The second leg of the Eastern European journey I took with my 2 sons had us departing St. Petersburg for Budapest with a brief layover in Frankfurt via #Lufthansa. The carrier departs from Terminal 1 at Pulkovo Airport which is located about 17 miles south of the city center. The airport has been refurbished in recent years and sports any number of attractive duty free shops and restaurants. Lufthansa doesn’t have a branded lounge at this airport and contracts with the Pulkovo Business Class Lounge located on the third floor in the international departures area near Gate 1. What a disappointment! This lounge is extremely crowded as passengers from every international carrier (with the exception of Aeroflot) are sent here and it’s really just one large room with too many seats and minimal food and beverage offerings. We would have done better simply exploring the airport.
We were flying on an Airbus A320 for the 3 hour flight. At 18” wide with 30” of pitch, the seats in business class are the same as those in economy with 3 seats on each side of the aisle. What sets them apart is that these middle seats are intentionally left empty. The number of rows (ours had 7) is variable, depending upon the load factor and some flights feature a minimum of 3 rows in the business cabin. Even though this was considered a “medium haul” route, we enjoyed a nice lunch and attentive service on Lufthansa and I noted our meal was served on china tableware. The wine selections were good as well and, in this regard, Lufthansa stands out from the crowd. Their Master of Wine, Markus Del Monego, has strict criteria for selecting wines that will maintain their bouquet and flavor at 30,000 feet while pairing well with meat, seafood, pasta or vegetarian dishes. Our arrival in Frankfurt was on time and we traveled on another A320 for our second flight of the day to Budapest.
After arriving at Ferenc Liszt International Airport we headed straight for #LeMeridien Hotel. It was a #SPGHotels property at the time but has since undergone extensive renovations and recently opened as the #RitzCarlton Budapest, now part of the #MarriottBonvoy luxury hotel portfolio. The building maintains much of the historic architectural charm from when it first opened as an Italian insurance company in 1914 and is situated in a great location, within walking distance to many of the city’s major attractions. When we stayed there, Le Meridien was a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and the first hotel in Budapest to receive the coveted Five Star Award rating, placing it among the city’s top properties.
Budapest is Hungary’s capital city and the River Danube runs right through the center, dividing the city into 2 parts-the hilly Buda district and relatively flat Pest. The Budapest Castle Hill Funicular in Buda was a pleasant and fairly inexpensive way to save our legs the steep hike up to Castle Hill from the river level on Adam Clarke Square. A ride on one of the 2 historic tram cars took only a few minutes while giving us some unique and memorable views of the city. The funicular has been in service since 1870 and was meticulously reconstructed in its original style after it was completely destroyed in a World War II bombing raid. It was admitted to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1987.
The Castle Hill District features charming, winding streets past baroque houses and Habsburg monuments. A key attraction we enjoyed was the lovely Buda Castle, a historic castle and palace complex of the Hungarian Kings first completed in 1265. The baroque palace that occupies most of the site today was built between 1749 and 1769. It’s been razed and rebuilt over the centuries and is now home to the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. The gallery collections cover Hungarian art in many genres, including the works of many 19th and 20th Century artists who worked in Paris and other locations in the West. The museum exhibitions focus on the turbulent history of the city over the past 2,000 years.
Once back down the funicular, we walked across the iconic Chain Bridge to the Pest side of the Danube. The bridge was designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark and built by Scottish engineer Adam Clark. This was the first permanent bridge spanning the River Danube and opened in 1849. At the time of its construction, the suspension bridge was the longest in Europe. It was considered to be one of the modern world’s engineering wonders with just 2 towers supporting the spans with giant iron chains. The chains gave the bride its name and it has wielded great significance in Hungary’s economic, social and cultural life, much as the Brooklyn Bridge has in New York and the US. This was the first bridge to connect Buda and Pest and walking across is still one of the most poplar things to do in the city. On the Pest side of the Danube, the bridge exits at Szechenyl Square, site of the magnificent Gresham Palace. That building is now home to the Four Seasons Hotel, one of the city's top properties, where we stopped to enjoy a coffee in the beautiful lobby after our 15-minute crossing.
The next day found us visiting the Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial Dedicated in 2005 and created by film director Can Togay with sculptor Gyula Pauer, it was built in remembrance of the 3,500 people, 800 of them Jews, who were killed by the fascist militiamen in Budapest during World War II. These souls were ordered to first remove their shoes (a valuable wartime commodity), then they were shot at the water’s edge so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away by the current. The sculptor created 60 pairs of period-appropriate shoes out of iron which are attached to the stone embankment. Behind them lies a 130-foot long stone bench to which 3 cast iron signs are attached with the following text in Hungarian, English and Hebrew: “To the memory of the victims shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944-45.” We spent a good amount of time here in somber reflection of the horrors of war and the tragic toll it takes in loss of innocent lives.
After that sombre experience it was time for some fun and we found it that afternoon in a visit to the Gellert Spa. This is one of the most famous thermal spa baths in Europe, and one of the leading natural hot spring spa baths in Budapest. For background, this city sits on a patchwork of nearly 125 thermal springs and “taking the waters” has been an integral part of everyday life here since the Roman times. The layout included a large thermal pool where temperatures ranged from warm to pretty hot, with steam rooms, saunas and massage rooms located elsewhere in the complex. Depending upon the time of day and the day of the week, baths can be restricted for men or women only so you need to do a little advance planning to ensure you arrive on the proper day and the correct time. Although I didn’t personally “take the waters,” I can testify that my sons had a blast and found it to be a relaxing and rejuvenating experience they'd recommend to anyone visiting the city.
We saved the best for last. On our final day we visited St. Stephen’s Basilica. This Roman Catholic Church is the largest in Budapest and can hold up to 8,500 people, While in architectural terms it’s a cathedral, it was given the title of basilica minor by Pope Pius XI in 1931. It took more than 50 years to build, commencing in 1851. During its construction in 1868 the dome collapsed and rebuilding had to start almost from scratch which explains the delay in its completion. The inauguration ceremony took place in 1906 and was attended by Emperor Franz Joseph. The patron saint of the church is St. Stephen, the first King of Hungary. Believe it or not, his mummified, so-called “incorruptible” right hand is kept in a glass case in the chapel to the left of the main altar.
The dome of the basilica rises nearly 315 feet high. It’s the exact same height as the Budapest Parliament Building and symbolizes the balance between Church and State. In fact, current building regulations in Budapest stipulate that no other structure in the city can be taller. The beautiful interior in also noteworthy and is decorated by famous artists of the era. The most valuable art is the mosaic based on a Gyula Benczur oil painting depicting the allegories of the Mass. Another outstanding work by Benczur is the painting showing St. Stephen holding up the crown and asking the Virgin Mary to become the patroness of Hungary. We spent hours in the basilica. An appreciation for art, architecture and history was a great way to end our brief visit to this great city.
Sadly, it was soon time to depart Hungary for our second trip to Russia. More about that in a future post.
Until next time...safe travels.
As always George, inspiring and educational. Nice one!