Prague – Bratislava – Budapest – Budapest, Hungary Slovakia Czech Republic – travel blog
Budapest – a very large city with a population of almost 20% of Hungary’s population. 1.7 million – for the European city is really huge figure. However, Budapest does not look fussy as one million or Germany or Italy and, once there, you will easily understand why.
From Prague to Budapest is not so far, especially by our standards. Renting the car in Prague from the morning, after five hours and five hundred kilometers you will find yourself in Budapest. Such a journey can be done, absolutely not straining, in the weekend: one or two overnight stays and a whole day for acquaintance with the capital of Hungary is quite enough.
We are traveling from Prague – taking a car in Runwell, for example, by Week-end tariff, when renting a car on Friday, you can give it in the morning on Monday and pay for only two days. Departure from Prague to Brno – and it is better to leave in the middle of the day, as the evening Fridays of the Road of Prague, like any European capital, shall be flooded to get to their summer cottages.
D1 road – straight, let’s say, not the best Czech motorway, but lately everything changes and hope that soon the Czech Republic and Austria will connect a smooth European road. I can still easily go allowed 130 km per hour. In the south-east, the Czech Republic borders with Slovakia – and this means that if you wish, you can visit Bratislava, the capital of the fraternal state. Of the interesting and operational – the city center, Bratislava Grad, the gate of St. Michael, the new bridge over the Danube, the merger of the Morava and the Danube. Bratislava loses Prague in beauty, but also very mila – medieval here has been preserved even more, and the city authorities are trying to make the stay of tourists in the country more interesting. By the way, the road vignette for paying roads to Slovakia can be bought at any refueling in the Czech Republic.
50 from Bratislava kilometers from Bratislava – the Hungarian border, where you need to pay for the passage of the country’s highway. In Hungary, there is no actual vignette about the payment of roads, police and cameras can later check the fact of payment with your state number by contacting a single computer base. Electronic vignettes are sold in electronic terminals, retailers, at gas stations. Also, they can also be purchased using a mobile phone or via the Internet. The minimum period for a passenger car is 10 days, for traveling on a motorcycle there is a discount.
Budapest produces the impression of the city, whose best days remained in the past – as an elderly beauty that remembers the admiration for her royal article, but has already been resigned with inevitable aging. Today, Budapest gradually forgets his former majesty, becoming more industrial and scientific center than remaining the city-monument, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
During World War II, Budapest got, the socialist period in the history of Hungary also left his architectural trail. However, and now the city is beautiful – not as a single historical architectural ensemble, but how beautiful the strawberries in the forest glade: you find delicious and beautiful houses among numerous faceless and gray.
The undoubted dominant of the center of Budapest on the side of the Pest is the building of the Hungarian Parliament. The building is located on the Layosh Koshuta Square (Kossuth Lajos), on the shore of the Danube. The start of construction marked the new period in the history of the United Hungary and was completed in 1904. Of course, the scope of construction amazes – about a thousand people are involved at the construction site (which is characteristic, in most of its citizens of Hungary, and not Eastern European migrant workers), used about 40 million bricks, kilograms of gold and precious stones. Architect of the Hungarian Parliament Building IMRE Staindl Elephant to the end of construction, which, by the way, lasts almost 20 years. In the characteristics of the magnificent palace with an estimated symbolism – so, for example, the height of the central dome is 96 meters – because the building was built for the Millennial Anniversary of Hungary, which was celebrated in 1896. Many sculptures (something about 300, and everyone has a historical prototype among famous people of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, Transylvania and T.NS.) decorate the facade, if there is time, consider some of them really worth. It must be said that the Hungarians in the sculpture are very recognizable – everyone has specific "Magyarsky" mustache. Well, except for sculptures depicting women.
On the other side of the Danube (Budi), a little bit from parliament, there is a Buday castle, which is worth visiting at least to enjoy the view that opens on Budapest from the high bank of the river. The palace is in a small decline – and if from a certain distance it looks sufficiently impressive and beautiful, then the plasterings, and faded paints, and perennial traces of rain are found at closer. The fountain with numerous sculptures of rulers and historical figures, as well as their pets (chic setter in the right-hand side of the fountain, deserves attention to the territory of the Palace. Also interesting archaeological surveys, which are held on the territory of the Buday Palace – the thousand-year history of Hungary becomes tangible when looking at these excavations. You can get to the castle using a cable car – walking to the top quite tedious. At the same time, you can admire the types.
Construction of a chain bridge is an excellent idea for giving the individuality Budapest. Bridge decorated with lion sculptures (Hi, Peter!) and there is a bike that if a man passes between the lions, has never changed his spouse, the lions will revive and buried (hello, Rio de Janeiro!). The bridge wears the name of the Ishthan of the section, the graph, at whose money the bridge and was built – it was painfully uncomfortable to move through the Danube in ****** the weather on the boat. England William Clark was invited by the construction engineer, which began construction in 1842, and seven years successfully completed it. During World War II, German troops blew up a bridge, and his recovery was carried out, including for donations to the ordinary residents of Budapest – in 1949, to the century of entering the chain bridge, it was fully restored.
The Basilica of St. Ishthan is on the side of the Pest and is also obligatory to visit – the building is not only impressive sizes, but also very beautiful. Wear the name of the first Hungarian king Ishthan Basilica deserved by right – his mummified fist is kept here. The first king is always the best of all subsequent – at least because during the years of its board, all the inhabitants have euphoria from the independence of the country, so the figure of Ishthan in Hungary’s history is 100% positively. During the construction of Basilica, architects used a democratic principle, calling the best artists and decorators of Hungary to contribute to the interior design of the Church. It turned out, contrary to everything, very beautiful and good. All tourists have the opportunity to rise to the Basilica of the Basilica of St. Ishthan, from there all Budapest is visible as on the palm. Here is the King Bell – the largest bell in Hungary.
You can take a walk in Budapest in the park Varoshleget – and "culturally" to rest if you are with children – riding attractions, which are in memory of the Czech "Moon-Parks", which came to Soviet cities in our childhood. Or simply can be sought on the grass, drink coffee in a cafe, put the danube water. An interesting park – for blind people – is located right there.
You can eat in Budapest, but it is difficult – especially if you got there on weekends. Patus restaurants of folk cuisine (Gulash, Galyushki, Paprikash) are offered, where the ordered food can also be waiting for an hour, and this food will not be especially delicious. The method of good food, developed in Prague, does not work in Budapest – cute zucchini away from the center at the weekend just do not work. So we wish you to find a golden middleweight and truly know the Hungarian cuisine – we failed to ..
