| Submitted by: Dennis Callan, United States |
| Submission Date: 12 April 2005 |
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One small section covers the 150 years of control under the Ottoman Empire during the Muslim invasions that attempted to conquer all of Europe, ending with the expulsion of the Turks in 1686. As soon as the Ottomans were kicked out, the next dominators took over, the Austrian Hapsburgs. During the 18th century, Hapsburg rule from Vienna by Maria Theresa and her son, Joseph II, encouraged the construction of some beautiful Baroque buildings, most of which were destroyed in later wars. By the end of the 19th century, under continued Austrian rule, Budapest became the fastest-growing city in Europe and built the first subway system on the continent. The arts flourished and the city was favorably compared to Europe’s other major cultural centers.
The most-dramatic half of this exhibit focuses on the 20th century, starting with the collapse of the Hapsburgs and their Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I. Between the wars, Hungary drifted from communism to the chaos of Nazi invasion, followed by the post-war rise and collapse of Russian domination. The displays are quite graphic in dealing with the Nazis and Stalin, with many vintage photos and period objects, including army motorcycles, political banners, classroom sets, air-raid shelters, and typical apartment interiors. You can feel the excitement as this sorry tale of brutal domination finally leads to disintegration of the Soviet empire and independence for a free Hungary in 1989, after 500 years of being controlled by outsiders.
Just when you think you are done, you realize there are two more floors of exhibits covering the early medieval and the Roman periods, with a Lapidarium down in the basement exhibiting 200 carved stones dating back 2,000 years. You might be just as impressed by the building itself as by its collections, for this is a grand old temple of history, beautifully restored. The entry lobby and monumental stairs are worth the price of admission alone. There is also a gift shop and small café, but by now you are ready for lunch, and some excellent restaurants wait for you in the Inner City, which is just across the street.
AFTERNOON WALK
This small neighborhood of the Inner City only goes for about one half-mile in each direction, making it easy to see by just strolling along the nice streets we suggest for you here. The buildings date mostly from the late 19th and 20th centuries, so this neighborhood is not a classic Old Town with narrow cobbled streets and ancient buildings, which you will find tomorrow up on the Buda hill next to the castle. Instead, this is a typical downtown with some fascinating buildings scattered here and there.
If you are ready to eat, there is the noted Museum Kavehaz next to the museum, or wait for the other tempting options coming up. Walk north along the busy boulevard in front of the museum a few blocks to the Astoria Hotel, at the major cross street of Kossuth Lajos. The Astoria is a classic old hotel that has seen better times, but would make an interesting, affordable place to stay, right in the midst of downtown, or just to enjoy lunch in their famous café.
Continue west a couple blocks along Kossuth Lajos, the busiest street of the city, to the Franciscan Church, built in the mid-18th century Hungarian Baroque style, with Italian influences. The elaborate, curved architectural details are quite interesting to examine, and the quiet interior is welcome relief. The noisy street widens here to form Ferenciek Terre, the action center of the Inner City, with a major metro station below and a convenient pedestrian underpass. If your energy is waning you might take that underpass back towards the center, but otherwise, push on for another hour’s walk through this south side of the Inner City.
As you exit the church, turn left on Karolyi, passing the University Library, with its small, brightly-colored dome, and you will come to one of the nicest restaurants in town, Karpatia, offering gourmet Hungarian specialties at reasonable prices. Drop in and have a look at the wonderful interior, with rich, wood paneling, medieval arches, and hand-painted golden details. Although open for lunch, you really should make reservations to come back for dinner in the main room when the gypsy orchestra performs, for the complete, magical experience.
At the end of the block you will see another Baroque gem, the University Church, finished in 1748 with a style strongly influenced by the Italian genius, Borromini, borrowing his use of convex and concave surfaces on the façade. If you seek greenery, have a look at the cute little park behind the Museum of Literature, across from the church.
It makes sense to finish the day with a return to Vaci utca, just two blocks over, and spend the rest of your late afternoon browsing in the shops and galleries along this lively street, filled with interesting people. The main pedestrian zone extends out from Vaci utca on several cross streets that have more shops and interesting buildings to glance at as you stroll along. Especially noteworthy are the Parisi Udvar arcade; the huge Municipal Council Offices, 200 yards long in the Baroque style; and the adjacent Pest County Hall, in grand neo-Classical style. While passing through this neighborhood you might consider two more excellent restaurants, Rezkakas and Szazeves Etterem, to help plan your remaining dinners. Both have outstanding Hungarian cuisine and feature live gypsy music. (see listings)
DAY TWO: CASTLE DISTRICT
You can get up to the Castle District on top of the hill in the Buda side of town either by catching a public bus number 16 from Deak Square near Vorosmarty Square, or by taking a pleasant walk across the Chain Bridge and riding the funicular up the hill. Another option is taxi, but always negotiate the price first, as local drivers have a bad reputation for overcharging tourists. Curiously, there is no castle in the Castle District, but instead, you will find a huge palace and charming Old Town to explore on foot.
