Three Days in a Wes Anderson Movie: Budapest

Parliament Building

A city still rising up from the ruins of two wars and communism. A city still among top 5 cities with highest suicide rate in the world. A city where they still don’t say cheers because when jewish people were lined up at Danube and shot by military men of Arrow Cross they cheered after every body fell in the river. A city filled with people with biggest and warmest smile across their faces.

Buda Castle

The moment I stepped out of the train station, I was transported to a Wes Anderson movie. The streets, thermal baths, the buildings, the colour palette of the city was straight out of any of his movie.

Thermal Baths

Hungary has around 1000s of natural hot water springs. So, naturally, Budapest became top thermal bath destination of Europe.

I checked out Széchenyi thermal bath and Gellert Bath.

Széchenyi bath is the biggest thermal bath but that also means it is most crowded.

Pro-tip: Don’t forget to get a map of the bath at the entrance, it is really huge! And don’t forget your towels and swimming caps or you will end up paying double. Swim suit is mandatory in all the baths.

Gellert Bath is a smaller bath but much more beautiful. I fell in love with the architecture of the bath.

If you want to check out traditional turkish bath, go to Rudas!

Ruin Pubs

What is ruin pub? Well take an abandoned place, fill it with whatever you can find, tyres, bulbs, bath tubs as seats (because why not?) and you have your hipster pub ready!

Trend started with Szimpla Kert, followed by many in the Jewish Quarter!

Remember to carry cash. Well if you forget or run out of cash they obviously have an ATM inside the pub! This ruin pub was so huge, a map was definitely needed.

Local Cuisine

Budapest is known for its street food with, thank god, enough vegetarian options! We went to Great market hall to check out local cuisine and how locals shop. Vegetarians, do try out Lángos!

This is also where I found firangs dancing on the famous song of Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma “Aiwe Aiwe loot gaya” :P

Bridges of Budapest

Liberty Bridge
Chain Bridge

My best memories of Budapest are sitting next to Danube river and listening to live music and, walking the streets at night.

We stayed in the Pest side, jewish quarter to be precise, which was perfect because night life of Pest is insane. Just in case you are wondering, Budapest was originally two cities, the hilly Buda and the flat Pest. They were merged to become one only in late 1800s. Till date, you can see two separate personalities very distinctly when you cross the river, Danube.

Budapest is not like any other European city I have been been to. It is a city which is still recovering from the spoil of wars. A city which can party all night long. A city who knows how to celebrate life, who cares if they don’t say cheers :)

Few more pics from my trip to Budapest

Fun fact about Budapest Opera House: Franz Joseph had agreed for the construction of Budapest Opera House on the condition that it can not be more beautiful than Vienna’s. On the opening night, when he finally saw the opera house, he walked out pissed because Budapest’s was so much more beautiful :)

So, add Budapest to your travel list and visit this amazing, amazing place soon :D

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