Leaving early in the morning, we traveled from Vienna to Budapest for the day. The two and half-hour drive made it a great day-trip destination.

Before we got to Budapest, our guide told us he had a little surprise and directed us down a narrow walking path. When we got to the end of the path, we saw a wonderful panoramic view of Budapest and the Danube River flowing through the middle.

Paul was especially happy to finally see the Danube River. He thought he saw it when we drove in to Vienna from the airport, but our driver told us we were seeing the Danube Canal. The Danube River runs a bit north of the historic district of Vienna.

Originally, Budapest was two separate cities, separated by the Danube River. Buda was on one side and Pest was on the other.

Buda

We started our visit on the Buda side of the city. I loved looking up at the beautiful roof on the Matthias Church. The brightly-colored tiles were made in the famous Zsolnay porcelain factory.

After exploring the area, we stopped for a coffee and pastry at Ruszwurm Confectionery, the oldest existing pastry shop in Budapest.

Opened since 1827, the modest little shop has attracted numerous famous customers, including Queen Sisi, wife of the Hapsburg Hungarian King Franz Joseph. It was nationalized during the Communist era but continued to operate.

Pest

After our coffee stop, we left the hilly, medieval Buda side and crossed the Danube to the flatter, commercial hub of Pest. We made a brief stop to admire the beautiful St. Stephen’s Basilica, Hungary’s largest cathedral.

After exploring a bit, we went for lunch at Vacvarju, a restaurant recommended by our guide. Paul wanted Hungarian Goulash but had to settle for the next best thing-Hungarian Goulash soup, accompanied by Hungarian beer. The big hunk of bread on top was a little weird, but the soup underneath was tender and tasty.

We weren’t in Budapest long enough for me to get a feel for the people or the culture, but I think they must value children. As we left Vacvarju, I noticed a darling play area for children in the front corner of the restaurant.

We enjoyed seeing the beautiful and diverse architecture in Budapest and learning about its interesting history.