You Say Budapest, I say Buda Best!

The funicular to Buda Castle was just a short walk away from our hotel.  The sun goes down early in Budapest in December, so we wanted to see what we could up on Buda Castle hill before dark. 

Heading to the funicular, we were bombarded by all sorts of entreaties to take this golf cart like-ride up, or a bus, or anything else.  I felt like the pilot walking through the airport in Airplane, although I didn't actually assault any of them.

The funicular was a quick zip up to the top of the hill.  Once outside, we were struck by the beauty of the surrounding buildings, and the setting.  Torie had been there before, so she took us around.  We didn't go in the castle -- we didn't really have time, and apparently it's only modestly interesting.  

So, we walked around the back of the castle, through a tunnel to the front.  The views of Budapest, the Danube, and especially the Parliament, were magical.  The light was dying, snuffed out partly by the clouds and fog, and partly by the ending of the day (sunset was 3:54 pm!).

Then, we walked through Buda town to Matthias Church (was unfortunately was closed), passing cafes, art shops, beautiful houses from the times of the noblemen, and enjoying the views.  Christmas lights are a thing here, as are Christmas trees.  There were a lot of people, mostly tourists but some locals out enjoying the Christmas scene, but it didn't feel crowded at the same time.  (Don't worry, we'll get to crowded soon enough).

Matthais Church is an amazing building even from the outside.  Beautiful spires, colorful tiled roofs, and statues of ravens on some of the spires.  It has the famous black spire as well.

We walked all the way down to the Church of Mary Magdalene at the other end of Buda hill, passing a Lutheran Church, the stunning National Archives building, and a T-34 tank.  On my way to check out the tank more closely, I managed to step into a hole full of icy water, freezing my sneaker, my sock, and, of course, my foot underneath.  

After climbing some stairs to the overlook, we realized the parapet was essentially an ice skating rink, so we built a hasty retreat.  Night fell as we were walking back through town, and we came to the Fisherman's Bastion, another UNESCO World Heritage site (Budapest is chock-a-block with them).  

I quickly realized I had not allotted enough time for Budapest.  For some reason, I only had us staying one night, in a city where there is so much to do and see.  We definitely need to get back here.

Fisherman's Bastion might have been the best part of Buda hill.  It's an amazing structure, affording fine views across the Danube, especially of the Hungarian Parliament building, which might be the most striking Capitol building in the world.  There were lots of people up there with us, all enjoying the cold early night and the striking views.

After a while we headed down the hill, winding our way down through the town to our hotel.  I needed to change my soaking cold/wet sock and sneaker.  We loved Buda hill, and I feel like we easily could have spent all day there (you know, instead of waiting for a cab at the airport!)