Hungary for Budapest

As we ate breakfast early on an upcoming beautiful day we cruised into Hungary and then to it’s capital, Budapest. From our Danube perch, we saw this impressive monument looming on the highest hilltop.

Later we went up close and personal to wander around its lovely setting and the Liberty Statue or Freedom Statue itself. It’s a monument at the east end of the Citadella on Gellért Hill in Budapest commemorating those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary. And, as you’ll see, its story is even a bit more complicated than that.

Our morning tour led us to views on both sides of the Danube; the Buda and Pest sides, and a lively discussion on which side is the best. It’s apparently a real live, mostly friendly competition and “tale of two cities” for locals.

Buda (The West): Hilly, green, and full of history. Our guide would never live in (derogatory tone) Pest. She noted that Buda is the classy, upscale, and residential side of the city. It is known for its quiet, tree-lined streets, the medieval Castle District, and spectacular panoramic views. And she doesn’t care if there is no good public transportation system in Buda. She obviously can afford a car…and gasoline.

Pest (The East) on the other hand is flat, bustling, and the commercial heart of the city. Locals view Pest as the place where all the action happens, characterized by its vibrant nightlife, the famous Ruin Bars, the Parliament building, and endless dining options.

We took some time exploring and hearing about the Church of Saint Anne in downtown Budapest. The church’s history is a story of incredible resilience; over the last two centuries, it has survived severe earthquakes (notably in 1763), major Danube floods, and heavy damage during World War II. During the construction of the Budapest Metro line in the 20th century it was nearly demolished. It is richly decorated with detailed 18th-century Baroque sculptures, 20th-century frescoes, and a masterful high altar shipped from Vienna in 1741. It also highlights a relic of St. Anne. Interestingly the wooden “family” sculpture is much more a political statement idealizing a large Hungarian family with the working father at the head and a “barefoot and pregnant” stay at home mom lovingly caring for the kids. Ah well….

After leaving the church we spent an hour wandering the downtown commercial area and found ourselves actually under the moon, but still enjoying our visit.

We bussed over to get a close up look at the Liberty Statue I promised earlier and got this wonderful view on the walk up. Gellért Hill is a 771 ft. high hill overlooking the Danube. It was named after Saint Gerard who was thrown to death from the hill. The famous Gellért Baths can be found in Gellért Square at the foot of the hill, next to Liberty Bridge. The Gellért Hill Cave is also located there.

It was a bit of a hike up the hill on a hot day, but there it was. We also learned the “rest” of its story. The monument was originally commissioned to commemorate the Soviet “liberation” of Hungary from Nazi occupation at the end of World War II. At that time, the palm leaf symbolized the victory of the Allied forces.

After the fall of communism in 1989 and the end of the Soviet era in Hungary, the statue’s political context was rewritten. The original inscription honoring “liberating Soviet heroes” was removed. Now the statue is rededicated to commemorate all those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary, with the palm leaf newly serving as a universal symbol of peace and freedom for the nation.

On our way back we got a pretty good “bus” view of the neo-Gothic Hungarian Parliament Building, also known as the Parliament of Budapest because of its location. It’s the seat of the National Assembly and a notable landmark of Hungary, situated on Pest side of the city on the eastern bank of the Danube.

A couple of more drive by’s on our way back to the Embla for our final dinner and packing up for tomorrow’s departure to Philly.

St. Stephen’s (yes, him again) is a Roman Catholic basilica in Budapest. It’s named in honor of Stephen, the first King of Hungary, whose right hand is housed in the reliquary. Since the renaming of the primatial see, it has been the co-cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest. It’s the third largest church building in present-day Hungary.

The Liberty Bridge (Freedom Bridge) connects Buda and Pest across the Danube. At its two ends are two public squares, Gellért tér and Fővám tér. It’s the shortest bridge in Budapest’s center.

So that’s it. Another fantastic adventure to some new and wonderful places. The trip even better because of our amazing travel partners, Arlene and Steve…and of course, YOU. Thanks for joining us, and remember, keep your bags handy for our next trip together.

If you were Hungary for Budapest…and for Prague and Passau and Linz and Krems and Vienna and Bratislava, we really hope you’re satisfied. Safe travels, All!