Charles Dickens may have written A Tale of Two Cities depicting London and Paris, but Budapest also lives up to the title.
The “Paris of the East,” Budapest is a grand metropolis set on the banks of the Danube River, splitting the city down the middle – one half being Buda and the other half Pest.
Pest, my bank of choice, was where I stayed and spent most of my time within the city—Astoria, to be exact. Action-filled and buzzing, Pest allows for activities all hours of the day from shopping and café-hopping by day to live music and infinite dining options by night.
The first stop on my Budapest itinerary was the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. Guarded by a mammoth lion at its entrance from Pest, the suspension bridge is the gateway back in time to Buda Hill.
Once across, a steep climb up Buda Hill rewarded me with the Fisherman’s Bastion at its peak. An ivory castle, almost identical to an elaborate sand castle, is what stood before me in its grand splendor. Swirling spires with sweeping verandas and balconies gave view of the whole city from Parliament to Pest.
Descending down to the Danube, hunger (no pun intended) pangs began to set in. Directly across from Parliament was an appropriately named restaurant, Corner Restaurant. My thought: If the food isn’t good, at least the view will be. Typical Hungarian food was the menu, and while in Rome…
Hungary, known world-wide for its Paprika, uses this spice as a common denominator to many of its dishes. I opted for the Paprika chicken and noodles, a generous breast and leg with a paprika sauce over butter noodles.
Two glasses of Pinot Noir later and an après cappuccino: 4,400 Forint ($20). In what U.S. city can you get a delicious entrée, two glasses of wine and a cappuccino for $20 and under? Probably none. Budapest, still on Forint currency, makes staying within any type of budget completely possible, and with ease at that.
In the Astoria neighborhood of Pest is one of the best night-spots I’ve ever been to anywhere in the world. Enter through large, draping black rubber panels, like those at a truck loading dock. Lights flicker, hallways are empty, and voila: You’re in a 3-floor alleyway-makeshift-club with broken bathtubs converted to chairs, a room of computer monitors mounted on the walls and rows of high flickering torches. This is Szimpla Kert. Beer and wine flow like the Danube, but I was also told they have nibbles at their café.
Budapest may be the mother ship to late-night recovery. After all, Budapest is home to the thermal waters that make their 20-or-so thermal spas. Hungary, occupied by both Romans and Turks (Ottoman Empire) created shrines to these thermal waters.
While there are newer thermal spa centers within Budapest, I wanted to soak in the history—literally. Rudas Bath resembles a mosque. Columns supported a central dome overhead, the whole structure showing much wear and tear. This was beauty. Private cabin for storing clothes/belongings, access to thermal waters and steam was 1,500 Forint ($7).
Not all cities are created equal and Budapest proves this. From fast-paced Pest to bathing in Buda, this city has it all. Those who appreciated the good life and all its indulgences will appreciate Budapest at about half the price of any other world-class city.
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Story and photos by Joshua Clark.
