Budapest, Hungary or Budapest, Magyarország
Happy Birthday Oliver!
Last night was a great night of sleep. The room as cool enough and very quiet. The bed was comfortable although the sheets smelled like soap, but at least there were clean. I slept until almost 07:00, went downstairs and had breakfast. Breakfast was the typical fare.
Sent Mary a reminder to wake up at 08:00. Found the Cosmos tour outline in the lobby. Our first meeting will be with them at 18:00 tonight. The details for tomorrow were still a little sketchy for tomorrow. Breakfast is from 07:00 and departure time in 09:00. Included in the program is a city sightseeing tour with a local guide. We are to wear comfortable shoes & headsets. The headset kind of throws us because we really didn’t bring any. Now I wish I had brought by Bose noise cancelling headset. Actually I think I gave those away because they don’t work with the iPhone or iPad any more and I have the AirPod Max.
There is the optional Danube Cruise from 12:30 until 14:00 and something about a transfer back to the hotel at 14:15. IT really doesn’t matter but it makes it difficult to plan another tour if you don’t have this information in advance, or know what had were the tour is going. Our guess is that tonight at the 18:00 meeting we’ll learn more.
Last night at dinner we did meet people who have been on Cosmos Tours before and have been happy. We’ll focus on that. Today we decided to take the Hop-on-Hop-off tour bus. The hotel is near the Keleti Railway Station, and as it turns out so is stop 10 on the Hop-on-Hop-off bus tour. There are twenty-plus stops on the tour bus.
There was a nice man at the stop who was explaining the bus and its route to a group of eight or so tourists. Now the cost of the tour is in the Hungarian Forint. The Forint (or usually referred to in writing at either Ft or HUF). The Forint's name comes from the city of Florence, where gold coins called fiorino d'oro were minted from 1252. In Hungary, the florentinus (later Forint), also a gold-based currency, was used from 1325.
Between 1868 and 1892, the Forint was the name used in Hungarian for the currency of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, known in German as the Gulden. The forint was reintroduced on 1 August 1946, after the pengő was rendered worthless by massive hyperinflation in 1945–46, the highest ever recorded. The introduction of the Forint on 1 August 1946 was a crucial step in the post-World War II stabilisation of the Hungarian economy, and the currency remained relatively stable until the 1980s. Transition to a market economy in the early 1990s adversely affected the value of the Forint; inflation peaked at 35% in 1991. Between 2001 and 2022, inflation was in single digits, and the forint has been declared fully convertible. In May 2022, inflation reached 10.7% amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine and economic uncertainty. As a member of the European Union, the long-term aim of the Hungarian government may be to replace the forint with the euro. The current government has not established a target date for adopting the euro. Hungary also is still some distance from meeting an the various requirements for adoption of the euro, although they were close a decade ago.
Currently there are about 355 HUF to the dollar, and it is relatively stable. The Hop-on-Hop-off bus is 15,000 HUF for 24 hours, and 17,000 HUF for 48 hours. We decided to take the 48 hour tour. The 34,000 HUF actually converted to $95.93 – which would be a conversion rate of 354.43 HUF to the dollar. So not bad.
When the bus arrived we were surprised. It was nearly full. IT looked like there was little chance of seats up top, which have a better view, so we sat downstairs. The first stop as was the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel. It is a five-star luxury hotel on the Grand Boulevard of Budapest's Erzsébet körút part, at Erzsébet körút 9–11.
The building opened on October 23, 1894, as a local office of the New York Life Insurance Company. It was designed by architect Alajos Hauszmann, along with Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl. The famous New York Café was located on the ground floor, has been a longtime center for Hungarian literature and poetry. The statues and other ornaments on the facade of the building, as well as the café's 16 imposing devilish fauns, are the works of Károly Senyei.
The building was damaged in World War II, and then nationalized during the communist era. The New York Café was renamed the Hungaria Café in 1954. In 1957, Hungarian sculptors Sándor Boldogfai Farkas, Ödön Metky, and János Sóváry carved replicas in the café of the damaged allegorical sculptures of Thrift and Wealth, America and Hungary. The New York Café was returned to its historic name in 1989, with the fall of communism.
Since 2001, the structure was changed hands several times. The Hungarian government first sold I to the Italian Boscolo Hotels. They completely renovated the building. Then is became part of the Dedica Anthology Hotels and changed its name back to New York Palace Budapest Hotel. Covivio, a European investment and development company, acquired the eight hotels under The Dedica Anthology's portfolio, with these hotels subsequently managed by NH Hotel Group. Lastly, the Minor Hotels, the parent company of Anantara Hotels & Resorts, acquired a majority stake in NH Hotel Group. It was renamed as the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel on November 24, 2021. It is beautiful. We didn’t get out but decided to take the bus all the way around the circuit before deciding where to visit.
The next stop, Astoria, was closed due to construction. Astoria is the colloquial, unofficial name of a major road intersection in the Budapest city center, but it can also refer to a station of the M2 metro line. It is named after Grand Hotel Astoria at its corner.
