Rick Steves Europe: Prague & Budapest
This was the first morning of our trip to be a little rainy and cold, but the mood of our group was cheerful, and when we all had to cram into the no. 16 bus to get to the castle district, there was lots of joking and laughter at our ridiculous crowded state. The road to the Buda castle district is quite steep and winding, and by the time we reached our stop, we were high above the river and the opposite Pest side. Mónika showed us around a partly-reconstructed 14th century monastery, the 1896 Fisherman’s Bastion, and the beautiful Matthias Church, with its colorful tiled roof and elaborate painted interior. She told us about the Trinity Column, a memorial near the church, built to celebrate the end of the plague in the early 18th century.
Our next activity with the group was a cooking class at Chef Parade, where we split into teams and collectively prepared a lunch of traditional Hungarian foods, including cherry soup, a kind of noodles, stew, and apple strudel. This was a nice change of pace, and everybody had a good time working together and enjoying the delicious food afterward. We all went to the Great Market Hall (designed by Gustave Eiffel!) and explored on our own, collecting souvenirs and admiring the many produce stalls and handmade goods. There was time for a rest before dinner, and the two of us ate a wonderful meal in the Jewish Quarter. From there, we met up with the group by the Danube, ready for an evening cruise. It was a stunning way to see the city and all its bridges, lit up and reflecting on the water.
For Day 9,
Public Transportation Note
In Budapest, we found that the metro and tram systems were easy to figure out on our own (with maps, of course), but the bus system was a little harder for us to grasp.
Packing Tip - Be Prepared!
We were happy that we’d packed lots of light clothing layers, because we had extreme heat the first week in Prague, and then colder, sometimes rainy weather in Budapest - light layers made it easy to stay comfortable.