Viking River Cruise: Budapest, Hungary

St. Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion

Budapest is a beautiful city. Viking offered a walking tour the first afternoon on the ship, but we didn't take it because we had already walked around quite a bit in the area.

Although we were not leaving the first night, we did undock and take a scenic trip around Budapest to see the lights of the city. It was lovely. Cold. But lovely.

Parliament Building at night; Photo: Scott Stevens

The next morning was our tour and it was the worst weather of the trip. And it wasn’t until the next day that we understood how bad it was. 

We had high wind and driving rain. I had taken my umbrella, which was literally pulled almost out of my hand and then slammed back so hard by the wind that the metal rod broke through the plastic handle. Luckily, Viking provides heavy-duty umbrellas. Great for protection; a pain to carry around. Scott ended up leaving one somewhere. I suspect the towns regularly collect lost Viking umbrellas and return them to the cruise line. Viking has a very large presence in all the places we stopped.

Heroes' Square in the rain

With 1.7 million people, Budapest is he capital and most populous city of Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union. A leading R&D and financial center, it seems to be recovering well from its time under communist rule and I could even see great progress in the renovation of historic buildings from my last visit in 2008. 

Mosaic of St. Stephen, Art Exhibition Hall, Heroes' Square

Hungary’s history sets the city apart from most of Europe in terms of ethnicity and language, which is rooted in the far east. The first settlement in the area was built by Celts before 1 AD and was later occupied by the Romans. That settlement, Aquincum, started as a military camp and gradually grew into a city. The Romans constructed roads and amphitheaters and took advantage of the area’s multitude of hot springs to build baths and houses with heated floors.

Maygar Chieftain, Heroes' Square

But, the country’s true beginnings were in the Ninth Century when Magyar tribes displaced the founding Bulgarian settlers of the towns of Buda and Pest and, a century later, officially founded the Kingdom of Hungary. In fact, Hungary’s real name is Magyarország and the language (which is considered one of the world’s most difficult) is called Magyar.

After the Tatar invasion in the 13th Century, King Béla IV of Hungary built reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda.

In 1361, it became the capital of Hungary. It quickly became a cultural center. King Matthias Corvinus’ library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, was second only in size to the Vatican Library. Universities were established in Pécs (Pest) in 1367 and in Óbuda (Old Buda) in 1395. The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473. Buda had about 5,000 inhabitants around 1500.

The Ottomans conquered Buda in 1526, again in 1529 and then occupied it in 1541. Turkish Rule lasted for more than 140 years, during which the Turks constructed many prominent bathing facilities within the city; the Rudas Baths and Király Baths are still in use today. By 1647, there were less than 100 Christians in Budapest. Then, the unoccupied western part of Hungary became part of the Habsburg Empire. In 1686, Christian forces plundered Buda and by 1718 the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule.

Archangel Gabriel statue, Heroes' Square 

The 19th Century was dominated by Hungary’s struggle for independence. A national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in 1848 and, in 1867, Austria-Hungary was born, making Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. This ushered in an age of modernization and cultural development rivaling Paris. 

In 1849, the Chain Bridge linking Buda with Pest was opened as the first permanent bridge across the Danube and, in 1873, Buda and Pest officially merged with Óbuda, creating the new metropolis of Budapest. Pest developed as Hungary’s administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub. 

Between 1851 and 1910 the proportion of Hungarians increased from 35 percent to 85 percent, Hungarian replaced German as the dominant language. The city also had a large and prosperous Jewish community. When Austria-Hungary lost World War I and collapsed, Hungary declared itself an independent republic, but 1920 treaty cost the country over two-thirds of its territory and inhabitants, including 3.3 million out of 15 million ethnic Hungarians.

Gellert Monument, Gellert Hill, Buda

In 1944, about one year before the end of World War II, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the conflict. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans, but the stone lions that had decorated the Chain Bridge since 1852 survived. Between 20-40 percent of Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died during the German occupation of Hungary. 

Erzsébet Bridge

The Soviet Red Army liberated Hungary from Nazi Germany only to begin its own communist occupation, which ended in 1991. The Communist government considered ornate buildings symbols of the former regime. In the 1950s, they gutted Buda Palace and destroyed all the interiors. 

