A Weekend in Budapest
Illustrated map of Budapest by Megan McKean
Beautiful Budapest! I took a weekend trip to Hungary’s capital, armed with an itinerary of places to eat and buildings to see. We had a lot of rain over the days we were in town, but it was still a colourful, vibrant visit that was a lot of fun.
Ruszwurm Confectioners — the oldest sweets shop in Hungary, and the perfect spot to sample some Hungarian specials; we tried the classic Cake Dobos and the creamy Ruszwurm (almost like the Australian vanilla slice!)
Fishermans Bastion — the historial monuement near Buda castle, Fishermans Bastion gives a panormic view from the bastion out over the Danube river and across to Pest
Lui — a breakfast stop that was very popular with locals. We couldn’t pass up trying the Aranygaluska, a sweet bun served in a thin vanilla custard
Mazel Tov — my favourite meal of the trip at this Modern Israeli restaurant. Everything was so flavourful and fresh, I wish we’d had longer in town so I could have gone back for a second visit.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath — a Hungarian institution. While I didn’t go in the baths it was fun to see the bright yellow building, and all the visitors getting ready to soak for the day!
Museum of Fine Arts — a beautiful building, and a huge collection of fine art. The collection of Old Masters paintings were especially great!
Pichler Chimney Cakes — we couldn’t leave Budapest without trying the chimney cake (the last time I had one was in Prague, almost 8 years before!) and they’re just as delicious as I remembered them to be. There were lots of options for gelato and chocolate or pistachio spreads to fill the cakes, but we just opted for a classic with cinammon sugar. Perfect!
Souvenirs — I always keep an eye out for a small souvenir to bring back from a little trip like this, and this time I found my prize in the back of a convenience store. A deck of playing cards called The Black Cat, for $5 I couldn’t leave these whacky and wonderful illustrations behind.
