Morning in Buda

Yesterday was an amazing day in Budapest, providing us with an intense introduction to Hungarian history, arts, food, and the public transportation system!

After a lovely breakfast at our hotel (European hotel comp breakfasts beat the US continental breakfast all to hell!), we headed out for a 3-hour tour we had prearranged with the company who arranged part of our trip.  We traveled by bus across the Chain Bridge from Pest to Buda for a look at Castle Hill, the Matthias Church, the Fisherman's Bastion, and Gellert Hill for a panoramic view of the city.

Castle Hill Medieval Neighborhood

The two oldest buildings in Castle Hill

Holy Trinity Square, erected in 1713

St. Matthias Church, one of the oldest buildings in Buda, named for the Hungarian King Matthias

St. Stephen statue; King Stephen is considered one of the most important leaders in Hungarian history

View of the Parliament Building across the Danube--just like the Viking River Cruise commercial!

Fisherman's Bastion, so named for the fisherman who defended Buda from attack in the Middle Ages

View from Gellert Hill

 


Our guide (who was mediocre at best--she proceeded to lose half our group on the tour) confirmed for us what we have been reading about Hungarian history, which is complicated and full of stories of conquest and rebellion.  The brief version (with apologies for the shortening of a very complex story):  more than a thousand years ago, nomads from the East settled in the Carpathian Valley.  In 1000 AD, King (Saint) Stephen founded the state of Hungary and adopted Catholicism, apparently in part to bring the country into alliance with its neighbors. Following conquests by Moguls, Turks, and others, the country became part of the Hapsburg Astro-Hungarian Empire.

As our guide said, Hungary "picked the wrong side" in both World Wars.  Following WWI, Hungary lost 2/3 of its territory and over 1/3 of its population.  Much of Budapest was bombed during WWII, after which Soviets took over the country for the next four decades. In 1989, Hungary finally became an independent parliamentary democracy.  It's clear from the many monuments, refurbished structures, and our contact with the people that Hungarians highly value their history and independence.