Greek Traveler: May 2011

Sunday 15 May 2011

Last destination – The romantic Budapest

Parliament

We arrived at Budapest in the evening, having time to get some rest. Instead of that, Lefteris and I went a nice walk to have a city-by-night view. What I will always remember from that walk is the Parliament. Situated next to Danube, the Parliament created magic scenery with the way it was lighted. For me, Budapest was the most romantic city of that trip and the cruise at Danube that we had that night was amazing. Holding each other’s hand, Lefteris and I enjoyed every minute of that cruise!

The next morning started with a nice city trip. We visited Heroes’ Square, close to which the Museum of Fine Arts and the Art Gallery wait to be visited. What I remember from that sightseeing tour is the story of man, who wanted to become a bishop. Instead of that, he became a king, who forbidden the Inquisition to entry Hungary and was against any witch hunt. Also, he believed that people should get educated, that is why his statue leans on a heap of books.

Heroes' square

Statue in Heroes' Square

The famous zoo of Budapest is situated close to the Heroes’ Square, but unfortunately we didn’t have the time to visit the elephants and the other animal species. Instead of that, we visited the Fishermen's Bastion with the 7 towers, one for each of the 7 chieftains of Hungary. Built in neo-Gothic style at a top of a hill, it offers a breathtaking view of Pest.

Fishermen's Bastion

The last sight that we visited was the largest Catholic Church in Budapest, Saint Stephen’s Basilica. After that we had some free time and Lefteris and I went to see the famous market place in Vaci Utca.

St Stephen Basilica

Having one day for sightseeing in Budapest wasn’t enough. I hope next time that I will visit that place, I will have the time to see more sights. Nevertheless, the holidays ended with an amazing folkloric party in Citadel. The environment there was very atmospheric, as we feast inside the Castle, with Gypsy dancers and traditional Hungarian rhythms. That is how our trip ended, a trip full with happy moments!

Budapest by night

A quick stop in Bratislava – 6th Day

Our visit in the capital city of Slovakia, Bratislava, contained a nice walk in the center of the city. The weather was sunny and we saw a lot of sights starting from the Castle, at the top of a hill next to the Danube River. The National Museum is accommodated in that Castle and the view from there is amazing.

Heading to the Main Square, we saw St. Michael’s Gate with its tower, through which the visitor can go to the old city. In the Main Square there is the Archbishop's Palace, the official residence of the Mayor. Next to this building there is the Old City Hall, which is painted with many colors and close to the Main Square there is the famous National Theater of Bratislava.

Although Bratislava is not a famous destination for travelers, I believe that it is a very interesting city. What I liked most was the paved, small streets with the beautiful, metallic, unique statues. Some of these artifacts include Napoleon’s statue and the statues of Beautiful Ignaz and the Watcher.