hallways is pleasant and inviting. All rooms have beautiful art deco accents and either a aqua and cream or black and gold color scheme. Over 1000 pieces of Hungarian art is in the hotel's collection; a temporary exhibit featuring the work of Zoltan Hus was prominently displayed during my visit.

The fitness center is quite comprehensive, though like many luxury hotels admission is not included in the price of your room. Prices are fairly high to access their gym, coed (and nude) sauna, massage areas, and small swimming pool with resistance current.

Excellent meeting rooms and facilities make this a great choice for premium business gatherings or incentive travel. A full service restaurant, classy pub, and late night bar provide guests with a number of dining and entertainment options within the complex.

Simply the nicest hotel that I have ever had the privilege of visiting, Le Meridien caters to their clients' every needs without seeming stuffy or too formal. The rooms are large and comfortable, using dark, masculine tones in the decorating that suggest a home rather than a business hotel. Bathrooms are enormous, with heated marble floors, extra wide and deep bath tubs, and separate high pressure bathing showers.

Service is exemplary and friendly to boot. All the staff have a much better command of English than other luxury properties I visited in Budapest. The fitness center has a medium-sized weight area that should meet the needs of most travelers, a fabulous though small recreational swimming pool in an atrium setting, a jacuzzi, a steam room and a sauna. Massage is available with a reservation.

Downstairs is a small and somewhat unimpressive business center that offers internet access. Like more and more luxury hotels internet access is available in guests' room, though the clerk informed me that I probably had cabling issues in my walls after he tried unsuccessfully to get my up and running for fifteen minutes. Either way the cost is prohibitive, particularly when compared to prices in the internet cafes merely a block away from the hotel.

A fine restaurant, Le Bourbon, is available for meals throughout the day. Adria Palace Bar offers live entertainment in the evening, usually a jazz vocalist. Conference facilities and the ballroom are top notch. It's no wonder that this property is recognized as one of the best hotels in the world.

This unique hotel nestled along the Buda shoreline of the Danube offers business travelers and adventurous leisure travelers a unique and thoroughly modern hotel experience. Primarily attracting the French (it's next door to the French Institute), Germans and other Western Europeans in town on business, the Art'otel has a dramatic flair and clean design that is tandem with the latest European decorating styles. It's modernity is in stark contrast to the historic and somewhat traditional city of Budapest.

With over 600 pieces or original art by American artist Donald Sultan it is also quite startling in appearance, with canvasses and objects everywhere you look. There is no sense of clutter, however, as generous amounts of natural light seep in to the property on even rainy, overcast days (such as when I visited).

Rooms are very simple in furnishings, yet feature bold colors and design choices. Every room has an outlet for connecting a laptop computer and its own voice mail system. A business center was almost ready for completion at the time of my visit, and a full service restaurant, the Chelsea, offers delicious meals.

The Ruszwurm patisserie, originally opened in 1827, still thrives today with both locals and tourists crowing around its small tables for homemade cakes and drinks. It's interior reflects the Empire décor that would have been commonplace in the late 19th century, and most likely the café has not been altered much since that period.

The location makes the Ruszwurm ideal for a break when exploring Castle Hill and it's sights (Matyas Templom, Fishermen's Bastion, Magyar Nemzeti Galeria). Cake slices are small though relatively inexpensive, making it easy to sample multiple offerings (it's my duty as a journalist, I'm afraid…).

The Magyar Allami Operahaz, or Hungarian State Opera House, is truly magnificent. Built in 1885 it rivals the glamour and beauty of the famed Vienna opera house and features better acoustics. Budapest has no reason to envy its more affluent neighbor to the west.

The inexpensive building tour is enlightening and fun, and will allow those who are not interested in attending a performance the chance to witness the Allami Operahaz's grand architecture and interior design. But of course performing arts fans will want to make sure and catch a show, particularly as the prices are ridiculously low for such high quality productions. I was only able to catch a ballet rather than an opera production, but sitting near the front of the orchestra was a special treat. After resigning myself to standing room in the back of the Met in New York it was fabulous to sit and relax!

A smaller opera performing space is coordinated by the same organizations and also offers top notch vocalists, if somewhat less exciting production values. This Erkel Szinhaz is located further out in the eighth district of Budapest.

At the western fringe of the City Park lies Hosok Tere, or the Heroes Square. This grand public space is rather large and flanked with great buildings: the Museum of Fine Arts lies to the north and the Palace of Arts to the south. A 118 feet (36 meter) tall Millenniary Monument stands tall in the center, with the archangel Gabriel lording over the tourists and skateboarding locals below.

While you are in the area make sure to walk along the eternal Andrassy Boulevard with its magnificent architecture, as well as through the City Park. It features a zoo, an amusement park, lakes, trails and plenty of other diversions appropriate for the whole family. You might also use this time to dine in the sumptuous Gundel restaurant nearby.

A fascinating church in any setting, the Matyas Templom appears extraordinary perched high on the eastern cliffs of Castle Hill. The interior of Matyas Templom (or Matthias Church) is no less dramatic, with gold flourishes and stained glass windows vying for attention with ceiling and wall frescoes.

