Budapest-Day 4 - Last Day

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Well, this was my last day of site seeing in Budapest. Was planning to go stand in line for the Parliament tour but when I got up and saw incredible blue skies starting to poke through, I nixed that idea. Did not want to waste what little I had of daylight (sun sets by 4:15 pm here) standing in line. So, instead, I headed over to Parliament to check out the outside of the building. The Hungarian Parliament is, I believe, the third largest in Europe. Very large gothic building.

Following that, I took the tram over to Chain Bridge and headed back up Castle Hill to get some better day shots than I had been able to have before. Bought another delicious funnel cake (yum, yum) and walked over to the Fishermen's Bastion and old town.

Then, I took the funicular back down the hill and caught the bus over to Gellert Hill which is a very tall, cliff like hill on the Buda side. Took the bus up to the almost top. No way was I climbing that. More power to those who are willing to climb it! Gellert Hill has several monuments at the top and amazing views of the city. Also home to the Citadel which was a fortress. Has incredible views of the Danube and Budapest. Took a bunch of photos because there was such a nice sky and pretty clear day. Then, it was nearing sunset again and I didn't want to be climbing down in the dark. Headed back to do a little wandering on Vacci Street and had another very good dinner.

Budapest was amazing. Incredibly affordable as well. It has been my cheapest trip to Europe. The transit system is so easy to use. So many buildings and such a rich history. The city just feels old even though much of it has been rebuilt as a result of war and bombings. However there is an amazing culture here as well and the art and architecture are prevalent everywhere. I am finding I really enjoy visiting these East European cities. I also had a personal connection with my grandmother being half Hungarian. The food was delicious and the people very friendly. There were some language barriers, more so than I have experienced in my other travels, but not enough to seriously affect my travel. It was a wonderful trip, even as short as it was, and I hope someday to be back!

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Photos

Back Side of Matyas Church
Being renovated.