Budapest

By Jessica Douglas

Budapest is the beautiful capital city of Hungary, situated in the north-central portion of the country. Originally, Budapest wasn’t one city at all, but two: Buda and Pest, twin cities on the east and west banks of the Danube, joined together in 1873. Budapest is easily the most awe-inspiring city I have ever seen-- in terms of beauty, energy, and history, as well as the size and enthusiasm of its widely varied populace, Budapest truly has it all.

One thing that is very easy to notice about Budapest is the number of non-Hungarians that you encounter in the downtown areas, as well as how many Hungarians speak English. It seemed to me, an American tourist, that I heard far more English, Italian, and Japanese than Hungarian. However, everyone was very friendly and I felt that knowing the language wasn’t necessary—a smile was. Budapest plies a brisk tourist trade, not only because her landmarks are exquisitely beautiful, such as the Chain Bridge and Matthias Church, but also because her shopkeepers and vendors are many times friendlier than some of the other Central European countries.

One of the things that I loved about Budapest was the sheer number of spas in the city. Budapest has approximately 80 hot springs, and the populace seems poised to take full advantage of all of them. Many baths have been in continuous use since Roman times. Szechenyi Bath, in former Pest, is the one where several colleagues and I went to have massages. The exchange rate was in our favor as it cost a mere $20 USD for a 35 minute massage. It was a short walk from the spa to our tram stop. We finished off our day with tasty langos -- Hungarian fried bread which is topped like a pizza -- and shopping in the Great Market Hall for embroidered tablecloths and leather goods. Good friends, good views, good food…Budapest truly does have it all.