8.Hungary
My House In Budapest (3 days in Hungary)
Day 20 We used Flixbus to travel from Prague to Budapest. Our next hostel was a clear example of “you get what you pay for” since we chose the cheapest one at 8$ a night. Casa Nora Guesthouse is an apartment building located in a great area walking distance from the city centre, HOWEVER the place was a mess, we had to wait an hour for the man running it to show up and let us into the building, and the walls were thinner than a gluten free pizza. We were situated next to the bathroom and it was disgusting how clearly you could hear people doing their business. Imagine trying to catch a good night’s sleep only to be awoken by the sounds of a drunken stranger taking a shit. Hostel adventures…they never end. On the plus side, our place was across the road from a great Italian restaurant and our waiter was so good-looking and kind. He recommended some other restaurants and sites in the city and called me ‘love’. So now we are pretty much married. You’re all invited to my imaginary wedding with the hot hottie Hungarian man. If you want to skip to the Rundown click here. To hear about our trip/tips for exploring Budapest READ ON:)
Day 21: That Time I fell off a Mountain
We started with a huge blow that there was no possible way to cross the Hungarian border to Croatia. In an effort to secure out train tickets we were completely blind sided by this news. How could we not know about this ahead of time? This is why it’s SO important to do your research before you travel and keep up to date with news.
Despite this set back and how it would effect our budget, our spirits were surprisingly still high. I don’t know if it was the beautiful weather or the friendly vibes from the locals, but nothing was going to bring down our adventurous attitude. I think it’s important to know that Murphy’s law is always at play in travel. No matter how much planning and expectations you have, it’s good to be open minded and optimistic.
With our heads held high we crossed the liberty bridge and walked to the bottom of a hiking trail that takes you to the top of Gellert Hill. At the top there is a large statue of a person with their arms out in the air. You can spot this statue from miles away so we made it our mission to get to the top and touch the statue.
This spot is a great view point for the city so I highly recommend making the trek for some great photo ops. It is however all up hill and definitely a leg work out. If you are lacking in the cardio department there are lots of smaller view points along the way so in a sense you can choose your adventure, BUT I can tell you it feels amazing when you finally get to the top. Jenna and I ran and touched the statue as if to reward ourselves for our little victory. AND LOOK AT THESE VIEWS:
These pics were taken moments after I decided instead of walking around the platform I would jump off to save time…my feet slipped on the mud and I went legs over head just like those banana slip moments you see in classical movies. There was a small tour group who witnessed my fall off the mountain and despite the exiting of my dignity, it gave us a great laugh. On the way back down the hill instead of walking the whole time there is a slide you can take. YAY ADULT SLIDES.
Despite tired legs, we continued on our walk to Fisherman’s Bastian. Another great viewpoint that’s less strenuous than Gellert Hill. Although if you have the energy you should for sure do both. Fisherman’s Bastian contains a castle and beautiful church you can explore. There is also a restaurant in the castle area you can eat at.
We however decided to check out a gf vegan restaurant recommended by my fake Hungarian husband. It’s back on the other side of the bridge closer to the downtown area and it’s called The Drop. It’s exactly what you would expect to see in a vegan GF restaurant…very very hipster. The food was okay, but there’s certainly a lot of interesting options if you like clean eating/organic food. I ordered the gnocchi and it wasn’t the best I’ve had, but they have really cool smoothies! It’s located on Hajos street and is kind of hidden in a small alley way. We walked by it our first time trying to find it so just make sure you keep your eyes out.
Day 22: Girls Day, Boys Night
Today was our relaxing day and I got to do a bit of solo exploring. Being a film major I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to catch a flick at the Urania National Film Theatre. I didn’t bring my good camera so my pics won’t do it justice, but this movie theatre was more beautiful than some of the castles and churches we had seen on our trip. The Golden wall textile, the vintage red curtains and chandeliers everywhere reminded me of an opera house. Although I’m no stranger to subtitles, they happened to be screening the Amy Winehouse documentary in English so I watched that one. There was only 4 people in small theatre, but this was a matinee, I’m not sure how busy it gets at night. If you love movies I STRONGLY urge you to try and catch a flick here. It was easily the most beautiful movie theatre I’ve been in.
And of course no trip to Budapest is complete without a visit to the Spa. It wasn’t the warmer season so a lot of the outdoor spas weren’t open, but we chose to go to Gellert Thermal Spa, near Gellert Hill if you wanted to go after your hike. For 30$ CAD you have access to all the pools and change rooms. For extra fees you can get massages and other spa treatments. Jenna payed for a foot message and said it was great. We spent a couple hours soaking and testing out the different temperatures of the baths. It was such a great way to unwind. One of the biggest mistakes we made when planning our intense Euro-trip was that we never gave us off days or relaxing days. There is so much too see and do that we were always up and on the go, and even though you’re excited it becomes exhausting. Sometimes it felt like we needed a vacation from our vacation and spas are a great solution for this! Here is a link for more info and prices at Gellert thermal baths: http://www.gellertfurdo.hu/arak
After soaking we headed out for dinner. We were craving some american food and passed by a Hooters. Ironically as two Canadians we had never eaten at a Hooters so we figured what better first experience then to do it in Budapest. This became a bit of an inside joke, whenever we wanted “Western” food we would eat at Hooters. Our waitress happened to be Canadian too and she was super sweet. For desert we headed to Costas and had the most delicious double fudge caramel hot chocolate.
The Run Down
Where to stay: Casa Nora Guesthouse has a great location, but not the best hostel for cleanliness and noise. This site has some better recommendations based on your travel needs:
https://www.justapack.com/the-best-hostels-in-budapest/
Where to eat: Comme Chez Soi, The Drop (GF and Vegan options), Hungrarikum Bistro, Mandragora, Chef Cafe Budapest
Best Place to grab a quick bite/Coffee: Costas (everywhere), Stika Budapest
Nightlife: Check into parties at thermal spas (best of both worlds). Although we didn’t get a chance to go, ruin bars are a big thing in Budapest. Here are some great ideas for a night on the town and interesting clubs/pubs: https://www.likealocalguide.com/budapest/nightlife
Sights and Excursions: Gellert Hill (hiking and views), Fisherman’s Bastian, Chain Bridge, Urania National Theatre, St. Stephen’s Church, Gellert Thermal Spa, and river cruises are quite popular as well