Hello November and welcome to a few photos of Budapest, a city that I visited last week. Budapest has been on my wish list for a while so it was great to finally get there.  To be fair the surface was barely scratched but it was good to finally view a slice of Eastern Europe. Unfortunately it rained for most of my two and a half days there and then rather sneakily cleared up on departure. Nevertheless there was plenty to see while rugged up accompanied with a trusty raincoat and umbrella.

Budapest has a burgeoning movie industry. Bladerunner 2049 was filmed there and the city with its wide range of architectural styles can seamlessly sub for Paris, Berlin and Moscow and it was interesting to consider the city with this in mind.

Photos : City Park, View to Vajdahunyad Castle, Heroes’ Square, Anonymvs in City Park. 

The Museum of Fine Arts which is meant to the best art gallery was closed until next year so I visited the Hungarian National Gallery on Castle Hill for a dose of Hungarian art. My favourite piece was the Rezsö Berczeller installation representing the fallen angels of the Apocalypse that you can see on the top floor and the views of the Danube are expansive  from there too.

Photos : Young Man by Beni Ferenczy, Rezsö Berczeller installation, Phone booth, Head of Franz Liszt by Alajos Strobl. 

Photos : Orange tree at the Citadella, Vajdahunyad Castle, Karavan (street food), View of the Danube from the top floor of the Hungarian National Gallery.  

There was an abundance of street art and wonderful old houses to see but there’s also an overwhelming sense of history that is ever-present in Budapest. There are some places you visit where you can sense war and sadness when walking the streets. I had this feeling many times in Budapest. Admittedly this may have been amplified due to the wintery conditions but there was something there.

Photos : Street art in District VII. 

The Gellert thermal baths are good for a visit, especially when cold and wet outside. Bizarrely I found the pool underground navigation a little problematic, somewhat labyrinth like and felt slightly disoriented at various moments. Maybe it was the heat. Budapest is also a city were the Thai massage sign is omnipresent. I did actually end up having one but at the baths where it was legit and not a different type of body rubbing.

Photos : Gellert baths, street food, goulash and the ceiling of the Gellert baths. 

I stayed in District VII, the Jewish area that has one of the largest synagogues in the world in its midst. There is a good mix of street food and modern restaurants mixed up with ethnic eateries. I loved this area and got lucky with the Air BnB as it was in a busy street with lots going on; a cafe next door and a ruin bar opposite. Food was on my mind in Budapest and I tried a number of stews (goulash), sampled drinks at  ruin bars and a teeny English pub, suitably roughed up with a vintage vibe.

If you haven’t been to Budapest it’s a good city to explore for a weekender or city break. I imagine it’s more beautiful in summer but still Budapest comes highly recommended.

Have you been to Budapest? 

Notes : All photos Megan In Sainte Maxime