Budapest: The Vár

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View from the Chain Bridge

During our week in Budapest we criss-crossed the Danube several times using four different bridges. On our first venture to the Buda side of the river, we walked across from Pest via the Chain Bridge (Lánchíd), the first permanent link between the two (inaugurated 1849).

The Vár and Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge Lion
John on the Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge

On the other side, we decided to take the Sikló, a renovated 19th century funicular, up to the Vár (or Várhegy – Castle Hill). This turned out to be the only transport that we used all week other than our own two feet!

Budapest funicular
Budapest funicular

The funicular delivers you to the Royal Palace, home to the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. We decided to save these up for a rainy day – which never came so I can’t tell you anything about them. We just wandered around the outside, enjoying the views back across the river.

Castle Hill fountain
View from Castle Hill
Royal Palace statue

If Pest reminded me of Paris, Buda, or at least the Vár, felt much more Germanic. Enjoy the pretty streets.

The Vár
The Vár
The Vár
The Vár
The Vár
The Vár

Admire the details.

The Vár
The Vár
The Vár
The Vár
The Vár

Feel moved by the Trinity Columns, erected in 1713 in thanksgiving for the abatement of a plague …

Trinity Column
Trinity Column

… and by the Mary Magdalene Tower, all that is left of a church wrecked in World War 2.

Site of Mary Magdalene Church
Site of Mary Magdalene Church
Mary Magdalene Tower
Mary Magdalene Tower

Above all, feel amazed that, despite this being early March, we could enjoy lunch outside in the sunshine!

Lunch in Buda
Lunch in Buda

Behind me in the picture above is Mátyás Church, officially dedicated to Our Lady but popularly named for Good King Mátyás. It’s not as old as it looks, being mainly a late 19th century recreation restored again after World War 2. Still, it’s very interesting and colourful inside and out.

Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church roof
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church
Mátyás Church

Behind the church is Fisherman’s Bastion, probably the best place for views back across the Danube. It’s a fancy 19th century concoction that I’m sure no self-respecting fisherman would have anything to do with. The statue is King Stephen.

Fisherman’s Bastion
Statue of King Stephen at Fisherman’s Bastion
Fisherman’s Bastion and Statue of King Stephen
Fisherman’s Bastion
View of parliament from Fisherman’s Bastion
Fisherman’s Bastion reflected

Having traversed the Vár we descended the other side of the hill and made our way back along the river bank to the Chain Bridge, taking in a last few sights on the way.

Buda
Buda
Buda
St Anne’s Church
Reformed Church
Reformed Church
Decorative Buda

In my next Budapest post, I’ll return to the Pest side of the river.

Hungary

46 Comments »

  1. We spent our third day, a Monday, here on the Buda side. I loved the colorful tiles and the beautifully painted interior of Matthias Church and the views of the Danube and Parliament from Fisherman’s Bastion. We also headed with great enthusiasm for the Budapest History Museum only to find it was closed on Monday. We never made it back, sadly. We also stopped in at St. Anne’s, which I see you have pictured, because we heard it had a beautiful interior, but it was closed. Also, the funicular was closed, so we lazy people took a cart up to the church. I should have read all your posts BEFORE I went; I might have noticed more and focused our three days differently. You were smart to take 7 days to see Budapest. I told Mike we should always plan at least 5 days in a European city. We tried to do too much in 2 weeks; sadly Mike can only take off 2 weeks from work at a time. We could have easily left out Vienna, my least favorite, but it was on our way so it seemed a shame not to stop.

    Your pictures are all fabulous, Anabel! It’s nice to relive our holiday not only by looking at our own pictures, but also by reading your posts! 🙂

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        • Not there either. I’m thinking of a European tour this summer before we crash out of the EU and become total pariahs (though we might get away with playing the Scottish card as we voted to remain.)

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            • I hope so. I think there’s a lot of sympathy for us in Europe, also for N Ireland which also voted to remain and has the added complication of a land border with the EU in the shape of the Republic of Ireland. It’s a mess and our esteemed (not) UK govt doesn’t seem to have a clue what they are doing. As for where we might go, not decided yet – and the plans might totally change before next summer!

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  2. What a wonderful time you had, and the weather is amazing! Loving seeing the city through your eyes, must really get my act together and explore more of Europe (and as you say soon!!)

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  3. I hope I am still able to travel there after this mess here in America. The “details” are so beautiful and it is heartbreaking that war has taken so much away. By the looks of the photos I am happy there is still beautiful history that exists there. Keep sharing, you happen to be my National Geographic these days!

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    • It is beautiful, but so much sadness to look back on from the fascist and communist eras. I hope you get there some day. We’re off to Canada this year, but I think we might concentrate on Europe next year before Brexit kicks in and makes us total pariahs. I think other countries have looked at what the US and UK have done and thought, no thanks! Most recently France rejecting Le Pen.

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  8. I love a city where you never have to get in a vehicle – it’s one of the reasons Paul and I love Key West. We ditch the car when we get there, and don’t get back in one until we’re leaving the island.

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  9. So much WOW in this blog post Anabel. And seeing you both in the chilly but sunshiny March temps gave me a bit of location envy as I sweat my way through beautiful but extremely hot Thailand. Budapest has long been on my list but still several years off, so nice to celebrate it here with you!

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  10. Like other readers have already mentioned, your pictures make me feel like I was on this trip with you. Lunch outside in March? I’m totally jealous!

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  11. Seeing the pictures of the Colourful church and the Fisherman’s Wharf brings back wonderful memories when I was there back in 1982. I loved that church and found the colours so beautiful.

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    • So do we. We planned to buy one of the weekly travel passes but I’m glad we didn’t as it was much more fun walking. I think if we’d been there a shorter time we’d have used public transport to move between areas more quickly, but with a week we didn’t need to.

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  14. Impressive city. Need a good pair of shoes for all that walking which is why I always wear hill-walking boots for visiting cities for extra comfort and support- can’t do it in trainers anymore.

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  17. Beautiful photos! And, such luck with the weather. Sitting outside in March?? Here I thought the weather was always dreary in Eastern Europe. Must be because of all those depressing movies and documentaries set there. 🙂 Well, you are making this hard for me. I am hoping to do a city trip to a European city in June and now Budapest is high on the list again, competing with Krakau and Barcelona! 🙂 How long were you there?

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  18. Hi Anabel – I’d like to go back to Eastern Europe now – I went when Prague was covered in plastic after the uprisings … and the Iron Curtain was still in place … so not so comfortable. I’m not sure if you’ve said you’ve read the Patrick Leigh Fermor Books – the trilogy … Budapest falls into the 2nd one, but I loved the first … for further read up … so worth while – if I’m not ‘preaching’ to the converted.

    Gosh wish you’d had a chance to the National Gallery and the Natural History Museum -but how lucky to have such wonderful weather …

    Love the photos and the roof – brilliant tiling … cheers Hilary

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  19. The Var reminds me of Krakow… very beautiful and historic city. I really ought to get out visiting more of these cities. Most of my trips to European cities were either work or musical-theatre related.

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