This summer I had the privilege of exploring Budapest with a dear friend who is a native of the city. I spent two weeks hitting the streets with her and taking in all of the sites! We also went to several villages surrounding Budapest, as well as Lake Balaton, which is the largest lake in Central Europe. I had a wonderful time taking photos while I was there, and I have been terribly lax about sharing them with people. So let’s get on to the main event, shall we?
This is one of my favorite photos that I took of the city, because you can see the gorgeous Parliament Building (on the right with the red and black roof), and you can clearly see Margaret Island situated in the middle of the Danube River.
I knew going into the trip that Budapest is known for its architecture but…wow. The intricacy and scale of these buildings is astonishing.
Lake Balaton and the villages surrounding it are picturesque, and all of this was heightened by the sun and blue skies that were present the day that we visited. The lake is clean, and the water is a lovely light blue/green color. To me, this stood in stark contrast to brackish Kansas lakes that are covered in a floating layer of algae and goose poop along the shoreline. The brown/green water of Kansas, being almost impossible to see through, seems as though it might be harboring a giant, mutant catfish just waiting to pop your foot in its mouth. The water of Lake Balaton, however, looks as if it could be the home of a shimmering turtle that grants wishes.
There are many churches to be seen in Budapest, each of them with its own spirit. My favorite (out of the handful that I saw) was St. Elizabeth Church, the inside of which you can see in this group of photos. The stained glass windows cast pretty rays of colored light onto the columns inside the church.
In Hungary you see a pride and appreciation for the people in Hungarian history who have influenced the country in a positive way. This is evident in the many statues of historical figures that you see throughout the city of Budapest, and Heroes’ Square is one such example of that. In the middle are the 7 Magyar chieftains who brought the Hungarian people to the land in the Carpathian Basin, and the statues within the colonnades are Hungarian kings. The history of the square is actually quite fascinating, and I would recommend looking it up if you have the time!
Looking back at these and other photos of my trips, sometimes I can hardly believe that I was actually there. Did I really get to travel to this beautiful, far away place? As I go through the pictures I can feel a small tug at my heart, accompanied by a feeling of longing. I am assured that yes, I did travel, and yes, there is a small part of me that is still immersed in the journey.
I so enjoyed reading this and seeing your photos! It really takes me back. I was in Hungary three times and look forward to going back again someday! It never gets old. I hope you get to go back again!
Thank you so much!! That’s so neat that you were able to visit 3 times! Even though I was there for that 2 week period I still feel like there was so much more to experience. I also hope that I am able to return one day!
You took such beautiful pictures!!! I had only three days, which is no where near enough time to see and experience Hungary! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thank you! It’s true, there is so much to take in there! Hopefully you’ll be able to go back one day and see even more!
Wow, what a gorgeous place!
It truly was! I already want to go back!
Just returned from our second visit having spent 5 days in Budapest over Christmas. We really love the place, lovely people. Our tales of the trip on our travel blog at http://www.thetwodoctors.wordpress.com
Checking it out now! 😀
Great post! Really enjoying reading through your blog 🙂 – Ashleigh
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to hear it <3