Article by Julia
What allured me to travel to Budapest was reading that “Budapest has something for everyone” – and in deed, it did! Just a 1,5 hours airplane flight away from Tirana, it was an adventure still waiting to be lived.
Once called the “Queen of the Danube”, Budapest has long been the focal point of Hungary and a lively cultural centre. Danube river flows through the city, splitting the hilly west (Buda) and the plain stretch of the east (Pest). The two sides of the city stand connected by a series of bridges which offer great views, especially during the sunset.
The city’s roots date to Roman times and even earlier, although modern Budapest is essentially an outgrowth of the 19th-century empire of Austria-Hungary. This can be witnessed when walking down the streets and admiring the flamboyant architecture.
I think the best way to learn about a new city is to just get lost in its streets. Budapest has a lot of amazing buildings with sculpted facades, which as a designer I simply love. I like this feeling I get when in big European cities, just like walking in an open-air exhibition – and sometimes I can even imagine being set back in time. I spent most of my time in Budapest walking around the Jewish Quarter and I absolutely loved all the murals which brought so much fun with a twist of colour to the old buildings and narrow streets.
I was new to the city, but my travel mate was not, so lucky for me I already had someone who had discovered nice little places in the neighborhood where to eat delicious traditional Hungarian food. I really enjoyed the lunch at Drum Café Budapest, a little restaurant with a quirky look and friendly staff. They had a large menu of traditional dishes but we went for the most obvious ones; garlic and cheese soup, the beef goulash with noodles and Hungarian noodles with cheese chicken. The soup was hearty and very much needed after a walk in the cold weather and the other dishes had an amazing taste, with a pop of paprika flavor (as the main Hungarian spice), especially the goulash. The white wine was excellent and they even had a cherry beer, which was interesting but a bit too sweet for my taste.
*Note: always make sure to travel with someone who loves food just as much as you do and who likes to share too. That is the only way you can try as many new dishes as you can!
The Christmas Market was one of the major excitements for me and I was very pleased by the Budapest one. You can find there all sorts of foods, from sweet to salty, drinks and arts and crafts decorations. Kristi had recommended chimney cake from her last trip to Budapest, and in it ended up being my favorite market food. It was amazing to watch it being prepared right there in front of the people waiting to eat it. Once wrapped, the hot dessert vapors with the steam coming up from the open side, just like a chimney – hence the name.
There is so much food waiting to be tasted, laid out big cooking trays – all the colour are amazing! Not to miss were also the potato pancakes (I chose a cabbage roll topping) and langos, the traditional fried dough. I tried langos as a breakfast food and it was really filling. The mix of garlic, sour cream and cheese was surprisingly the best choice to start a crazy cold breakfast! It gives you enough energy to get ready to explore new adventures in the city.
A great part of the market was also the mulled wine and fruit punches – which are quite necessary to combat the cold, warming you up and adding up some fun! To love was also the fact that the market was very environmentally friendly, with a system of porcelain mugs being used instead of plastic cups (you pay a deposit for your mug, go around the market, refiling your mug at any stand you want and then give it back in exchange for your deposit, or just keep it as a souvenir from the city!). Biodegradable plates and cups were also used to serve food and drinks, making me love this market even more.
Another great thing to do in Budapest is visit dhe Ruin Bars at night, and try all the cool drinks. If you are a beer lover head to Hopaholic, a nice little pub which offers so many beer labels. The funniest part is the fact they have a Rate Beer app and you can share your experience! I also liked Fogas, a ruin bar with a maze – like layout, where each room has a different feeling, design and music.
I had such a nice taste of Budapest and I can`t wait to go back and explore it some more! If you are already intrigued by this lovely city, stay tuned for Kristi’s explorations in this city!
Photography by Julia Janku