Dating back to the 1200's, Matyas Templom has been host to a number of important historical events and has undergone quite a few changes over the years. A significant reconstruction occurred in 1896 resulting in much of its physical appearance today.

A trip along the Danube is quite enjoyable on its own, but passing the immense Parliament building is something to behold. It's the largest building in all of Hungary, with seemingly endless wings spreading out over a few city blocks. It's dome is 316 feet tall, or 96 meters, matching the height of the nearby St. Stephen's Basilica.

Finished in 1902, the Orszaghaz (Parliament) has almost 700 rooms and is still actively used by the National Assembly. The Hungarian coronation regalia of St. Stephen's crown, scepter, sword and orb are on display here after being hid in the United States for most of the period the country was under Soviet rule.

Visitors are only admitted when led through on guided tours, so arrange for tour tickets early. They cost approximately $4.

Finished in 1905, St. Stephen's Basilica is the largest church in all of Budapest. With a dome standing at 316 feet (96 meters) the church is as tall as the enormous Parliament building not too far away. Neo-classical in design, St. Stephen's Basilica is somewhat dark and grey on the inside. The building has been under renovation for quite a while, however, and would benefit from more natural light than what we experienced on the overcast, drizzling afternoon we chose to visit.

The "highlight" of the church, if you will, is a mummified hand of King Stephen. Apparently it was a natural mummification, rather than a treatment with chemicals or ointments. This is apparently a clear indication of the saint's holiness, and the hand is paraded around each year to appreciative audiences.

Right next to Matyas Templom on Castle Hill is the Fishermen's Bastion, a neo-Romanesque fortress wall that serves only as a great lookout spot from atop the summit. With a panoramic sweep of the Danube and the flat lands of Pest, the views from the Fishermen's Bastion are unbeatable and well worth the small admission charge.

It's called the Fishermen's Bastion as the area was used as a marketplace by the local fishers in medieval times. While in the area check out the nearby Ruszwurm patisserie.

The largest synagogue in all of Europe and the second largest in the world, Dohany Street Synagogue is an amazing and irreplaceable monument. Built in the 1800's, the church stands a testament to the once tremendous Jewish population of Budapest. It's estimated that well over a half million of the city's residents perished in the Holocaust, with significantly more having safely emigrated.

The Byzantine-Moorish architecture is rather dramatic, with two domed towers looking almost Russian in flavor. The ornately decorated interior is dazzling and indicative of the major financial support the synagogue has received from Hungarian Jews all over the world.

Adjacent is the Zsido Muzeum, or Jewish Museum, displaying a number of interesting artifacts that illustrate Hungary's Jewish history.

Since 1802 the Magyar Nemzeti Muzeum, or Hungarian National Museum, has documented the nation's growth, upheavals and rebirths. With over one million artifacts in the collection the Museum has plenty to share with visitors in its four floor neo-Classical building.

Highlights of the Hungarian National Museum include the Lapidarium, an underground room featuring Roman archaeological finds centered around an ornate tiled floor mosaic, the Hungarian coronation mantle; and a multi-room display of the chronological history of the Hungarian state. Another collection of rooms is employed for temporary exhibitions, one of which had lines wrapping around the coat check area the day I came to visit the museum.

Admission is around $5 for adults, and you will have to pay extra if you'd like to take pictures inside. Like many museums in Hungary, the Hungarian National Museum is closed on Monday.

Adjacent to the Dohany Street Synagogue, Budapest's Jewish Museum is fairly large and comprehensive. The first few rooms contain a number of fascinating objects that have been used by the community throughout its history in Hungary. The last room is an eerie collection of photos and artifacts documenting the Holocaust and the numerous victims that hailed from Budapest and its environs.

Outside and around the back of the synagogue is the Wallenberg Memorial Garden, which honors the Swedish man who saved countless lives during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews were being deported to Auschwitz, Wallenberg found ways to rescue tens of thousands from near certain death. And when Hungary was finally "liberated" by the Soviet army, it is believed that Wallenberg was imprisoned by the Soviets and killed in their gulag. Wallenberg's memorial is an interesting sculpture of a willow tree that bends in the wind and lightly tinkles music when the metallic leaves touch. Each leaf is inscribed with the name of a local family that was killed by the Nazis.

Housed in an amazing building that dates back to 1890 the Central Market has been beautifully restored to its original condition. It now is one of the most popular and enjoyable attractions for tourists to enjoy in Budapest while locals can still go about their day to day shopping needs. Besides fresh produce and meats one can procure local crafts and trinkets on the top floor of the Central Market, where you'll also find an excellent restaurant serving favorite local dishes.

Magyar Borok Haza, or the House of Hungarian Wines, features the best wines from 22 different regions throughout Hungary. Pay a flat fee and drink as much as you'd like during a two hour visit. With over 70 premium wines to select from it should keep the wine connoisseurs in your party quite happy, if not a little tipsy. The Magyar Borok Haza is located directly across from the Castle Hill Hilton Hotel and near the popular Ruszwurm patisserie.