Upon reaching the top of the hill it is probably best to begin your explorations with a walk through the Castle District while the streets are not crowded, and save the palace museums for later in the day. These streets are the oldest in Budapest and date back to the Middle Ages when this community was established as a hilltop refuge for protection from the invading Mongols. Numerous wars and fires have resulted in the familiar pattern of destruction and rebirth, most recently after World War II, when horrific street battles raged for a year between the occupying Nazi and liberating Russians. The 1944-45 siege of Budapest was one of the most violent struggles in the world’s worst war, and inflicted extensive damage throughout the city. It is said that only 2 out of 200 buildings here were still habitable after the war. Although strapped for cash, the communist government did invest huge sums in reconstructing this district in the original style, so what you see today looks once again like an 18th-century town. The entire hill and river embankments have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Castle District is only one mile long and four blocks wide, with half taken up by the Royal Palace, and the other half consisting of narrow, cobbled streets lined with old homes and a few shops. A good strategy is to simply walk through the town without worrying about too many historical details regarding each structure you see, or trying to figure out who lived where and when. Mostly you are here to absorb the historic ambience of this charming neighborhood, and pick up a few historic tidbits along the way. However, several important structures are worthy of a close look, especially the star attraction, the Matthias Church in the town center. To find it, turn right when you get off the funicular and head for the 262-foot steeple.
MATTHIAS CHURCH and FISHERMAN’S BASTION
Matthias Church looks like a Gothic structure from the Middle Ages, but most of what you see today was actually built in the late 19th century, with a few of the earlier elements incorporated, especially the main doorway and interior pillars. For 800 years this has been the location of the city’s main church, which has been built and destroyed several times, and even turned into a mosque during the Turkish occupation. The result today is an amazing combination of many styles with a dazzling interior that you should not miss. The walls, ceiling and columns are completely covered in wildly-colorful geometric patterns, based loosely on the Gothic style with more recent elements thrown in, resulting in a nearly psychedelic combination. It is fun to stroll around and observe the various frescoed murals, colorful banners, carved pews, ribbed vaulting, stone pulpits, side chapels, noble tombs, baptismal fonts, coats of arms, little statues, various altarpieces and holy objects. Large, bright stained-glass windows throw a lot of light into the space so you can clearly see all the details.
Behind the church is the famous Fisherman’s Bastion lookout point that provides a dramatic view across the river to the Pest side of town. This Bastion is another building that looks five times older, with its hodge-podge of Byzantine, Gothic and Romanesque kitsch, thrown together in such an entertaining way that it was copied by Disney. There is a small charge to walk on the upper level, but you can get just as good a view by standing for free at the window on the left side, or walking a few feet further along the left wall. Note especially the huge Parliament Building across the river, with its large dome and many neogothic spikes.
In the small open square stands a heroic equestrian statue of St. Stephen, Hungary’s first king, who is also honored at St. Stephen’s Basilica, the city’s largest church, which is on tomorrow’s schedule.
OLD TOWN
The rest of the district can be easily walked in an hour or two, although many visitors skip it entirely, especially those on a bus tour who must stay with the group and follow their guide. It would be a shame to miss, for this is the only bit of atmospheric Old Town in the entire city.
One slightly incongruous, modern structure here is the Hilton Hotel, which actually does a good job of blending in on the street side, behind an 18th century Jesuit façade. The side facing Pest is a stark glass box that would clash with its surroundings if it were not hidden so well. For a brief rest stop, help yourself to their lobby and have a look at how they incorporated Dominican monastery ruins into their delightful outdoor courtyard, which is occasionally used for concerts. You’ll find excellent restaurants inside the Hilton, or Fortuna, in the same Hess Andras Square, offering gourmet meals for just $10.
Across from the Hilton is the House of Hungarian Wines, a vast wine-tasting cellar that offers a terrific deal on sampling dozens of excellent local wines. You pay a modest fee and then drink as much as you like from the bottles in the barrel-vaulted basement. A several-hundred-yard-long cellar labyrinth holds 450 different types of quality wine from 22 historical wine regions in Hungary. Visitors get a tasting cup at the entrance and are allowed to wander around and taste up to 70-80 different wines. Open: daily 12.00-20.00
As you walk north along the road in front of the Hilton, feel free to explore the alleys that lead to internal courtyards, surrounded by the charming old residences. The largest courtyard is at the Music History Museum, a Baroque mansion where Beethoven stayed in his visit here. Monday concerts are held at the museum, in the courtyard during the summer. The Castle District has several other little museums devoted to military history, pharmaceuticals, telephones, food and a wax museum in the underground tunnels, recreating Hungarian legends. Small art galleries and antique shops are also found along these narrow lanes. For a nice refreshment try the oldest café in town, Ruszwurm, a tiny place with authentic Biedermeier décor, in business since 1827, located just in front of the Matthias Church. |
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| Copyright © - "Dennis Callan" |
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