Today we did the Buda side of Budapest with our guide Katie. First, she took us to the Medieval part of the town called Castle Hill. This was a beautiful old part of the town that dates back over 800 years. Unfortunately much of the area was destroyed at the end of WW II, but what they did was rebuild the new part including the medieval walls that remained into the new buildings. This gave the area such charm. It impressed me that even during the time of communism they were trying to save pieces of history.

Here is the beautiful cathedral...

And the palace...

 

And they even built the Hilton Hotel around the medieval walls and buildings when it was constructed in the 1970s. Although the outside of the hotel is mighty ugly, it is amazing on the inside how the incorporated the different centuries of architecture design.

Here are the wonderful panoramic views of the city from another hill we visited.

The Parliament...

 

 

The Pest side of the city...

The Buda side of the city...

And the entire city of Budapest with the Danube...

Katie also took us to the Cave Church which is a Roman Catholic Church which is built into the side of a mountain. It appears as if it is a cave. It is currently an active church after having been blocked and walled off by the Communists until the wall was knocked down and the church was reopened in 1992.

 

So now Stevie and I can say we have visited a church decorated by bones and one that is built in a cave. These people sure know how to make things interesting!

 



After we left Katie, we visited the Terror House. This was a museum which was in a large villa that the Nazi and then Communist parties used as headquarters. They used this building for torture, interrogation, and executions. However, the main reason we wanted to visit it was to get a better understanding of what the Hungarian (and many others) went through during the time of Communism.

As a history lesson,  Hungary fought on the side of Germany until the very last few months of the war. At this point they tried to get out from under Germany. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful and became occupied by Germany at  which time many of the historic buildings and bridges were destroyed. Also, in those last few months of the war most of Hungary's Jews were exterminated.

Within a few months Russia from the Allied forces liberated Hungary from the rule and power of the NAZI forces. The Hungarian people were excited, but quickly realized that they had simply traded one evil for another.  The communist party practiced religious persecution, racial persecution, and caused everyone to live in fear.

We ended our final night in Budapest on a river cruise on the Danube. It was pretty awesome to see all of the sights that Katie took us to over the last two days lit up. Budapest truly is a beautiful city and I am glad to see that it has overcome some of the hardships it has experienced in the past.

Stevie and her champagne Danube cruise...

 

 

Parliament by night...

 

 

Castle Hill by night...

 

 

 

Oh, and I thought it was sort of humorous that as Stevie and I were waiting for the metro tonight a young man came up to me with a metro map and asked me how to get to a certain stop. Thank goodness it was on our last  night in Budapest and I was able to answer him without sounding like an idiot. I just thought it interesting that out of everyone in that station he ask me. Then after talking to him I found out he was from Brazil; he asked me if I was from Budapest. So, I must not look like a tourist anymore! And maybe I have picked up a Hungarian accent with my English?