After a 7-hour bus ride from Prague on Thursday, we arrived in Budapest, Hungary. Our hostel was pretty convenient, and we rarely used public transportation since the city is so compact. Like the Czech Republic, Hungary was under communist rule from WWII until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of the features of the city and society resemble Prague, but Budapest has its own unique character. Hungarians use the Forint, their own currency, even though they are members of the European Union; and the exchange rate is about 200 Forints to the dollar. That means a lot of large bills at the ATM. A meal costs 1000 forints (weird).
On our first afternoon, we climbed to the top of Gellert Hill on the Buda side of the river. The city used to be divided into two separate towns on each side of the Danube until the 1860s...Buda and Pest. Buda is more historic and cosmopolitan, and Pest is more touristy and lively. From the top of Gellert, we could see the whole cityscape and even the Hungarian version of the Statue of Liberty.
After a night checking out some of the interesting Budapest bar culture (which includes "ruin bars," we took a free walking tour of the city. Our guide showed us many of the historical sites and stories of the Hungarian capital. St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian Castle were the main stops. After the tour, we had a typical Hungarian meal for under $6, consisting of meatloaf, potatoes, onion soup, and beer. For the whole two days including hostel and eating-well, I spent less than $90. This is a testament to the affordability of Eastern Europe.
We ended our trip to Budapest by seeing the Hungarian Parliament (modeled after Westminster in London), the Great Synagoge (the largest in Europe), and Hero's Square. Budapest was a surprisingly cosmopolitan and interesting city. The architecture is very Western (following from Austro-Hungarian rule), and the people are so friendly.
The next and final stop of our tour of the Golden Triangle of Central Europe was Vienna, Austria. We took a bus on Saturday morning before checking into our hostel and figuring out the public transportation. There is definitely a visible difference between Vienna and Budapest or Prague, as the German language and heritage gives the city a wealth and power. The lack of communist legacy makes Austria expensive and advanced, but the sights are absolutely the best. We started by seeing the city cemetery, which houses the graves of all the famous composers that worked in Vienna, including Beethoven, Mozart, Strauss, and Brahms.
Back in the city center, we walked through the Hofburg Palace area. While there is not a lot to do in Vienna, it is definitely a city to be appreciated for its beauty and history. Once the seat of Europe's most powerful Empire, the Habsburgs, Vienna has more castles than you can count. The city center also is home to more than four major palace buildings all within a 4-square block area.
The food in Vienna was also very good, but expensive. So were the drinks, and the Euro strength does not help matters. I spent at least 50% more in Vienna than I did in Budapest, but that's the way Western Europe works. We spent Saturday night at a really cool club called Prater Dome, located in a carnival grounds. When you enter, they take your picture and hand you what looks like a hotel key. At the end of the night, you return your key and pay for cover entry charge and any drinks you may have charged. Quite expensive, but the more than five clubs inside was an experience.
On Sunday, we toured the Schloss Schönbrunn, the summer palace in Vienna of the Habsburgs. It is most famous for being the getaway of Maria Theresa (mother of Marie Antoinette) and Emperor Franz Josef (who lead Austria-Hungary into World War I before the collapse of his empire). The palace grounds are similar to Versailles in Paris, with expansive gardens and grounds. Vienna was really wonderful and relaxing. I had such a good trip with my Georgetown friends and got to cross off a few more cities in Central Europe.
This is my final weekend in Prague before finals. On Sunday, my Judaism class will travel to Terezin, a holding camp during the Holocaust in the Czech Republic. I'm sure that I will have an update for you, my loyal readers, in the near future!
Finally, my fifth column in The Hoya from abroad has been published this week! Make sure to czech it out, and feel free to give me suggestions for future columns! Click here to read my article in this week's The Guide!
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