Editor’s note: it seems that these days, Hungary is in the news more for the dictatorial antics of its leader, Vicktor Orban, than for its truly stunning capital city, Budapest. If you can stomach the politics, the city is – as Sam Spector relates in this article – a true European gem. For more of Sam’s writing, make sure to click here to visit his index page.

In 1896, the city of Budapest celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the Magyar conquest of what is now Hungary by building-up the city in grand fashion with subways, museums, new buildings, and a sprawling magnificent Heroes’ Square at the end of Andrassy Avenue, also called the Champs-Elysees of Budapest. It was around that time that Budapest became known as the “Paris of the East”. With all due respect, I find this title insulting… to Budapest, a city that I like far more than Paris. I have now visited this gem on the Danube twice, and I hope that there will be many more occasions. The Danube divides the city into two parts, the posh hilly Buda side, and the metropolitan fast-paced Pest side.

When it comes to the Buda side of the city, go straight up to Castle Hill. If you do not drive up, there is the world’s second oldest funicular that can give you a ride. Up there is the spectacular Matthias Church, originally built in 1015 by St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. The church has its name as it was rebuilt in the 15th century by the other great king of Hungary, Matthias. St. Stephen is a significant figure around town with statues in Heroes’ Square and elsewhere, and a basilica cathedral named after him in Pest. However, despite there being a basilica cathedral in Budapest, if you are going to visit one church in the city, make it Matthias Church. The church has a tiled roof, a 78 meter tall bell tower, and is painted with designs throughout the inside and stained-glass windows. Right outside the church is the Fisherman’s Bastion, a fortification built for the millennium celebration; there are seven pointed towers representing the seven chieftains who founded Hungary. The Fisherman’s Bastion has a 180 degree view of Pest and the Danube River, including the ornate parliament building (more on that later). The Fisherman’s Bastion does cost money to go on top of, but if you just stand on the stairs leading up to it, you can have the same view and save yourself the money. Of course, Castle Hill takes its name from the castle that was used from the 14th until the end of World War I for the kings of Hungary. The sprawling baroque complex is today a museum that is frequented by tourists.

To the south of the hill is Gellert Hill, with its Liberation Monument – nicknamed the “world’s largest bottle opener” due to its shape – looming over the city. At the base of the mountain beneath the statue is the Gellert Hill Caves, which has a church inside that tourists should check out. The real splash over on that end of Buda is Gellert Thermal Spa in the Gellert Hotel. The thermal springs beneath Budapest are part of the city’s culture, with locals regularly going to local spas, including ones next to the river atop a restaurant where locals can eat, drink, and bathe together. The locals believe so strongly in the medicinal qualities of the water that the hippopotami in the famous Budapest Zoo live in thermal water, which also helps them with fertility, which has led to dozens of baby hippopotami being born there. St. Gellert’s is one of the two most famous spas in town, and is the more upscale of the two. While the first time I went to the baths, the pools were segregated by sex, they are now integrated. It is a luxurious experience to swim beneath a stained glass domed ceiling and between mosaics, frescos, and marble columns. For more of the everyday, more common thermal bath experience, go to the Szechenyi Baths on the Pest side near the Opera House where Madonna sang Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina, in Evita from the balcony (yes, that was in Budapest, not Buenos Aires), and next to the zoo and Heroes’ Square. The Szechenyi Baths have 18 baths, fifteen inside and three very large ones outside, as well as steam rooms and saunas. In the outdoor pools, local men sit in the pool and play chess against each other. I challenged one to a match, and had never been checkmated so quickly in my life. If you want a really memorable night go to Szechenyi’s SPARTY on Saturday night from 930pm to 2am, when DJs, strobe lights, and foam come out and turn the spa into a giant rave for partygoers.

Though Budapest has a fun side, its history has not always been happy. Hungary used to be much larger than it is now, but was torn apart through wars, especially being on the losing side of World War I. The city was ruled by the Nazis during World War II and developed a large local Nazi Party following with a group called the Arrow Cross. Following the war, Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest and intense fighting began that ended with Budapest and the nation being behind the Iron Curtain of communism, including when the Hungarian Revolution was suppressed by the Soviets in 1956, until communism fell with the 1989 Velvet Revolution. The sad times that Budapest faced are memorialized in a couple of museums, such as the House of Terror on the Pest side. The museum is set in a building that the Nazis, and later the KGB, used as a prison and torture facility for their political enemies. The sad history of these eras and what happened there are told in this museum. On the Buda side is the Hungarian Holocaust Museum. While I went expecting another museum that just told the history of the Holocaust, this museum is excellently done. It focuses on specifically what happened to Hungary and its Jews during the Holocaust, sparing no graphic detail. What I and other Jews greatly appreciated about this museum is the focus on the persecution of the Jews and the complacency of many Hungarians in the Nazi crimes, while museums in Poland whitewashed the promotion of antisemitism by the Poles during that time. At the end of the museum is a beautiful old synagogue that has been transformed into a memorial of what once was. Perhaps the most moving memorial in Budapest is the shoe memorial on the Danube promenade by the parliament. This memorial shows sixty pairs of iron shoes commemorating how the Hungarian Arrow Cross Nazis tied Jews together and shot them into river so that some died by gunfire while others drowned. Likewise, as in Germany, there are brass cobblestones in front of buildings commemorating Jews who were sent away, largely to Auschwitz, during the Holocaust.

