Snowdapest: Travelling

The Halászbástya (Fisherman’s Bastion) on the Buda side, a sightseer’s dream, gives a great view of the Pest side of the city.

I will go great depths to travel. So when I heard that it was in the low thirties and chance of snow in Budapest, I gave up on my black suit and packed a heavy coat and a ton of sweaters. Hey, it was on a tour, and 2 days only. So Janene and I stomped around in low, but steady snow for two days. In a way, I never mind fall or winter, because it kills some of the foliage and you can see the architecture better. This time, the grayness of light and the white blanket of snow lent itself in odd ways.

Krisztina said the gaslight is kept on all the time in Varhegy (Castle Hill area), because there are no more lamplighters.

Budapest, is not quite what I expected. Post WWII, post-Communist, Budapest reminds one a little of its roots to Vienna, with a lot of its own style. Most building are of that style of elaborate concrete stucco over brick. Most rusticated in that Italian style done in Baroque style. Some in later Art Nouveau style.

A walk along the Andrássy út reveals both elaborate stucco design, as well the understructure of some buildings in disrepair.

Reminders of WWII, in the Castle Hill area.

It is amazing to see this city which survived one of the worst barrages of gunfire and destruction during WWII, as well as gunfire suffered from tank attacks during the 1956 Revolution against the Soviets.

The beautiful Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert (Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden) art nouveau buildings designed by Kornél Neuschloss and Károly Kós.

Original subway stop along the yellow line

This little gem of a station, Opera, is part of one of the oldest subway lines ever made. The black and white photo below actually shows the onsight construction along Andrássy út. It is only predated by the London line.

These are only a couple of gems of a most amazing city, both for architecture, planning and engineering.