Frighteningly Beautiful Budapest

On Friday, April 1^st, our group visited the capital of Hungary, Budapest, and stayed there through the weekends. As soon as I left the train station I realized that this place is nothing like Czech Republic. I fell in love with Prague from the first sight, whereas Budapest made a very unfavorable impression on me when I first saw it. When we were walking through the streets looking for our hostel, I saw many homeless people laying on the ground everywhere. The sidewalks were dirty and some people I saw on the streets looked very unpleasant. I felt like it was not a safe environment for me, especially compared to Czech Republic, where I feel even more secure than in United States.

Chain Bridge

I was constantly thinking to myself: “Everything is fine. We just need to get to the hostel, have a good sleep, and tomorrow will be a better day.” But when we finally got to our hostel I was in shock. I am not going to say anything bad about it because some people actually liked it and enjoyed staying over there. It just had a very specific atmosphere, which would not be a good fit for everyone. So, half of the night some of the girls and I were looking for a different place to stay. On the next day, when we were having breakfast at the café, one guy tried to steal money from one of the girls from our group, fortunately enough he did not succeed. After this accident everyone had enough of this city and was ready to go back to Olomouc.

Hungarian Parliament Building

View from the Castle Hill

However, we decided not to judge book by its cover and give Budapest a chance to show its good side. We walked to the Chain Bridge, which connects Buda with Pest district. It was built in 19^th century and is the first permanent bridge connecting Buda and Pest. It is a marvelous bridge and the view from it is absolutely spectacular. On the Buda side we visited Buda Castle, which is located on the Castle Hill. From this hill you can see an amazing, breathtaking panorama of the Pest side of the city. You can also see a great view of the Hungarian Parliament Building, which is one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings. This building is the most popular tourist destination and it has become the symbol of Budapest. I would suggest anybody who plans on visiting Budapest to climb this Castle Hill, but instead of taking lots of pictures you should relax and enjoy the view with your own eyes rather than through the camera lens.

In the evening we went on the cruise along the Danube River. It was one of the most terrific experiences I have ever had in my life! Budapest at night looks like a magical fairy tale. Everything brightens so beautifully - it will take your breath away! In addition to the absolutely incredible view, this cruise also had life music, unlimited buffet dinner and some vine! There was everything you need to make you feel happy and satisfied.

View of Budapest at night from the boat

It was a very productive day, we have seen many sights, heard many stories and learned history of Budapest. We all felt that it was a good time for relaxation. So, on the next day we went to the Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, which is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. We spent there all day! It was so much fun and we all were so relaxed that nobody wanted to get out the warm waters. I finally distinguished the beautiful side of Budapest. And when I did I never wanted to leave this city! 

Széchenyi Medicinal Bath

First Field Trip – Prague/Dresden

Exploring Prague Part 2

As I have mentioned in the previous post, Prague is an absolutely incredible place with rich history and breathtaking views. Last time I talked more about the modern and surreal side of Prague, now I would like to focus on history and some major sights of the capital of Czech Republic. We arrived to Prague on Thursday, March 24^th and started our journey from the Old Town Square. I find this square very unique and intriguing as it combines different styles of architecture such as Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic. I would not try to go inside each building and try to learn its history of origin; I feel the best way to enjoy the Old Town Square is to grab a traditional Czech snack, such as trdelnik with a cup of hot сider, and then just leisurely walk around and soak the atmosphere of this ancient city.

Eating trdelnik - delicious!

Astronomical clock

 The fist building that we stopped at was the Astronomical Clock. Every hour the figures on both sides of the clock start moving and making sounds; this “mini-spectacle” is absolutely marvelous, especially if you think about how ancient this clock is. In fact, at the time when the Astronomical Clock was built, people believed there was some magic involved.  

After watching the Astronomical Clock performance we headed to the Charles Bridge, which connects the Old Town Square and a Lesser Town, where all the castles located. If you will ever travel to Prague, you must definitely see this bridge. It is magnificent and the view from it will take your breath away!

View from the Charles Bridge

Along both sides of the bridge you can see different statues; the one that I remember the most was the statue of St. John of Nepomuk. St. John was a Czech saint who was executed and being thrown into the river during the reign of Wenceslas IV. These days, tourists from all over the world come to this statue to touch its plaque as it supposed to bring you good luck or make your wish come true. I decided to follow this tradition and touched the plaque as well. Who knows, maybe my wish will come true. :) 

Touching the plaque of the statue

St. Vitus Cathedral

After crossing Charles Bridge you have to walk up the hill for around half an hour in order to see the some of the most famous Czech castles and cathedrals. All buildings represent different architectural style. St. Vitus Cathedral with its pointed arch and ribbed vault would be a great example of Gothic architecture. 

St. George's Basilica

 Right across from this cathedral you can find St. George’s Basilica which represents Romanesque architecture with its thick walls and round arches. It is really fascinating how many different styles of architecture you can find in Prague! Some of the other places that we have visited in Prague are the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is the largest one in Europe, and the Jewish Synagogue.

Prague Castle

Martin Luther Church

On the third day of our trip we visited Dresden, Germany. It was a short visit, we spent there approximately four hours and I must say it was not enough! Dresden is a charming, elegant city, and if you want to fully enjoy its beauty you have to spend there at least a couple of days. During the time that was provided to us I was only able to climb on top of the Martin Luther Church and visit the Old Masters Picture Gallery. I was really upset when we had to leave Dresden and return to Prague. I have promised myself to visit Dresden as soon as I will have a chance to fully experience the atmosphere of this incredible place.    

Panorama of Dresden