In 1956, an anti-Soviet revolt left more than 3,000 dead. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, much of the WWII damage to the city was repaired with the Erzsébet Bridge, the last to be rebuilt, being completed in 1964

The Danube River is important to Buda, separating the two parts of the city – flat Pest and hilly Buda. At its narrowest point in Budapest, the Danube is only 755 ft. wide, where there are also many small islands in the middle of the river. I had wanted to visit the largest one, Margaret Island, which is a park. But, the weather made that difficult.

Danube

The highest point of Budapest is János hill, at 1,729 ft. above sea level. The lowest point is the Danube is 315 ft. above sea level. Budapest is one of only two capital cities in the world which has thermal springs (the other is Reykjavík, Iceland). Some 125 springs produce 18 million gallons of thermal water a day, with temperatures ranging up to 136°F.

St. Stephen’s Basilica dominates the Pest skyline

The number of high-rise buildings in Budapest is kept low by building legislation, which is aimed at preserving the historic cityscape and to meet the requirements of the World Heritage Site – no building can stand taller than St. Stephen’s Basilica in Pest. Budapest’s architecture reflects its history with a multitude of styles. It has many beautiful churches, but, in general Hungarians are not religious – a result of 40 years of Communist rule. Still, 54 percent claim to be Catholic and 19.5 percent Protestant.

As we toured, we saw lots of striking architecture, but I feel we only scratched the surface. Quite frankly, with the amount of time were there, I was surprised how few places we actually were able to visit. 

Budapest rooftops

In 2008, we saw most of the city’s major landmarks. This time, not so much. 

Maybe we’re just getting old and lest adventurous. Plus, Scott wasn’t feeling well and we had that failed hop-on-hop-off experience. Also, with a ship schedule, you just can’t wander off.

The next morning, we had our “panoramic” tour. I think that’s code for “surface-level.” We drove past lots of things on these tours and made few stops, but didn’t really get into too much depth.

In every city we visited we had local tour guides – nice because you get real experts and variety. All were good – some were fantastic.

In Pest, the most important sight is Andrássy Avenue, a two-mile-long tree-lined street that covers the distance from Deák Ferenc tér to the Heroes' Square. It features grand houses and a wide variety of architecture. 

Interesting window design

The Moorish-style Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe, and the second largest active synagogue in the world. The synagogue is located in the Jewish district taking up several blocks in central Budapest bordered and features a sculpture reproducing a weeping willow tree in steel to commemorate the Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.

Dohány Street Synagogue

The city is home to the third largest Parliament building in the world, once the largest in the world. We saw it, but didn’t visit this time. We did in 2008.

Parliament Building

We stopped in Heroes' Square, which features statues of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other important Hungarian national leaders  ... 

Gathered heroes

... plus mythical figures, including a symbol of peace and of war ...

This looks like war

The central feature is the Millennium Memorial, constructed in from 1896-1900 to commemorate the 1000ndth anniversary of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin and the foundation of the Hungarian state in 1896.

Very monumental

It was part of a much larger construction project that also included the expansion and refurbishing of Andrássy Avenue and the construction of the first metro line in Budapest.

Monument

There is a very tall column in the center that is topped with a statue depicting the Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian Holy Crown and the apostolic double cross in his hands.

When the monument was originally constructed, Hungary was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and five spaces on the colonnade were reserved for statues of the ruling Habsburg dynasty. 

The monument was damaged in World War II and, when it was rebuilt, the Habsburgs were replaced. 

At the front of the monument is a large stone cenotaph dedicated "To the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our people and our national independence." While some guide books refer to this as a "tomb," it is not a burial place.

When we went up to Castle Hill, the weather had deteriorated to the point that Scott, Craig and Cheri stopped at a coffee shop and didn’t even go to the top. I did in a brutal wind. 

It was Sunday, so we weren’t able to go in Matthias church, which is a big shame (I should have gone that day the bus made me wait so long). I did, however, get to hear the bells chime. Click below to enjoy it yourself.

Originally named after the Virgin Mary, Matthias Church was named after King Matthias in the 19th Century. 

Matthias Church was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015, although no archaeological remains exist. The current late-Gothic-style building was built in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. 

