Budapest has been called the ‘Paris of the East’ and it doesn’t take long
walking around this photogenic city to understand how it earned this nickname. But the truth is that comparing Budapest
to another city doesn’t feel right because it is very much its own. There is so much history to talk about
and so many things to see that it’s hard to know where to begin. In this video, I want to show you around
some of the top spots. One of my favourite parts about Budapest
is how walkable it is and Marc and I went everywhere on foot. Let’s start with the building that took
my breath away the first time I saw it: the parliament building. I mean, just look at it! In the 1880s a contest was held for the design and, if it reminds you a bit of the
British parliament building then you’re spot on, because the winning architect – a Hungarian
named Imre Steindl – found inspiration there. It took 17 years to build but sadly
Steindl went blind before it was completed. He died in 1902, which was the same year construction was finished and the first sessions took place. The parliament has 691 rooms, 20 kilometres of stairs, and is not only the largest building in Hungary, it's also the third largest
parliament building in the world. It’s beautiful at any time of day but especially
at sunset when it seems to float on the river. The best view at night is from nearby Margaret Bridge where you can also see the
dramatically lit Holy Crown of Hungary. The parliament is 96 metres tall which is exactly the same height
as another of Budapest’s iconic buildings: St. Stephen’s Basilica. What I find really interesting
is that this is intentional: it represents the balance
between church and state in Hungary. St. Stephen was the first Christian king of
Hungary and it’s the largest church in Budapest. It took over half a century to build because in 1868, the dome collapsed during a really bad storm and the entire thing had to be torn down
and rebuilt again from scratch. It was finally completed in 1905
and it's been standing tall ever since. Budapest was formerly two cities that united:
Buda and Pest (or PESHT, as you say in Hungarian). It’s hard to imagine now but
there was some question at the time of whether the newly united city
should be called Pestbuda. Doesn’t quite roll of the tongue the same way, does it? For a city divided by a river,
bridges are obviously very important. The Chain Bridge, also known as Szechenyi Bridge, was the first permanent bridge in Budapest in 1849. Before that, the closest bridge was in Vienna so people either used a boat
or walked across when the river froze. The problem was that if the water thawed
while you were on the other side, you were stuck until it froze again. This once happened to Szechenyi,
an important man in Budapest’s history, and he missed his father’s funeral because
he was stuck on the wrong side for a week. This upset him so much that he set to work
getting a permanent bridge built. The lions represent power which is fitting when you think about poor Szechenyi being
helplessly stuck before the bridge was built. You should feel quite empowered being able
to cross whenever you feel like it. When you reach the Buda side you’ll see
the funicular right in front of you. It’s been shuttling people
up and down Castle Hill since 1870, although it was completely destroyed
during World War II and then rebuilt. You can take one of the tram cars
95 metres up to the top where Buda Castle sits looking out
over the Danube River and the Pest side of the city. This was formerly a royal palace – and it’s been destroyed and rebuilt
many times in its long history - but it’s now where the National Gallery,
the Castle Museum, and Szechnyi Library call home. It’s a nice little walk through pretty streets
as you walk away from the castle towards my favourite part of the Buda side:
Fisherman’s Bastion. There are 7 turrets here that represent the 7 Hungarian tribes
who founded Hungary in the year 895. The name comes from the fact that the fish market
was just below here in the middle ages and this stretch of the castle wall
was protected by fishermen then. There’s an incredible view from here –
one of the best in the entire city. Fishermen’s Bastion was built by the same architect who built the Matthias Church
right behind it, which is also very striking. Parts of the church are more than 500 years old
but most of it was built in 1896. You’ll notice that year keeps coming up
around Budapest’s architecture because it was the year of a huge celebration
for Hungary’s 1000th birthday party. To cross back over to the Pest side of the city you can take the Liberty Bridge,
which was also built for the 1896 anniversary. It was opened by Emperor Franz Joseph himself
and you’ll notice trams also cross this bridge. The Gellert Baths are on the Buda side
and when you cross you find the Great Market Hall. It’s the biggest market hall in Budapest and you’ll find fresh food being sold on the main floor and lots of souvenirs available on the second floor. The upper floor is also where Marc and I
ate some delicious goulash so I’ll link that video if you want to see more
of what we ate in Budapest. If you walk back towards St. Stephen’s Basilica you’ll come across a lovely park
called Erzsebet Square. Just look for the huge Ferris wheel
you can see from a distance. It’s called the Budapest Eye and I love the way it looks
with the sun beaming through as the cars go round and round. In front of the Budapest Eye is a beautiful