Benedek Unger and two other families bought and opened the hotel on 14 March 1914, just a few months before the outbreak of the devastating WWI. The hotel manager was Mihály Gellér, one of the best Hungarian experts in the catering sector. Later, he became the first director, giving the name Astoria to the hotel. The new hotel was both aesthetically and technologically a novelty. The building was astonishing, the mechanical engineering was modern, and the service included all the hotel novelties of the era. The leadership of the 1918 Aster Revolution in Hungary moved into the hotel. On 30 October, Count Mihály Károlyi, the later prime minister and first president of Hungary, gave a speech from the hotel’s first-floor balcony. The hotel also served as the Hungarian National Council’s headquarters. Count Károlyi and his wife, Katinka Andrássy, lived on the hotel’s fourth floor even though their palace was only a few blocks away. Thus, the hotel has a Károlyi Room, which anybody can rent for organized events or weddings. After the Communists came into power on 21 March 1919, they moved into the hotel. The heydays of the hotel fell to the 1920s and 1930s.
When the German troops occupied Hungary, the hotel became the headquarters of the Gestapo. During the siege of Budapest, the withdrawing soldiers looted the resort. Two bombs and several gunshots hit the building. Later, it became the headquarters of the US Army officers. Astoria’s second rebirth was in 1946. Budapest did not have many operable hotels then, but Astoria could provide even luxury for its guests thanks to its owner, Ödön Unger. He managed to bring back the atmosphere of the peaceful pre-war era. He bought furniture and artwork. Furthermore, he donated several pieces of his private collection to the hotel.
The Communist leaders of Hungary nationalized the hotel in 1948, Unger was thrown out immediately. Based on the legend, he could take only two champagne glasses. He moved to England but stayed in Astoria every time he travelled to Budapest. The Communists did not change the Astoria name but transformed the hotel’s function. For example, they created a people’s canteen from its illustrious restaurant. During the 1956 revolution and freedom fight, gunshots hit it, but it became Budapest’s hotel by the 1960s again. Danubius Hotels bought the hotel in 1996. Between 2004 and 2007, it underwent a considerable renovation, which helped preserve its classical elegance.
According to reviews on Trip Advisor the hotel has now fallen into disrepair again. We couldn’t see it from the bus, perhaps the construction which changed the route is the redoing of the hotel?
The next stop was the Parisi Passage Café. The Párizsi Udvar (Paris court) is a magnificent Art Deco shopping passage begun in the early 20th century. The building was completed in 1913. The architectural style ranging from Moorish, Venetian Gothic, Art Deco, to Neo Gothic. The main entrance of the Párizsi Udvar is located on Ferenciek Square, one of the oldest squares in Budapest. It has a glass-roofed shopping passage which was modeled after the “Passage des Panoramas” in Paris. The shopping passage is now a fashionable Café, although the Cosmos guide said it is all glitz and glitter; poor quality for, poorer service and prices that make the eye pop. From the photos and description I would venture it is along the line of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milano, roughly the same time period.
Gellért Square is the next stop. It is situated at the foot of the aptly named Gellért Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. Here there is the beautiful Art Nouveau Hotel Gellért spa hotel. The hotel and accompanying spa were built in 1918. Lots of trucks and vans in front of the hotel today. It looked like maybe they were making a movie here.
The bus then headed back upstream towards the castle. We drive through the Garden Castle, stop 15. Lots of trees and bushes. Probably anice place to go for a walk. We drove past the Funicular railway which takes people from the Danube up the hill to the castle. This is stop 16. The fish market, and the fishing village was at the foot of the hill next to the Danube and this is how they got the catch up to the castle.
Stop 17 was Batthyány Square. The stop here is to get a good view of the parliament building across the Danube and to be able to visit the Chain Bridge. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary. It opened in 1849. It was modeled after a smaller bridge in England.
The parliament building was designed by a Hungarian architect named Irme Steindl in the neo-Gothic style and opened in 1902. It has been the largest building in Hungary since it completion. However, given the political history of Hungary has never really been the seat of the government. Approximately 100,000 people were involved in the construction of the building. 88 pounds of gold, a half million precious stones and 40 million bricks were used in its construction. From 1867 until the end of World War I Hungary was part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The end of WW I brought the return of Hungarian Monarchy which lasted until the end of WW II. Until 1989 it was the Socialist People Republic, then it became the Third Republic of Hungary. Today simply known as Hungary.
The south end of the Margaret Bridge was stop 18. Here you can get off and go visit Margaret Island. Margaret Island is basically the Central Park of Budapest. It isn’t so big, just about 1.6 miles long, and three-tenths of a mile wide, approximately 238 acres. The island is mostly covered by landscaped parks, and populate recreation spots. It apparently has three swimming pools and a cushioned jogging track about three miles long.
