Budapest - Part Two

Hi,

Day two featured yet more walking, but also the use of the various public transport options available as well, to save our legs. We caught the bus to Batthyany Ter from our hotel. We then got on the yellow tram, number 19 or 41, to Clark Adam Ter. Cross the road to a car park, which you walk through to Lanchid U. Turn right and just before the roundabout look for the 'Zero Kilometre Stone' on the left with the funicular behind, as shown below. The zero kilometre stone is where all distances to or from Budapest are measured from.

http://a title="Misibacsi at the Hungarian language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ANulla_kilometer_siklo.jpg">

The funicular is 19th century in origin and saves walking up Castle Hill.

'http://

At the Castle Hill  there is a scenic view of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge across the Danube, the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace, and St. Stephen's Basilica.

 

This website has a self guided 2-3 hour walk around Castle Hill on it's pages, with recommendations for a bite to eat as well. Or you can just wander around if you wish.

 

http://visitbudapest.travel/activities/budapest-sightseeing/castle-hill-walking-tour/

 

We headed left out of the funicular upper station towards the Royal Palace, just follow the crowds. There is an alternative transport option to the Castle Hill area from the central metro hub of Deak Ferenc Ter. Lines M1, M2 and M3 converge at this station. Get on the red line M2 (destination Deli palyudva) and go 3 stops to Szell Kalman ter. Out of the station look ahead and you should see the raised road with orange metal fences, where the number 16 bus leaves from.

 

Map of station area here

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Sz%C3%A9ll+K%C3%A1lm%C3%A1n+t%C3%A9r+M/@47.5067786,19.0240165,96m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x4741dea0fbc02081:0x9fca2c4dd64ddd03

 

The route goes right, then left across a concrete courtyard and over the tram tracks and up some steps. Turn left and the bus stop is adjacent. Bus number 16 (destination Deak ferenc Ter) and go a few stops to Szentháromság tér. This is the stop to get off for Matthias Church and Fishermen's Bastion.

 

http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/matthias-church/

 

http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/fishermens-bastion/

 

http://www.fishermansbastion.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g274887-d276803-Reviews-Fisherman_s_Bastion_Halaszbastya-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

 

 

As can be seen above, there is a view from the walls looking out over the city, for a price. With us being tightwads, we moved on to the National Archives Museum., via Fortuna U.

 

 

From the Archives Museum, go back the way you came on Fortuna U. Go past Mathias church onto Tarnok U, which leads to Disz ter. From Disz ter, both Szinház utca or Szent György utca will take you to the Royal Palace.

 

 

The other components of Royal Palace complex are,

 

The National Library,

 

http://

 

National Gallery,

 

http://www.mng.hu/en/collections

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g274887-d276806-Reviews-Hungarian_National_Gallery_Magyar_Nemzeti_Galeria-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_National_Gallery

 

and The Budapest History Museum.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g274887-d276807-Reviews-Budapest_History_Museum_Budapesti_Toreneti_Muzeum-Budapest_Central_Hungary.html

 

Whilst up on Castle Hill you can catch views of the Danube and the parliament building.

 

 

We managed to tear ourselves away from Castle Hill, with it's lovely buildings and captivating views. We retraced our route back (explained above) to Batthyany ter metro station on red line M2, then changed at Deak ferenc ter onto yellow line M1. We then travelled seven stops to Hosok ter station. This station's name translates to English as 'Heroes Square', the monument on the edge of the enormous City Park. We underestimated how many things to see and do there were In this park, we thought the attractions could be seen in a couple of hours, how wrong can you get!.

 

http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/city-park/

 

Heroes Square

 

The heavens had opened while we were travelling to the city park on the metro. It put us off sightseeing in the park, being wet out in the open is no fun. Either side of Heroes Square is the Kunsthalle,

And the Museum of Fine Arts

We did not go in either museum unfortunately, as we wrongly thought both were art galleries, which we are not really fans of. Mark walked a little by the lake behind Heroes Square, and took a photo of what he now knows is Vajdahunyad Castle. He thought it was closed for renovations, due to the fencing seen in the photo.

By this point both of us were getting a little tired and thought it best to go back to the hotel. We went through Heroes Square, over the bridge spanning the lake, turned left and immediately took a diagonal path to the right. This path leads to Széchenyi fürdő mertro station on yellow line M1. This line goes back to Deak Ferenc ter metro hub. We have a lot of regrets about the city park, it has so many attractions which we missed out on.

Széchenyi fürdő (baths)
http://a title="By Pierre Bona (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%
3ABudapest-Thermes_Sz%C3%A9chenyi_f%C3%BCrd%C5%91.jpg">

http://visitbudapest.travel/activities/budapest-baths/szechenyi-baths/

Budapest Zoo

http://a title="By ato (Indafotó) [CC-BY-2.5-hu (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/hu/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AF%C5%91v%C3%A1rosi_%C3%81llat-_%C3%A9s_N%C3%B6v%C3%A9nykert_(1219._sz%C3%A1m%C3%BA_m%C5%B1eml%C3%A9k)_2.jpg">
http://visitbudapest.travel/activities/fun-things-to-do/budapest-zoo/
The Museum of Transport
http://
http://visitbudapest.travel/arts-entertainment/budapest-museums/museum-of-transport/
The Aviation Museum
http://
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_Museum_of_Budapest
Museum of Hungarian Agriculture
http://
http://visitbudapest.travel/arts-entertainment/budapest-museums/museum-of-hungarian-agriculture/
This list makes us think we did not research Budapest very well in 2003, could of done with the visitbudapest website, ah well never mind.  We have stated before, Budapest is a vastly underrated city, go before it gets 'discovered' by the masses.
Hungary For Tips? (these titles are getting more corny with every post)
1. Buy a Budapest Card if you are staying for two or three days, especially if you are visiting a lot of museums.
http://www.budapestbylocals.com/budapest-card.html
2. Want to spend a penny in Budapest? Public toilets (if you can find one that is) charge a fee to use them. Ladies need to look for ‘női’ and gents are looking for ‘férfi’.
And now for something completely different, as they used to say on the BBC to announce 'Monty Python's Flying Circus'. Even Mark will not be able to generate enough moaning rants for the 'And Another thing....' section of the blog indefinitely. We are attempting to preserve his sanity (that horse has bolted, tee, hee) by introducing a semi-regular, see how it goes, you never know your luck, it might become popular, topic to supplement  'And Another Thing....' So here it is, in all it's glory.
Thanks For The Memories.... (Or if you are not old enough to remember the item in question, what is it? Or these days - WTF?) The title needs a bit of work.
The British Visitors Passport

This was a quick and easy alternative to getting a 'full' passport from the Passport Office. Just pop down to a main Post Office with your birth certificate and twenty five countries were available to travel to. Saved the hassle of finding a 'professional' who would countersign a photo of myself. A doctor, for example. So much for the so called classless society we were promised. Very handy if you needed a passport immediately.
A BBC history of passport's.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11087731
A 2009 article in the Daily telegraph newspaper explains the changeover to the 'red' passports due to the threat of terrorism. And also a rise in price above the rate of inflation to pay for it. At least the Government and their greed never seems to change.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/philipjohnston/100002414/a-new-passport-cheap-at-half-the-price/
How I miss the old 'blue' hardback passport. I much prefer it to the new 'red' version. I love the handwritten update of Miss White's marital status.

Thanks for reading,
Mark & Yvette