It might be as a result of Hungary’s acknowledgment of the Holocaust that Jews have been moving to Budapest, and others already here have been reconnecting with their Jewish roots. While other cities in this part of Europe have minimal Jewish presence since the Holocaust, today Budapest has approximately 100,000 Jews and is among the fastest growing Jewish communities in Europe, having the largest number of Jews in Central or Eastern Europe. One of the great places to visit is the Dohany Street Synagogue. The synagogue, completed in 1859, has a Moorish architectural style that was typical of Nealog synagogues of the time. Nealog Judaism was a form of progressive Judaism that was a precursor to what would become Conservative Judaism, and originated in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and like their other synagogues, this one is beautifully painted and adorned inside. The Dohany Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and second largest in the world (after Emanu-El in New York). A plaque at the synagogue acknowledges that once attached to the synagogue was the house where Theodor Herzl, the father of the Zionist movement, was born. In the back of the synagogue is the Temple of Heroes, a synagogue chapel that was built after World War I as a memorial to the Jews who died fighting for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In front of and behind the chapel are memorials for Jews who died in the Holocaust, including a sculpture of a willow tree with metal leaves, some of which have the names of those who died in the Holocaust. Next to the tree is a memorial to Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat stationed in Budapest who saved approximately 20,000 Jews using his diplomatic powers during the Holocaust, alongside other Righteous Gentiles, like Swiss diplomat Carl Lutz, who has another striking memorial in town.

Down the street from the Dohany Street Synagogue is the Rumbach Synagogue, which has been beautifully restored in recent years and turned into a museum about Budapest Jewry. It is another grand Nealog synagogue, that likewise is beautiful and in the Moorish style.

Budapest’s star attraction though is what must easily be the most beautiful parliament building in the world, which also happens to be the third largest. Located right on the Danube in Pest, the bright white building with spires and burgundy domes stands proudly. For a tour, get your tickets well in advance as they sell out. The inside of the building is as impressive as the outside, especially when you realize that all of the gold is actually gold leaf, with 40 kg of gold used to decorate the building. While inside the building, admire the many statues of the heroes who built Hungary and the past kings, and visit the old hall where members of parliament used to debate bills. The main attractions inside the parliament are the Golden Staircase and the Royal Crown. The Golden Staircase is 268 meters of carpeted entry with statues of lions, marble stairs, frescos, and bright golden walls and ceiling; it is used only for elite delegations like visiting foreign heads of state. In the next room is Hungary’s most prized possession, the 4.5 pound Hungarian crown with precious jewels and a bent cross on top. According to tradition, the crown was given to King St. Stephen by Pope Sylvester II in 1000. It is accompanied by a scepter from St. Stephen and an orb that dates back to the 13th century. It is guarded at all times by two honor guards who circle it or stand at attention. Following World War II, the United States took control of the crown and stored it in Fort Knox to keep it from falling into Soviet hands until President Jimmy Carter returned it in 1978.

While there are so many sights to see that you need a jam-packed few days minimum in Budapest, do not forget the relaxing side of the city (aside from the thermal baths). Go shopping at the covered Central Market Hall, which has fantastic souvenir shopping and great Hungarian food vendors selling local specialties like goulash. A must-buy while at the market is paprika, as Hungary is the self-proclaimed paprika capital of the world. Not far from the market is perhaps my favorite confectionary in Europe, Gerbeaud. Get yourself a dessert there after eating at one of the restaurants in the area. You can also go dessert hopping in the area, with local specialties like chimney cake, rose shaped gelato, and apple strudel. The Danube has numerous beautiful bridges crossing the river (check out the iconic chain suspension bridge with its stately lion statues, which is a symbol of the city). One of the bridges is Margaret Bridge, which connects to Margaret Island in the river, a pedestrian island with a park, beautiful flowers, a monastery, and a musical fountain. After a long day of sightseeing, a pleasant stroll or sitting on a park bench can be a nice way to relax. However, when the sun starts to set, hop on a one hour Danube River cruise and enjoy views of both sides of the river. When the sun sets, the landmarks illuminate, especially the parliament building.

While cities like Rome, Paris, and London get more attention from Americans, make sure you add Budapest to your European capital city visitor lists; you will not be disappointed by one of the continent’s greatest gems.

Like it? Pin it!