Budapest, Hungary: Christmas Market!

Since we moved to Europe, we’ve been hearing about the wonderful Christmas markets in Germany and nearby countries.  So, this year, we decided it was time to visit one!  We selected Budapest, which is rumored to have one of the best Christmas markets outside of Germany (the powerhouse of Christmas markets).  Plus, we’d heard from several people that Budapest is a great city, so off we went!

After landing and taking a shuttle to our hotel in the castle district on the Buda side of the river (Budapest is split by the Danube, with Buda on one side and Pest on the other).  Since our hotel was in the castle district, we decided to explore it first, but not before a delicious lunch at Pest Buda where we sampled a wide variety of Hungarian cuisine and wines.  The pumpkin soup was perfect for a chilly day!

Our hotel had an incredible view of Pest.  We took some time to enjoy it before heading down the hill and crossing the river.

Finally, we made it to the Christmas market!  There were two:  one in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica and one in a different town square.  Our first stop:  the one in front of Ste. Stephen’s Basilica.  We even squeezed in a tour of the church while we were there.

It’s hard to see in the following picture, but we went to a “ruin bar” after visiting the market.  We were curious to see exactly what a “ruin bar” is.  Ruin bars are located in the old Jewish quarter in buildings that had been left to decay following World War II.  It’s underground bar scene that has become wildly popular.  The building is literally a ruin–concrete walls, metal rods everywhere, very cool atmosphere.

On the way back to our hotel, I just had to stop for a sip of one of my holiday favorites:  mulled wine!

The next morning, we were walking past the Hungarian President’s home and happened to catch the changing of the guard–an unexpected treat!

Our next stop was the Museum of Fine Arts for a Caravaggio and Canaletto exhibit.  John recently discovered Canaletto and is a huge fan.

Next stop:  a tour of parliament!

Next, we visited the House of Terror, a museum with exhibits relating to the fascists and communist regimes of Hungary in the 20th Century.   This was a very moving museum, with a large focus on the plight of oppressed Hungarian people.  No photos were allowed inside, but I did get one of the facade and roof.

Our last stop of the day (before dinner) was one of the famous baths in Budapest.  We walked in from the street wearing heavy coats, proceeded to change into our bathing suits and head back outside to get in the water.  Such a mind trip.  Sadly, I forgot my camera in the locker room while we were in the pools, but I did manage to get a shot afterwards!

On our way back to the Christmas markets for dinner, we found this castle!

Our final morning in Budapest, we set out fairly early, because we only had a half-day.

Last, we visited the Dohany Street Synagogue–the largest is Europe!

Though we only spent 2 days there, we found that we really loved Budapest and really felt like we got to know the city.  The people were friendly, the food was delicious, and the vibe was cool.  Budapest, we will be back!