November 2017
Budapest would be amazing in summer as well, with all the dive bars, cosy bar/cafe streets and outdoor food courts.
Langos - nothing healthy here, but oh so delicious. First time I got it was at Bluesfest in Australia, been raving for it!!
One of the many amazing ruin bars of Budapest. Ruin pubs and garden clubs at the Jewish district are probably the best places to go out in Budapest.
There are lots of colours and murals and art, makes you like Budapest very quickly.
Budapest has two sides Buda and Pest, separated by river Danube, connected by many bridges, one of them being this: Chain bridge. Buda is hilly, Pest is flat.
Did a tour with "Free Budapest walking tours" - great as always. Our guide had great knowledge, presented a balanced overview of history and modern culture, with legends, funny stories and random facts. On the tor you get to see both sides and most of the need-to-go spots. It ends at the castle are and leaves you to wander around in the beautiful neighbourhood. In the end they give you a pamphlet/newsletter with all the necessary information, giving ideas of what not to miss: where to go, what to do, what to buy and eat. I will not get tired of saying this: those free walking tours are in most cities all over the world.. I've done them on four continents, and you can never go wrong, you'll see the city and give what you think it was worth/what you have to spare. You get an honest, contemporary look on the place which usually beats the traditional city tour. Most of the walks I have been on have been absolutely awesome.
Magnificent Matthias church: it has been used over the centuries as a coronation church for the Hungarian kings. The graceful architecture of this beautiful church dominates the main square of the Castle area.
Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, next to Matthias Church. The Buda side castle wall was protected by the fishermen's guild and this is the reason why it was called fishermen's Bastion. Looks like the logo of Walt Disney films, just even nicer and older.
A warm holiday special coffee on a cold late afternoon is always a good idea.
The views from the castle area could all be made into a postcard. I will be back Budapest! So many more places to go, views to see. Didn't even make it to the citadel up at Gellert hill to see supposably the best view of the city, or to relax in the thermal baths.
After almost missing my bus (the necessary train did not go due to maintenance, replacement buses were nowhere to be found, I was running out of time, because the hostel gave me free breakfast and one does not say no to that, so I basically ran/power walked the 3,5 km in a record breaking time after almost not sleeping at night), still made it to Slovakian capital Bratislava. I have been to Slovakia before, to ski, but Bratislava is another first-timer. Although it was a short visit, Bratislava is another lovely medieval town, with a really cosy and compact old-town, so it was easy to see lots of it in an afternoon. And Slovakia was super cheap, which did not hurt at all.
After another few hours on the bus finally (I used two companies: Regiojet and Eurolines - both are comfortable and cheap. Regiojet even offers you hot drinks and has a personal screen and lots of movies to choose from) made it to Prague. The point of this trip actually was to meet up with these lovely ladies. Been missing you since South-America, it was such a needed reunion, and such a fun long weekend.
Spooky and dark Jewish quarter.
The Jewish Quarter in Prague, known as Josefov, is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. Its torrid history dates from the 13th century, when Jewish people were ordered to vacate their disparate homes and settle in one area.
It's not the heart of the city like it is in Budapest, but it is a beautiful place to walk around and reminisce.
Astronomical clock on the old town square - every hour, hundreds of tourists gather in front of the Old Town Hall to enjoy a fascinating mechanical performance which in the Middle Ages was considered one of the wonders of the world. The clock has been one of the greatest treasures of the city for 600 years, yet it still amazes people with its procession of apostles, moving statues and visualization of time. Our guide on yet another free walking tour (in the rain) gave us the basics in a nutshell and well asked us to not expect wonders. It does look majestic tho!
Prague Castle is the centerpiece of every Prague panorama.
A metro, tram or bus ride later you'll end up on the other side of the river and can start walking the hills of the castle area. Records indicate that Prague Castle is the largest castle area in the world. Its three courtyards and a number of magnificent buildings cover over 7 hectares, be prepared to do some walking.
St. Vituschurch - a grand example of Gothic architecture in the city.
Prague Castle, founded around 880AD, is the largest medieval castle in Europe and was once the seat of the Kings of Bohemia. Today, the president of the Czech Republic rules from the castle.
We also took the funicular up to Petrin hill at sunset to walk around and enjoy the view over town. The ticket is a regular public transport ticket, so if you have taken a tram there for example, you can get up with the same ticket. Petrin hill offers lots of walks and attractions, it even has its own Eiffel Tower.
Trdelnik - some lovely pastries to try. Sold all over Prague (and in Slovakia and Hungary as well) with various sauces and flavours. All I can say, basic with Nutella was delicious.
When we found that awesome underground bar with rock music, crazy bartenders and 'coyote ugly'like atmosphere - definitely a hidden gem: Harley's.
Another postcard view. Thanks for a great multi-citybreak guys!
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