Sights of Budapest…
- Citadella. Located at the top of Gellert Hill
(a quick bus ride or character-building, calf-bulking walk to the top) provides the best view of Budapest ’s green hills and dense downtown. The Liberation Memorial used to be joined by Red Army soldiers, but these statues were taken down after the communists left town. There’s also a bar, a good but over-priced restaurant, and an inexpensive hotel at the top. - Heroes Square. A spectacular entrance to the city’s vast and activity-packed City Park, Heroes Square is Budapest’s version of the Parisian Trocadero, with its marble floor and statues of Hungarian freedom-fighters. Stalin - or his likeness - was torn down by a mob of angry Hungarians during the aborted revolution attempt in 1956. Now skateboarders zoom around the square while guards watch the National War Memorial.
- Spas. Do not leave Budapest without visiting at least one of the city’s famous, therapeutic baths. A bath and a massage can be had for less than $5. There is no room for modesty: most of the baths (with separate facilities for men and women) are occupied by unself-conscious, body-confident people, regardless of their ages or shapes. Favorites include the spas at the Gellert and the Thermal hotels, as well as the 15th-century Kiraly Baths (Budapest II, Fo utca 84), built by the Turks and featuring steamy, dim pools. For those who are uncomfortable getting naked with strangers, there’s always the $1 foot massage.
- Opera House. This is entertainment even for those who don’t like opera. The building, located on Budapest’s grand Andrassy ut, is a spectacular, neo-Renaissance style structure that is enough to hold one’s attention well into the third act. Tickets - for both the ballet and the opera - are cheap, and the sets are consistently remarkable. Between acts, sip a $2 glass of champagne in the carved-wood tearoom, or wander out to see the beautiful view from the Opera House’s balcony.
- The Castle District. Walk, look, wander through the area’s many museums, ranging from the national art gallery to the smaller music museum. Just don’t buy anything from the hordes of "traditionally" dressed vendors; it’s at least twice as expensive as anywhere else in the city. Don’t miss the view from Fisherman’s Bastion of the Parliament, the Danube, and Margit Island.
- Need to shop? Take the 154 bus from Boraros ter, on the Pest side, to the famous Ecseri flea market, said to be the biggest in Europe. This is the perfect place to pick up old Russian medals and uniforms, as well as home-made lace tablecloths and antique furniture.
