The trip to Budapest was a breath of fresh air. Without masks, without sanitizers at every turn, no one is aiming at you with a non-contact thermometer. Metro, shopping centers, pharmacies, museums, markets, train stations, airports – there are no calls to wear a mask anywhere.
There are no problems with obtaining a visa, no queues that frightened us, or the lack of windows in the embassy. There was a rush, but only the first couple of weeks after the opening, and now everything has settled down, you can safely apply for a visa for 5 days. You need a certificate or PCR, there are no applications, questionnaires and codes.
We were lucky on all counts: budget hotel, weather, excursions.
We found a stunning, small hotel Kalmár Panzió 3*, which is located in a quiet area. The hotel is very close to the Gellert baths. All the main attractions of Buda are at your fingertips, and Pest is a five-minute walk across the bridge. It’s not really a hotel, but an apartment. The hostess just left us the keys to the room. The building itself looks like a fairy-tale castle, the room has antique furniture, a very atmospheric place, visiting a Hungarian grandmother of noble origin. The tram stop and the metro are also nearby, right behind the tram stop there is a hummus bar and grill bistro. There is no breakfast at the hotel, but this is not a problem at all.
There are some shortcomings, such as a noisy refrigerator, shabby plumbing, soundproofing, but the cost of the hotel is appropriate. And for a second, the building is over 100 years old!
The baths are located directly opposite our ancient castle, in the even older Hotel Gellert. It is believed that these are the most beautiful baths in Budapest. You can walk around the hotel if you visit the baths. There is something to look at: stucco, mosaic, monograms and gilding. My inner gypsy rejoiced! The baths consist of seven pools, one of which is outside. Saunas, steam rooms and a few other small pools with cold water.
Entrance costs 5900 forints on weekdays and 6200 on weekends. Be sure to take a swimsuit, slippers, a towel with you, there is no rental here, everything can only be bought for a high price. And a shower cap! Without it, they are not allowed into the largest and most beautiful pool.
The food in Budapest is excellent: hearty, fatty, tasty – everything I like.
In all restaurants and cafes, a service fee, i.e. a tip, is included in the bill. And these are not trifles, be prepared to always pay one or even two thousand forints on top of the bill.
Also, be patient and don’t think that you will be able to have a quick meal. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to wait for the food, and the menu, too, and the bill, the waiters here are in no hurry at all. But on the other hand, it will be guaranteed to be delicious, both in the restaurant and in the budget eatery itself.
Moving around the city is very comfortable, public transport is divided by color, everything is very clear and understandable. You can buy tickets at the terminals, they are at stops. You can also order a taxi using the BOLT app. We also caught a taxi on the street, the prices are about the same, they never tried to deceive us or cheat the price.
Do you know where the most delicious goulash in the city is? For Sale Pub! Finding this place is easy, it is located opposite the central market. The portion of goulash is huge, take for two. I also recommend chicken in mushroom sauce and rice.
And again, the service is insanely slow, there is no service, it looks like some kind of provincial pub, but the taste of the food makes you forgive them for all the shortcomings, really everything. I ate and realized that this is the best pub in the city.
And with Budapest, I have about the same feelings, and there seem to be minuses and shortcomings, but we are ready to forgive and turn a blind eye to them. Because he’s kind of cozy, homely and very kind.