The Nyugati Railway Station is the 19th stop. The translation pretty much says it all, this is the Western Railway Station. It is one of three stations in Budapest. You used to be able to get to and from the airport at this station. The government in typical governmental fashion remodeled the airport and closed the terminal the train went to, but didn’t build a new station at the airport. It was built by the Eiffel Company in 1877 but doesn’t look like anything Eiffel might have designed. Pretty. The claim to fame here is that is has the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world. Not going to try and find out.
There is another stop for the Parliament building, Stop 20. This time the stop puts you within walking distance. Yes, we are going out of order numerically but we are following the route we took.
So, stop 1 is next. Here you can get out and see the Bazlikia (Basilica). St. Stephen's Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica. It is named in honor of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c. 975–1038), whose right hand is housed in the reliquary. Today, it is the third largest church building in present-day Hungary. It is the largest church in Budapest and a significant historical landmark within the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site Buffer Zone.
Moving on to Stop 2. We are at the Chain Bridge again. Stop 3 is at József Attila Street. Although I can’t see to find any real reason to stop here. You can go the 65-meter high Budapest Eye, yes, another city is a really big Ferris wheel. The shopping district is around here somewhere.
The next stop, 4, is listed simply as the Synagogue. The Great Synagogue was completed in 1859, built in the Moorish style, it reminds one of the Alhambra in Spain. There are over 3,000 seats in the building making it the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. It is a remarkable beautiful building and judging from the line to buy tickets very popular.
Stop 5, Astoria. Go back and ready Stop 12 with the same name. The stops are on opposite sides of the street. Stop 6 is listed as Andrássy Avenue. Built in 1872 Andrássy Avenue is a wide boulevard. It links Erzsébet Square with the Városliget. Lined with spectacular Neo-renaissance mansions and townhouses featuring fine facades and interiors, it was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002. It is also one of Budapest's main shopping streets, with fine cafes, restaurants, theatres, embassies and luxury boutiques. Among the most noticeable buildings are the State Opera House, the former Ballet School, the Zoltán Kodály Memorial Museum and Archives, the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, and the Ferenc Hopp Museum of East Asian Arts.
Stop 7 is the Opera House. It is a richly decorated building and is considered one of the architect's masterpieces. It was built in neo-Renaissance style, with elements of Baroque. Ornamentation includes paintings and sculptures by leading figures of Hungarian art. Although in size and capacity it is not among the greatest, in beauty and the quality of acoustics the Budapest Opera House is considered to be amongst the finest opera houses in the world. The auditorium holds 1,261 people. It is horseshoe-shaped and – according to measurements done in the 1970s by a group of international engineers – has the third best acoustics in Europe after La Scala in Milan and the Palais Garnier in Paris.
Stop 8, related to the Opera House is Liszt Ferenc square. The square was named after the well-known Hungarian musician and composer Ferenc Liszt. It is apparently a popular place with a number of bars, cafés and restaurants.
As we approached the next stop, we noticed there were several Hop-on-Hop-off buses. The first thing we were told about stop 9, Heroes’ Square, was that the bus had broken down, right after it stopped at the curb, and we had to change buses. So, convenient.
Heroes’ Square is the largest and most symbolic square in Budapest. There are two colonnades forming a half circle with a break in the middle. In the center and in front of the colonnades is It is the Millenary Monument, a 105-foot-high pillar topped by a golden Archangel Gabriel, currently undergoing renovation, holding the Hungarian crown and a cross. At the column's base are Prince Árpád and six other Magyar chieftains who occupied the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century. There are 14 statues in the colonnades holding various rulers and statesmen. We didn’t get off to look but hurried to change buses so we could get a seat on the top rather than be inside.
And that gets us back to stop 10 where we got on. However, we didn’t get off but continued to ride the bus through another circuit to stop 1, the Basilica. The view from the upstairs is so much better. We got more out of the second trip than we did the first.
We did get off at the Basilica and began walking around. It was lunch time so most of our energy went to finding someplace for lunch. We walked around searching for someplace to get an Hungarian lunch. We found Vietnamese, Japanese, a number of fast food “joints” and a couple Hungarian places only open for dinner. In Saint Stephen’s Square, in front of the Basilica we found La Fabbrica, an Italian Restaurant. So, it was Italian. We got bruschetta as an appetizer. Mary got a Caesar salad and I got the galosh soup. This was follows by risotto with chicken for Mary, and I got the chicken curry in a bread bowl. Understandable this was way more food than we could eat. It was all very good, and the galosh soup was very different than last night.
We then walked the 1.8 miles back to the hotel. We did walk through Astoria square, but there wasn’t much to see. We walked down Rákóczi Street right straight to the hotel. We rested for a little bit then went downstairs for the 18:00 meet and greet.
Our guide or tour director is Judit. She went over the rules – wear the seat belt, we will rotate seats so you can meet other people on the tour, the money in Serbia is only good in Serbia, but you will need some because not too many places take credit cards, only use an ATM inside the bank, church dress code and the like. Very organized and very professional. She then passed out our headsets for the tour. It was all good.
But now it is time for bed. So, Buonanotte e ciao, Enrico e Maria.
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