I’d visited Budapest in particular cause I wanted to explore it’s breath – taking architectural sites, historical buildings and see the city light 💡 up in the night especially on the Danube River.

I’d traveled solo to Budapest and it resulted in an educational and inspiring traveling experience.

Here is my 2 days itinerary on how I spent my time in Budapest that perhaps could be helpful with planning your visit as well!

Day 1: September 29, 2022

🔶Flew into Budapest International Airport at 1:00 AM. I’d flew with RyanAir as I was traveling from Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the cheapest way to travel to other countries once in Europe.

🔷Didn’t have to go through immigration since I was flying from Copenhagen, Denmark. And prior to that I was in Lisbon, Portugal so I’d cleared custom there.

🔶Stayed 2 nights at D8 Hotel located in the ❤️of downtown Budapest, Hungary. Loved this hotel. It’s walking distance to literally all the museums, cathedrals, stores, cafes, bookstores and it’s surrounded by restaurants.

🔷Booked a morning tour with Viator to explore the Parliament Hungarian Building.

Had an unforgettable experience at the “House of the country” in Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺.

I so thankfully had the opportunity to admired, entered and fall in 💛 with Budapest’s Parliament building.

Below are 3 fun facts and my thoughts that’d dazzled me:

1️⃣ Provides a home for the Hungarian crown. USA 🇺🇸 guarded the crown then returned it back to Hungary after WW2!

🤓My thoughts: Sounds like the start of a powerful friendship…

2️⃣ Provides a workplace for 199 Parliament members and the 600 people that support them.

🤓My thoughts: I wonder how the level of engagement is like…I used to intern in a government sector in my college days in NYC.

3️⃣ Has a red carpet that runs through the building for 2 miles long.

🤓My thoughts: Lawd a mercy! Yeah baby.. I walked on it!! Not 2 miles though…

Oh yeah, try to see the beauty of the Parliament in the night. It looks like it’s floating on a lotus 🪷 flower in the Danube river. It’s just so lovely!

🔶 Had lunch at the World’s most beautiful cafe.

📍New York Café, Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺

I did not know of the existence of this place until two travelers from India 🇮🇳 I’d met in a group tour I was in were promoting and drooling over it’s magnificent architecture beauty.

So after the tour my new friend Nancy, also a fellow solo traveler from the USA 🇺🇸 and I decided to have a delicious lunch here.

The building the New York Café, Budapest is located in used to be the Hungarian headquarter of “The New York Life’s Insurance Company.”

The building was then transitioned into a news agency that was filled with writers, poets, musicians and artists. Here is where the Hungarian literature was born as well as some of the best Hungarian writers honored in the Hungarian’s literature journey.

Now the building is a glamorous hotel. Ghosh the architecture is breathtaking!

This cafe is elegant from the floor to the ceiling. A must visit when in Budapest.

🔷 Took a night cruise 🚢 on the Danube River.

📍Silverline Cruise, Budapest, Hungary 🇭🇺

After exploring Budapest by foot all day, I’d thought it was time to give my legs a rest while I’d take in the beauty of this city on a 🚢.

So I’d booked an evening cruise with Silverline, that’d promised me three beverages as I cruise on the Danube River and enjoyed a traditional Hungarian Folklore Dance Show.

I’d thoroughly enjoyed my experience. The Hungarian musicians, singers and dancers were surreal. I was surprised how the performers went around each table and have us participated in this fun activity. It was meaningful as I was just not sitting there watching the performers…I’d actually had the luxury to dance and engaged with them…fun fun!!!

If you appreciate wine, I’d say used this opportunity to have a wine tasting adventure with Hungarian white wine as you take in the beautiful scenery of this lovely city on the rooftop on the 🚢 .

Day 2: September 30, 2022

🔶 ✅And I had the opportunity to read my 9th book of 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

So I’m a fan of Author Magda Szabo’s work. She was an extraordinary Hungarian novelist.

I had the time to read “Katalin Street.” If you’d want to get close to a Hungarian character’s life during the World War II…I’d recommend reading this book…

And if you find yourself in Budapest, Hungary & happen to be a book lover, I’d recommend spending some quality time reading at Massolit Bookstore Café while drinking lemonade & snacking on a homemade peanut butter cookie!

🔷 I’d used most of my last day in Budapest to educate myself on the Hungarian history. I’d invested about 6 hours learning about the below two historical sites in Budapest:

📍 Dohány Street Synagogue

🔶 Such an impressive building. This is the largest Synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. The Synagogue itself from the outside is so so so magnificent. I was in particular in love with the Moorish (Moroccan architecture). This is a copy of the Synagogue in NYC. The Synagogue must face East that’s why it’s not in alignment to the street.

🔷They have these balconies inside that’d once accommodated the Jewish women and the Jewish men sat on the floor back in the days. This Synagogue has an organ pipe which is not normal. I need to do more research to understand..

🔶There is a cemetery/Tree of life – the leaves 🍃 on the tree has the names of the Hungarian Jews that’d parish during the Holocaust. Synagogue’s don’t have cemetery, but they needed a home for the Hungarian Jews that were killed by the Nazi and Communist Soviet Union.

📍House of Terror, Budapest

🔷This historical monument tells the story of the Nazi and the Communist Soviet Union invasions of Hungary.

🔶From the visual footage, tangible items such as the Soviet Union tank, I have to say these two regimes were beyond evil. This is the actual building, where they held innocent local Hungarians captive and torture them. A lot of Hungarians died here. I have never cried so much for people I don’t know. Their audio tours are very informative. These tours can become very emotional.

🔷I’d like to note that literally everything can be walked to. Budapest is made for walking. Definitely leverage Google maps as your guide.

Thank you for your taking the time to read my blog.

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