The air of authenticity that pervades Budapest made it my favorite stop on this European trek. It seems a city that celebrates the every day man, has a great sense of humor, and where many of the tourist hot spots are also frequented by locals. I felt welcome and at home here, while getting to experience the many wonderful things Budapest has to offer.

If you’ve been following this blog, then you can likely guess what we did our first day in Budapest – a walking tour! This was our first walking tour led by a genuine local, and was all the better for it. Dea not only gave us an overview and history of the city, but interesting anecdotes and insights into Hungarian life. For example, without Dea I may have turned down a shot of Palinka (a traditional Hungarian alcohol) and would therefore be cursed to never find a husband. She told us about the historical connection to the name Elizabeth, a much loved Austro-Hungarian Empress (often referred to as Sissi, her nickname). Sissi loved Budapest, and the locals loved her – enough that parks, bridges and streets have been named for her. We strolled past the statues in Budapest celebrating the every day man, like painters and the paper boy, before crossing the Chain Bridge. This Chain Bridge was commissioned by an influential count after missing his father’s funeral and finished in 1849, is guarded by perfectly carved lions on either side, and was the first bridge built connecting the Buda and Pest sides of the city. Heading up the hill we reached the Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, an area named for the fish markets as well as the fact that the fisherman were charged with protecting that part of the old wall if it came under siege.

I want to take a moment to give a shout out to the St. Stephen’s Basilica. We began our walking tour here, and I went back later to check out the inside. I have seen many churches across Europe, and St. Stephens was one of my favorites. Like many things about Budapest, it had its own unique character and was unlike (in some aspects) other large Basilicas I’ve been to in the past. It was colorful and ornate, and had a variety of unique touches that I thoroughly enjoyed – and at a point when I feel I have seen more than my fair share of European cathedrals. I definitely recommend a stop here. Plus is has a killer organ.

I wanted to be sure to visit the “Shoes along the Danube” memorial. These shoes, placed along the side of the Danube river, are in remembrance of victims, mostly Jewish, shot and killed by the Arrow Cross Militiamen in 1944-45. This group of Hungarian extremists aligned with Nazi ideals, and reigned terror on areas of town that housed and helped Jewish people during the end of the Nazi occupation.

A Budapest must is a stop to one of the Turkish baths. We spent a day at the Gellert Bath, soaking in the naturally heated pools and treating ourselves to massages. What’s fun about a stop like this for me, is that there was equal parts tourists and locals. (The locals may have out numbered in fact). Gellert has three main rooms, a swimming pool and two rooms with the hot baths a varying temperatures. Plus you’re surrounded by ornate decorations that truly make it feel like a part of history, not just an enjoyable and relaxing day.

In the pre-WWII era Budapest was known as the city of cafes. Artists and writers would gather at cafes around the city to collaborate and discuss ideas. Considering my love of coffee shops, I would have been remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to visit some of these establishments. I spent an afternoon at Ruszwurm, one of the oldest coffee and pastry shops in Budapest, writing, reading and generally trying to soak up the creative genius that I have to believe still permeates the air from all those years of hosting great minds.

In the evenings we mostly ventured to Budapest’s famous ruin pubs. Abandoned buildings across the city were purchased and converted into undoubtedly the most unique bars that I have ever visited. Fogas Haz, for example, used to house dentists offices. They keep the theme by having dentist signage hanging as a piece of the decor.

The strangest, coolest ruin pub we visited was Instant. Here a row of running rabbits hangs between the first floor and second floor balcony, a large white owl with the body of a woman overlooks the courtyard from high on the wall, and rooms are decorated by artwork I can only describe as the combination of photoshop and acid. Take a look at the photo below, and notice some of the things about the picture of the family on the wall that are just a little off….

The ruin pubs were a great time! A variety of DJs provided music that kept us dancing all night, and the decor certainly kept us entertained. Also, they have really good hot dogs.

One evening, however, to get a taste of a different side of Hungarian culture, we attended a Hungarian Folklore dance show, followed by a cruise along the Danube at night. The performance gave us a taste of traditional Hungarian dance, which seems, in my opinion, to have a lot of eastern type influence with lots of heaving stomping and spinning. The ride down the Danube provided gorgeous views of Budapest at night; with all of the the buildings lit up it’s just beautiful. The Parliament building at night is particularly spectacular.

Our last evening in Budapest we met back up with Dea, our awesome tour guide/clothing designer, to buy some really neat, organic, made in Hungary (by Dea) hats. Check out her stuff at http://www.touchmenotclothing.com. It’ll rock your world! Promise. We spent the evening swapping stories, getting to know each other, and drinking beers while coloring. Couldn’t as for a better send off from this awesomely authentic, friendly, unique city!