Our first day was very interesting and we were very amazed by the city, so we couldn't wait for the second day to start. Not sure but we think it was 7:30 in the morning when we were already out exploring the city.
This day was reserved for walking and exploring but it is very difficult to navigate the city without a map so we were using MAPS.ME app which can work without WiFi, so its very useful for people which are travelling.
Keep in mind the app is very confusing because every time you turn in every direction the map on the app is changing the course also. So that is how we got lost, but we had backup plan and we started using the offline maps from Google. But nevertheless we saw streets/corners/allies which we never planed of seeing.
The first stop was the park which is on Buda side its situated left from Buda castle when you are looking straight in it. It is very peaceful place, because it was summer we were able to listen to the birds singing while walking.
We recommend light clothes when visiting this place especially in summer because it's a hill. The most beautiful thing is when you rich the top you have a chance to enjoy in view of the Pest side and also watch the boats cruising on Danube.
After enjoying this beautiful view and exploring the Cittadela which is situated at the top of the hill, we went to see the magnificent Buda Castle.
Buda Castle is a historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. It was first completed in 1265, but the massive Baroque palace today occupying most of the site was built between 1749 and 1769.
The castle now houses the Hungarian National Gallery and The Budapest History Museum. Its free to enter and walk around castle, but also if you'd like you can pay for a guided tour. It's a beautiful place to spend couple of hours, not to mention the magnificent view of the Pest that you can enjoy.
After exploring Buda castle, we continued our walk to Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. Fisherman's Bastion was built around Matthias Church between 1895 and 1902. Seven towers represent the seven Hungarian tribes that settled in the Carpathian Basin in 895.
From the towers and the terrace you can enjoy in good coffee and panoramic view on Danube and the Parliament. We stayed on the terrace for a 15 - 20 minutes to rest a little and enjoy the view, then we continued to explore the streets in that area. We were on a pretty restrict schedule and on a budget so between entering Matthias Church and walking on the terrace we choose the terrace. Either way we are planing to return at least one more time in Budapest and stay there at least one week, then we will enter Matthias Church for sure.
It was around 3 pm, and time to eat something. We were walking around 6 - 7 hours just with water, while we were deciding what to eat and where to eat we visited couple of stores to see if there is something interesting and cheap to buy. After lunch we went back to our room to rest for at least half an hour and change clothes.
In the afternoon we made a plan to do something romantic, and what is more romantic than riding on a Ferris wheel in middle of Budapest watching the sunset and have a view on St. Stephen's Basilica. The ride last 5 - 10 minutes, one ticket cost 2700 Hungarian forints, that is 9 euros. This was not the end of our second day, even though we were exhausted from walking we decided to go behind the Parliament building and enjoy in the view one more time.
Third day and our last day in Budapest also started early in the morning, what can we do, we wanted to use the time we have as much as we can. Our itinerary for this day was to see the central park and the Castle which is situated in it. To go to the Budapest zoo, see the Heroes Square, and most important part of this journey was the House of Terror (Terror Haza).
As our accommodation was in the middle between the city center and the central park it was not very far to reach the park, we were there in 15 - 20 minutes tops. Central park has its own let's say grass beach on which you can seat and get your tan. Or you can enjoy playing games or just sitting.
On the west side of the park there is an old Castle, Vajdahunyad . It was built in 1896 as part of the Millennial Exhibition which celebrated the 1,000 years of Hungary. The castle was designed by Ignác Alpár to feature copies of several landmark buildings from different parts of the Kingdom of Hungary. Originally, it was made from cardboard and wood, but it became so popular that it was rebuilt from stone and brick between 1904 and 1908. Today, it houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, the biggest agricultural museum in Europe.
The statue of the chronicler Anonymous is also displayed in the castle court. Anonymous lived in the 12th century (his true identity is unknown, but he was a notary of Béla III of Hungary), who wrote the chronicle Gesta Hungarorum (Deeds of the Hungarians).
The castle contains a statue of Béla Lugosi, as well, who was a Hungarian-American actor famous for portraying Count Dracula in the original 1931 film. From there we continued to Heroes Square, and then to Budapest zoo.
Our afternoon we used it for getting to know the Hungarian history and struggle before during and after WWII. Terror House or Terror Haza is museum that contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist regimes in 20th-century Hungary and is also a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed in the building. On the entrance on the museum real T-54 tank is displayed with photos of the victims of the Hungarian Communism. Keep in mind if you want to visit this museum you will need at least 2 hours to see everything inside. From there we went one more time to enjoy in St.Stephen Basilica.
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