ITINERARY
Budapest > Bratislava > Vienna > Cesky Krumlov > Prague
A group of friends - Robin & Niko, Rick, my sister Gabi, Michael & I, also known as Hi-Five Crew - organized a trip to Eastern Europe with stops in Budapest, Vienna and Prague. We got to explore these wonderful cities and ride our bikes on the countryside surrounding these cities.
BUDAPEST
is a vibrant city bisected by the River Danube which separates hilly Buda from level Pest. The contrast of the incredible building fabric that lost its allure behind the Iron Curtain years, with that same fabric that is coming back to life is fascinating to me. Budapest has an edge to it but is at the same time sophisticated, and culturally very rich. This was by far my favorite city on this trip.
STAY Palazzo Zichy [in a restored 19th-century mansion at a great location at the historic Palace District in Budapest’s centre. Make sure to walk around this beautiful neighborhood of historic buildings and stunning aristocratic palaces at every turn]
EAT Gerbeaud Café [one of the city’s oldest cafés, famous for its cakes and pastries. Can be pretty touristy and crowded but worth a peak] Szimpla [a “ruin” pub in a dilapidated building that has become quite famous in Budapest – stop by for a drink] Great Market Hall [this was not open during our visit, but it looks like a great place to check out if you’re into food markets like I am] Culinaris [has a lunch counter with a separate specialty-foods shop near the neo-Gothic parliament building]
TO DO/SEE Dohány utca Synagogue [Europe’s largest synagogue with a Moorish architecture. You will find the Jewish Museum next door and the Holocaust memorial courtyard to the rear] Rudas Thermal Bath [at the foot of the scenic Gellert Hill on the Buda side, this Turkish bath was built during the 16th century and has its main swimming pool under an incredible dome. It also has a hamam -Turkish sauna. We went on a late Friday night, after midnight, when they opened the bath for men & women] Alexandra Bookstore [great bookstore close to the Opera with a gorgeous cafe upstairs] Beyond Budapest [provides unique walking tours. In the past few years we have started taking walking or biking tours of new cities, and have not regretted it once! Wish we had done it in Budapest] Buda Castle Hill [just take your time walking around the cobblestone streets of Castle Hill; the views of the city from there are incredible] City Park [rent a bike and go around this great park in the centre of the city. I loved the unexpected sculptures in the lake] Opera House [gorgeous neo-renaissance building, considered to be amongst the best opera houses in the world in terms of its acoustics. We would have gone to a show there if there was one scheduled during our visit. Just for the experience of being in such incredible venue!] Night River Cruise [even though this is a pretty touristy thing to do, it was actually beautiful to see the city from the river all illuminated at night. The Parliament building in particular was spectacular]
VIENNA
very imposing classic city with grand buildings, monuments and parks. A beautiful city but it lacked a bit of warmth.
STAY We stayed at an “airbnb-like” private home of Mrs. Edith. A grand apartment but with every inch of the floor or walls covered with an ornament, rug, or some form of tapestry. She would make us breakfast every morning on her 1980’s lycra outfit. I will not recommend her place though because you will have an allergy attack there like we did!
Hotel Daniel [more modern boutique hotel – even though I did not stay there, it seems to be more my style – has a hammock in the room!]
SEE/TO DO We only had one day to see Vienna so we rented city bikes and rode around, mostly the city center area. Very easy (flat) and safe city for cycling. Some of the highlights were Schonbrunn Palace [majestic former imperial summer residence; we did not go inside but strolled around the gardens] Schwarzenbergplatz Square [cycle through this square; I loved the very large modern sculpture there] MUMOK [museum of modern art in the Museum District in Vienna’s center – even if you don’t have the time to go inside, stroll by its courtyard ] Kärntner Strasse [pedestrian-only shopping street with a diverse mix of historic buildings; walk around the surrounding streets as well] Spanish Riding School [horse show in traditional Renaissance style – an institution in Vienna. We did not get to see the show but we did visit the stables]
We happened to be there while the Music Film Festival at City Hall Square was taking place and we ended up there 2 nights in a row for the great traditional food & beer while watching a music or film program on a giant open-air screen.
PRAGUE
is a beautiful capital city with cobbled lanes and well-preserved architecture. It is unfortunately a bit more touristic than we expected with a lot of souvenir shops & terrible restaurants with laminated menus. But if you can see pass the veil of touristic traps, you will find a very charming and picturesque city.
EAT Klub Architektu [great food in a cozy cellar-like atmosphere] There are tons of great beer halls or pubs in Prague, but this is the one we got to check out - U Medvidku [a roomy & traditional Czech beer hall with simple tables, not particularly charming but fun atmosphere. For a more contemporary beer hall with innovative beers try Pivovarský Klub]
STAY We stayed at an apartment in a very convenient area but not a particularly good spot. The shower leaked into the bathroom and the mattresses were so soft we had to sleep on the box spring. Needless to say, don’t stay at the Pricna Apartments. If I were to go back, I would probably be looking at the Boho Prague Hotel or Augustine.
SEE/DO Walking Tour [we did a free walking tour that started at Wenceslas Square and we got to see: Old Town Square - Astronomical Clock - Charles University – Mozart Theater - Old Jewish District - Old New Synagogue - Old Jewish Cementer. Then we crossed the famous Charles Bridge – major tourist trap - and visited the Prague Castle and Castle District. It was a great way to see Prague specially if you don’t have many days there and learn more about its rich history] Petrin Hill [hike up Petrin Hill, for a panoramic view of Prague. If you can climb to the top of the needle - a miniature Eiffel Tower – the reward is even greater] Nový Svět [a part of Prague that provides a glimpse of how the city used to be - quiet, quaint, and beautiful, before the crowds of tourists became a staple].
On the way to Prague we got to spend the day at Cesky Krumlov, a very charming medieval town, worth the stop! The drive there was also quite beautiful.
The last 12 pictures are there.