Central Europe Trip - Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, Hungary...

Our favourite city in our trip, and one of the most beautiful cities in Central and Eastern Europe :)

There's an incredible variety of things to do, on both sides of the River Danube: Buda and Pest. The city tour gave a historical overview of the history of the Hungarian capital, from the times of the Romans to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to today, where its rich, distinct Magyar culture stands out from the rest of Central Europe.

I personally loved the Central Market, with its vast range of gastronomic delights! From delightful sweets, cakes and meats to fresh dairy products and colorful spices.

The House of Terror, a museum featuring the World War 2 and its atrocities in a visual, immersive tour, was also a very enlightening experience. I teared at some of the video exhibits, which included personal interviews with survivors - many of whom broke down in the midst of the interview, sharing about their stories of children, husbands, wives taken away. Definitely a must-go to understand the backdrop to the War, that greatest Terror of all.

In the night, when cold settles in the city, go to the famous hot baths of Budapest! Ranked as the City of Spas, because of its natural thermal springs, Budapest features many spas that promise a fun, therapeutic experience. Ours, at the Szechenyi baths, was more fun than therapeutic though! We played around in the swimming pools, got boiled in the sauna, as well as froze our asses off in an icy cooling pool. Come with a swimsuit and a sense of adventure :p

It was refreshing, too, to have cheaper prices for everything in the city, and we could relax our budgets to enjoy good restaurant meals. Alot of great foods and beer to be had! Plus, cheap alcohol in bars and clubs keeps the party mood up. Overall, a lovely city to see and a very comfortable place to live in :)

Next stop: Bratislava, Slovakia and then Krakow, Poland!