While exploring the caves underneath Budapest, our guide recounted his general experience with foreigners, which made me laugh heartily. He said, “When I go abroad, people say, ‘Oh, you’re from Hungary; are you hungry?’ and then they never give me anything to eat!” Thankfully, we did not go hungry in Hungary but were fully satiated by the sights, tastes and sounds offered in this delicious Eastern European city. I generally do not go into the history of places I visit because it is not an emphasis I often prioritize; however, I found the history particularly riveting, so I will share an overview with you.
In A.D. 896, the Magyar people settled in the Carpathian basin after a long overland migration, which comprised several hundred years of movement. A.D. 1000, one of Hungary’s most revered national leaders—and now canonized—Stephen is charged with the unification of the nation and its various tribes. What proceeds is a history of bloody destruction and occupation. A.D. 1241, brought the Mongols who decimated half the population in one year before returning to Mongolia. Then, the Turks and the Austrians made their marks in dividing the people and changing the fluid borders.
With WWII, Hungary experienced one of the greatest losses of its Jewish people: in 1944, around 600,000 Jews were killed and deported in less than six months, which makes Hungary one of the more severely affected nations during the Holocaust. One of the most poignant stories is of thousands of Jews and dissidents being shot in the back and tossed into the Danube. A memorial rests at the edge of the Danube immortalizing this horrendous display of injustice. Followed by Soviet occupation from 1945 until the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Hungary became its own republic and sovereign nation. There you have it: a short history I find quite interesting.
Renowned as being one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, I met up with my freshmen year roommate, Morgan, for a full week of walking, eating, dancing and adventure around every corner. Our hostel was central and our hosts were quite concerned with giving us the best impression of Budapest.
We discovered many wonderful jewels, including the Szechenyi baths, the Hungarian National Opera where we saw The Taming of the Shrew ballet, Elizabeth Park, Margaret Island, ruin bars, the Danube promenade, the surprising cave system hidden underneath the city and the Central Market Hall. These are a few highlights of a city brimming with beauty and curiosities. I consumed my fair share of pastries, and we took advantage of the gorgeous weather to picnic in some tranquil areas in and around the city.
Not being pressed to rush, we toured two small cities in the Hungarian countryside: Eger, a historic town and wine region, and Szentendre, an idyllic spot along the Danube, which rounded off nicely our visit to Budapest. As charming and engaging as we declared Budapest to be, the best aspect of the trip was the time we spent together, discussing the time elapsed and the intimate affairs of good friends. When amity is present, the significance of locale diminishes; however, I like to believe that we had the best of both worlds.
Comments