Budapest

From Riga it was a short hop on an Air Baltic flight to Hungary’s capital. Budapest is an incredibly grand city, with Buda Castle and the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle towering over the central city and so many beautiful bridges crossing the Danube from District V to District I. The kids don’t get as awestruck as I do by all the gothic revival and baroque architecture of the old European cities, but even they were pretty enamored with grandiose buildings that were everywhere we looked as we explored the Hungarian capital. We traipsed about Castle Hill one afternoon in the sweltering heat, from Buda Castle at the southern end to the National Archives of Hungary building in the north (I did need to bribe them with a popsicle about halfway through…). The stunning Országház – the Hungarian parliament building – lit up in the afternoon sun was breathtaking: the intricate architectural detail of the structure was just mind blowing, not surprising it took almost two decades to build at the turn of the nineteenth century. Without a doubt one of the gems of European architecture. I think the only other buildings I’d ever seen that come close are the monasteries of Leiria in central Portugal.

As we stepped off the train from the airport into central Budapest our senses were immediately blasted by the sounds of a full blown European metropolis: the 90 decibel hum of traffic, trams, trains, scooters and sirens (the Hungarians love their sirens…) was ever present around the clock. For our time in Hungary’s capital we shacked up at a brilliantly-located apartment in District VI on Teréz Boulevard, only a block from the Nyugati central train station. My typical MO when planning these trips is to draw a 15 minute walking radius around each stop’s central train station and find somewhere to sleep inside that circle. The kids were pretty stoked they only had to walk a single block from Nyugati to our abode, such a great location. Nyugati is effectively the central hub of Budapest, so we were able to catch everything from buses to trams to the subway within a minute or two of our front door.

With such frequent public transport it was a breeze to explore the city on foot, and such a stunning city in which to do so. The city’s center – District V – hosts an incredible collection of baroque and gothic architecture, and every street was such a menagerie of eclectic stores, bars and eateries. I had to moderate my photo taking, such a picturesque place at every turn.

Budapest is famous for its historic market halls, with the most well-known being Nagycsarnok in District IX. In all there are five major historic indoor market halls that were built around the turn of the twentieth century, three of which we toured during our stay. Nagycsarnok was quite a sight to behold, a grand hall hosting hundreds of vendors on multiple levels selling everything from fresh produce to meat and souvenirs. Given it was located in the city center it was quite touristy, but it was a great spot to grab some tchotchkes. Lilia had been on a hunt for a leather belt since we left California, there were a ton of leather vendors at Nagycsarnok but unfortunately western-style buckles weren’t easy to find. We ate our way through Nagycsarnok over the span of an hour-or-two, enjoying everything from local cured meats to savory danishes and even a bag of fried pork fat (a local specialty). I’m a big fan of chicharróns – as is Wild Man – but the fried pork fat was actually a bit much for us: it melted in our mouths with a single bite but was just too rich for our stomachs.

Budapest is built right on top of a vast array of geothermal springs. The Romans were the first to channel the thermal springs into formed baths over 2000 years ago in present day Óbuda, and many of the most famous baths were constructed by the Ottomans in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. We visited the Palatinus Strand Baths as well as Széchenyi Baths during our stay, all of us enjoying both of them a ton, such a fantastic adventure in the middle of a bustling metropolis.

The Palatinus baths – located on Margaret Island a stone’s throw from our apartment – were very kid friendly, with a huge wave pool and some incredible slides. I think the kids would still be there if I didn’t make them leave! The pools were all heated to somewhere in the range of 32-36°C/90-97°F, so relaxing just sitting there and getting pruned. Each of the Budapest baths we visited had soaking tubs in which children under the age of 14 weren’t allowed, so Wild Man had to amuse himself outside, but Lilia was 100% onboard with soaking in the hottest of hot tubs and then submersing into the cold plunge pools to our shoulders. At Palatinus we tried the hottest of the soaking tubs – which was maintained at a sweltering 42°C/108°F – after which we immediately dunked ourselves in an adjacent plunge pool that was 14°C/57°F. Breathtaking! Lilia actually had us do it twice.

Széchenyi is the most famous of the Budapest baths, built in the early twentieth century its grand neo-baroque architecture was quite stunning. Not hard to imagine the aristocrats of yesteryear soaking in the baths… We purposefully made our visit in the early morning to avoid the tourist crowds, arriving at 8:30AM when it was mostly empty except for a handful of elderly locals. The outdoor pools were at a pleasant 32°C/90°F, while the hottest of the indoor baths clocked in at 40°C/104°F. By the time we left just before lunchtime the place was packed to the gills with tourists, it was kept very clean but to be honest both Lilia and had to force ourselves not to think about the hundreds of other bath-goers with whom we were sharing the indoor tubs. It would be a bit of a travesty to visit Budapest and not experience the (very expensive) Széchenyi baths, but if I ever find myself in Budapest again I’m definitely going to steer towards the less popular pools frequented by the locals…

The eating and drinking establishments of Budapest were definitely a highlight (the whole city was a highlight, to be honest!). The central District V was a bit of a tourist trap for food, but the kids did vote their favorite lángos as those from Krumplis Lángos in the heart of the main shopping district. While not as heart-stopping as a Portuguese francesinha, the lángos were very heavy on the stomach: the most basic of lángos incorporated deep fried bread dough topped with fresh garlic, a sour cream-based sauce and mild Hungarian cheese. They were scrumptious and the kids had me seek them out every day for lunch while we were in town. The pörkölt at Belvárosi Disznótoros was also a standout.

Without a doubt my favorite dining experience in Budapest was Zold Kapu Vendeglo in the neighborhood of District III (thank you again Reddit!). Well out of reach of the touristy city center, the restaurant was tucked into a residential area a short bus ride from our abode by the train station. We actually went their twice during our stay, given how much we enjoyed the food on our first visit. The portions were incredible – our first dinner fed the three of us for two meals – and the fare was just divine: slow cooked pork knuckles served with all manner of local sides, and the stuffed pork cutlets were absolutely a cut above. The kids voted their favorite as a dinner plate-sized breaded pork cutlet stuffed with Hungarian sausage, ham and bacon. I love finding places like Zold Kapu Vendeglo, where you’re surrounded by locals and have to hunt down a waiter who knows a few licks of English.

We all loved our time in the Hungarian capital: incredibly breathtaking architecture, easy to explore, fabulous thermal baths and more memorable eats than one can poke a stick at. Definitely going to have to return with Mum!