Topdeck Travel Blog

By Carl Smith

“Egészségedre!” is the cry and the karaoke strikes up again.

A group of students are bellowing out what obviously must be a Hungarian classic. My passengers and I are joining in even though we don’t have a clue what we’re singing.

It’s the end of another fantastic day in Budapest, the ‘Pearl of the Danube’, and we’re in Morrison’s Music Pub 2 which seems to be packed with young locals every night of the week.

We headed here after a fantastic dinner at Restaurant Fatal which is less deadly than the name suggests (although their portion sizes should come with a health warning). Today, not for the first time, I opted for the schnitzel which is literally the size of a pillow. It’s like someone flattened Babe and coated him in breadcrumbs. Delicious!

Earlier in the day I sought out the therapeutic benefits of Budapest’s thermal baths to ‘cleanse’ my body of its not inconsiderable toxins

No trip to Budapest is complete without a visit to one of the baths. Two of the most popular are the Szechenyi and the Gellert Baths.

The three outdoor heated pools and 12 indoor pools and saunas of the tongue-twisting Szechenyi Baths are in City Park.

Some pools are communal while others are segregated between men and women – which may be a blessing for anyone who is prone to blushing cheeks!

During one visit to the men’s sauna I quickly felt overdressed, sitting there in a ‘modesty cover’.

Let’s just say that the two old guys playing chess to my right had definitely left their Bishops exposed!

The Baths are just the tip of the iceberg. Budapest has some breath-taking landmarks not least the neo-Gothic Parliament House, grand St Stephen’s Cathedral, and the imposing Castle District.

In the same area as the latter is Fisherman’s Bastion, a cracking piece of architecture which evokes the tents of the Magyar tribes who founded the nation.

Then there are brilliant attractions such as the House of Terror, without doubt one of my favourite museums in Europe. It tells the sad story of Hungary’s ‘Double Occupation’ during and after World War II by hard-line Fascist and Communist regimes.

The striking building used to house the Nazi-affiliated Arrow Cross organisation and later the ÁVH (the “secret police” of the Communist regime).

After making your way through the thought-provoking exhibits, a lift takes you to the basement cells where both organisations used to interrogate, torture, and kill helpless prisoners. It’s a moving, memorable tribute to the victims.

Hungary has a fascinating history which is reflected in statues throughout Budapest.

There’s the poignant ‘Shoes on the Danube’ memorial along the river bank representing the spot where Jewish victims were shot during World War II by the Arrow Cross. Their bodies would fall in to the Danube leaving only their footwear behind.

And there’s also the statue of former politician Imre Nagy near Parliament House which harks to the dark days of 1956 when his attempted revolution was violently crushed by Soviet forces leading to his arrest and execution.

I’m always keen to learn more about each and every country and I’m lucky enough to have some fantastic Hungarian colleagues among our multinational Road Crew whose brains I can pick.

There are drivers like Akos, (who used to play drums in a metal band), Zoltan (who is known to cook his groups the most amazing Hungarian goulash on camping trips) and Trip Leader Kriszti (a Budapest native) to name but a few.

In my experience they are all representative of their countrymen and women – warm, friendly, and they definitely know how to party!

So back in the pub, as the music strikes up again and we order another pálinka. I’m already looking forward to when I can next return to Budapest!

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Visit Budapest on one of Topdeck's many trips that take you to Hungary.