fountain that has an interesting history. At the top is a figure who represents the Danube River and the three women below
symbolize three tributaries of the Danube. This fountain used to be in a different location
until it was heavily damaged during World War II then it was repaired and placed in this park. The park also has a collection of locks,
which are not uncommon to find in different cities but, to me, they’re always a nice little reminder
that love is everywhere. If you head up Andrassy Avenue,
one of Budapest’s major streets, you come across the Opera House,
which you can tour the inside of. The exterior alone is worth the stop though. I loved looking at the Sphinx statues
and the painted roof of the entranceway. There are lots of little details to find
just looking at the façade. A little further up the avenue is the Terror Museum. This is one of the most memorable museums
I’ve ever been to and I can’t recommend going here enough. It’s located in the former headquarters of the Nazis which later served as the headquarters
for the Communist secret police. I had a very physical and
visceral reaction to this place. The first thing you see when you
enter the central courtyard is a Soviet tank and a wall covered in the pictures of people
who were victims of the terror carried out here. But the first thing that hit me was the earthy smell
and the dampness in the air. To me it seemed the building was rotting
so badly from its history that it couldn’t be hidden and I thought about the portrait of Dorian Gray as it becomes more and more disfigured
with every act of evil. Every exhibition space is extremely
effective in this museum and the Nazi era blends seamlessly
with the Communist era. It’s made very clear that,
although the uniform may have changed, the reign of terror did not
and people continued to suffer. When I walked out of the elevator
into the basement floor I’m not exaggerating when I say
that I almost threw up immediately. I’m sure some people will understand and some won’t but I have really strong reactions to energy and it felt so, so bad in the basement of the Terror Museum that I literally had to stop and put my hand
to my mouth to stop the vomit. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the basement is where people were routinely tortured
and executed for many, many years. Before exiting the museum there’s a wall with photos
of people who perpetrated these acts or supported those who did. Many of them are still alive today and it serves as a sad reminder
that justice hasn’t been served. The more positive takeaway, however, is that
the fight against these terrible regimes was not in vain because you can walk away
from that building as a free human being. At the end of the avenue is Heroes' Square – it’s the largest square in Budapest
and impossible to miss. The 36 metre high pillar in the center
is called the Millennium Monument because this square was also built
to celebrate Hungary’s 1000th anniversary. The Archangel Gabriel stands
at the top of the monument and he’s holding the holy crown
and the double cross of Christianity. The seven leaders of the Hungarian tribes
who founded modern Hungary are represented as well as other important figures. I’d recommend seeing Heroes' Square
both in the daytime and at night when it’s lit nicely. It’s a popular gathering spot and we were lucky to see a guy doing tricks
on his bike while strolling through. On the other side of the square is City Park
where the Szechenyi baths are located. If you want to see more
about Budapest’s thermal baths I’ll link that video below but City Park is also home to Europe’s largest
outdoor ice rink during the winter months. It’s 15,000 square metres and people have been skating here –
gracefully or otherwise – since 1869. I loved seeing this because, as a Canadian,
I always feel at home in the presence of a Zamboni. Behind the skating rink is Vajdahunyad Castle. I don’t know any rinks in Canada with a castle view. This one was modelled after a fortress in Transylvania and it’s on an artificial island so you have to cross
a little bridge over the moat to get inside the gate. The best thing I learned about Vajdahunyad is that it was originally built
out of wood planks and cardboard because it was just intended
to be a temporary structure. But the people of Hungary loved it so much it was eventually built out of permanent stone
to be enjoyed forever. There’s something really touching about a castle
being turned from cardboard paper to stone through the sheer power
of human love and appreciation. There’s a fairy tale quality to that story
that extends around all of Budapest. The long history of the city,
with all its darkness and lightness, feels strong to me walking around. You can see and feel how love
can not only turn paper to stone but also bring a city out of dark times of terror
and into the light. I hope you enjoyed walking all over Budapest
in this video and seeing some of the highlights. I absolutely loved visiting this lovely city and we made a bunch of videos there
so I’ll link those in the description box if you want to see more about where we stayed, what we ate, the incredible Christmas Markets, the thermal baths, the nightlife, and all of those things. Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it and remember to subscribe
for more travel adventures. Thanks so much for watching!
Great video, if brought back so many memories of living in Hungary :) I love Budapest and can’t wait to go back someday!