Budapest Adventures: Strolling Through The City Park & Christmas Markets

Hello again!

Christmas Day is almost here! How crazy is that? I feel like this year flew by, but it definitely left a lot of bruises and wounds behind. I don't think anyone can say 2016 was a good year. But in the wake of all the terrible things that have happened recently, maybe we can make an effort to at least end the year on a more positive note? Maybe try to help those less fortunate than us is some shape or form? Anything counts.

But end-of-the-year reflexions aside, this post is meant to take you along day 2 (technically day 3) of my trip to Budapest. You can catch up on my first installment here. 

Day 2 was another beautiful day and we took to explore the Varosliget, aka the City Park. 

But before that some fuel was in order.

Right across from our AirBnB there was a cute little boulangerie-café which served delicious coffee and French pastries. My kind of breakfast! It's called A Table, and there are a couple in the city. So if you happen to find yourselves closeby, do not hesitate to stop by for a café latte and a big croissant. Which is exactly what I had.

This Oysho sweater I am wearing in the picture below got me through most chilly mornings during my trip. You can find it here, if you're interested. 

Next we hopped onto the nearest metro and found ourselves in Heroes Square. It was perfect for posing in every way imaginable.

Right behind the Heroes Square you can find the City Park. The lake was turned into a ice skating rink where kids and adults where twirling in, much more aptly than I ever could. I've had one ice skating experience before and it was pretty bad so I've sworn not to attempt it again for the sake of my limbs.

While the tree branches were completely naked they made for an idyllic, wintry landscape.

We moved further into the park and encountered the Vajdahunyad Castle, built in 1896 and gorgeous to look at from all sides.

Interestingly, the castle is made that way so it can showcase the architectural evolution through the centuries in Hungary (source: http://www.vajdahunyadcastle.com/ ). 

We continued walking along the paths of the park, letting them take us wherever.

We spent a good chunk of our morning there and on the way to the metro station we checked out the Szechenyi Baths, one of the thermal spas Budapest is well-known for. We didn't take the plunge - literally - and made a mental note to try it out during our next visit, preferably when the weather is a little kinder.

Still it was an interesting building nonetheless.

We decided to continue our sightseeing on the Andrassy Boulevard and the House Of Terror museum (as requested by the boyfriend). The House Of Terror is a museum meant to show the horrible consequences of both nazism and communism in Hungary and let me tell you, it truly was a terrifying experience. The museum is very cleverly designed and the linear exhibition took you through several rooms which showcased in all sorts of different ways the ugliness of those regimes. It wasn't something I would do twice, but it definitely was educating. Not for the faint-hearted though.

We wandered about for some time, as we reached the very heart of the city.

The Opera

Next stop was the Citadel but it was already quite dark and frankly a little scary so we didn't reach the very top of the hill. Unfortunately there isn't much footage to share from there. We stopped for coffee at Asztalka, a cute, vintagey little coffee shop and took a much needed break.

After walking so much that our feet hurt, we finally found the main Christmas Fair in Vorosmarty square where hordes of locals and tourists alike were picking out Christmas goodies and gorging on hot dogs, langos (Hungarian fried dough with toppings) and mulled wine. We already had plans to have dinner elsewhere, but we agreed that we would come back the next day to try out all those highly inviting delicacies.

More on Christmas markets in the next post, so stay tuned!

Finally we went back to our apartment for a shower and some rest because it truly was an exhausting yet fulfilling day.

Our dinner place of choice was Menza restaurant, a Budapest classic where the quirky 60s decor and amazing cocktails make it a must-visit.

When you're there do not miss out on the duck burger. Yes you heard that right. A duck patty (Hungary is known for its ducks, you will find them in every restaurant) stacked on perfectly cooked bacon, gorgonzola, blueberry mayo and a brioche bun. Easily one of the best and most unique burgers I've ever had. We accompanied our meal with rosé spritzers which were light and delicious.

Another day is over but there's more escapades coming in the next post!

Hope you enjoyed!