Matthias Church from the Chain Bridge

The church was restored to its original 13th-century plan, but a number of new motifs, including the diamond pattern roof tiles, a gargoyle-laden spire and colorful roof tiles were added.

The church was the venue for the coronation of the last two Hungarian Habsburg kings, Franz Joseph in 1867 and Charles IV in 1916.

Matthias Church roof detail

During World War II the church was badly damaged when it was used as a camp by the Germans and Soviets in 1944-45 during the Soviet occupation of Hungary.

The church was largely renovated between 1950 and 1970 with funding from the Hungarian government. 

The bell tower was restored, along with renovation of interior paints and frescos. The pipe organ, which had been destroyed during the war, was updated and sanctified in 1984.

Next to the church it is a bronze statue of Stephen I of Hungary mounted on a horse that was erected in 1906.

Stephen I of Hungary

The first member of his family to become a devout Christian, Stephen's original pagan name was Vajk. He ruled from 1000 to 1038.

In a series of wars against semi-independent tribes and chieftains, Stephen unified Hungary. He forced the invading troops of the Holy Roman Empire to withdraw from Hungary in 1030. 

He established at least one archbishopric, six bishoprics and three Benedictine monasteries; thus the Church in Hungary developed independently of the archbishops of the Holy Roman Empire. 

Stephen encouraged the spread of Christianity with severe punishments for ignoring Christian customs. His system of local administration was based on counties organized around fortresses and administered by royal officials. 

Hungary, which enjoyed a lasting period of peace during his reign, became a preferred route for pilgrims and merchants traveling between Western Europe and the Holy Land or Constantinople.

Behind the church overlooking the Danube and Pest is the Fisherman's Bastion, designed and built between 1895 and 1902, on the foundations of the 13th century Dominican Church. The Bastion’s seven towers represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 895. It was built to honor the Fishermen's Guild, which protected the castle in the Middle Ages.

Fisherman's Bastion

It is truly lovely and a great place to stroll on a sunny day. As it was, I had to battle a wind strong enough to stop me in my tracks. So, after the tour ended. I slogged back to the coffee shop before we got back on the bus to go to the ship.

Bridges are important to Budapest because the Danube bisects the city. None is more famous than the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. 

I have mentioned the Chain Bridge a few times and should talk about it before I leave Budapest. It wasn't really part of the bus tour, but I suspect the walking tour covered it because the Egil was docked right next to it.

Chain Bridge

A suspension bridge that spans the Danube between Buda and Pest, it opened in 1849 after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. It was the first permanent bridge in the Hungarian capital.  

Officially named for construction supporter István Széchenyi, it is most commonly called "Chain Bridge" because its design resembles a bicycle chain. 

In the mid 1800s, the bridge was regarded as one of the modern world's engineering wonders. Its center span of 663 ft. was one of the largest in the world at the time. 

Its decorations are made of cast iron and it is flanked by two stone lions on each side

Chain Bridge Lion

The bridge's cast iron structure was updated and strengthened in 1914. In 1945, the Chain Bridge was blown up by retreating Germans during the Siege of Budapest, leaving only the towers remaining. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1949.

Chain Bridge

As I said, had I never been to Budapest, I would have been truly disappointed, but as my third trip, I was okay with a weather blip. I am sorry Craig and Cheri didn’t get to see more of it.

Here are a few other random observations ...

The Danube flows east, emptying in the Black Sea. I had always assumed it flowed west, emptying in the Netherlands ...

Map: Viking River Cruises

(And I knew this before going), Hungary is part of the EU, but not part of the European Currency Union. Therefore, it has its own currency -- Forints. But, Euros are widely accepted. ATMs, however, often say they dispense Euros, but only give Forints ...

Worth about $1.88

People smoke -- a lot -- in Central Europe. And, they toss their cigarette butts in the street. 

So sad

Budapest has some very cool architectural details ...

Budapest lamppost

One of the interesting things about cruising is that the ship moves on while you are out exploring. So, as we were exploring Budapest in the morning, the Egil was traveling toward Austria. When tour was finished, our bus traveled to a dock upriver, where we boarded the ship and then headed out again. It’s a small ship, so docking and departing seem relatively simple and quick.

See my next post for a little about cruising from Hungary towards Austria.

Natural History Museum, Vienna, Austria

Trip date: October 25-November 7, 2017