Budapest

Next stop Budapest. Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2008, Budapest had 1,702,297 inhabitants. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the unification on 17 November 1873, of right-bank (west) Buda and Óbuda (Old Buda) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.

Nighttime view of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge.

Dohány Street Synagogue.


I believe it is Fisherman's Bastion with Matthias Church in the background.

Pest on the right side of the river, Buda on the left.

The Red Bull airshow was going on while we were there.


Statue of Saint Gerard on Gellért Hill.

Erzsébet Bridge.


Buda Castle is the historical castle of the Hungarian kings in Budapest, Hungary.


Heroes' Square. The central site of the hero's square, as well as a landmark of Budapest, is the Millennium Memorial (also known as Millennium Monument or Millenary Monument) with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other outstanding figures of Hungarian history.


A family taking a "Flintstones" ride around the City Park.

The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74°F/23°C and 77°F/25°C, respectively.

Vajdahunyad Castle, or Vajdahunyad vára, is a castle in City Park, Budapest, Hungary, that was built between 1896 and 1908, designed by Ignác Alpár. It is a copy in part of a castle in Transylvania, Romania, that is also called Vajdahunyad, though it is also a display of different architectural styles: Romanic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. Originally it was made from cardboard and wood for the millennial exhibition in 1896 but it became so popular that it was rebuilt from stone and brick.

A memorial to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. It was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the Stalinist government of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956.

There was a fireworks display that night in celebration of St. Stephen's Day. It is the celebration of two things: the custom of welcoming the new bread and more importantly Saint Stephen, the Hungarian king who turned a bunch of pagan nomadic tribes into a strong independent nation, by embracing Western culture and Christianity. Stephen died in 1038, after ruling the country for almost forty years, and was declared a saint on the 20th of August 1083; when he was removed from his original grave at Székesfehérvár, the right hand of the leader was found intact - to this day it's kept as a valued relic by the Catholic church and each year a festive procession follows it around on the streets of Budapest. After World War I. the communist regime prohibited official ceremonies from honoring the memory of Saint Stephen because of their religious nature, and the public holiday became a tribute to Stalin and the constitution the Soviets envisioned. The parliament that resulted form the first democratic election in 1990, gave the decision back to its rightful owner: the people was once again free to make a choice on whom to dedicate the day to, and a tradition that had been alive for many centuries returned to the streets of Hungary.

A quick stop at Lake Balaton on the way to Croatia. Lake Balaton, located in Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the foremost regional tourist destinations. Due to Hungary being landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea".