Budapest was the final, and perhaps our favorite, stop on our 2022 Viking Grand European River Cruise. We arrived mid-morning and then had a full afternoon of touring. Had we stayed with the included air package instead of extending it, we would have had just one day and then had to leave for the airport at 3:00 AM the next morning. Instead, we did an air extension and stayed in Budapest for three additional nights, giving us three full days there. We would have missed so much had we not stayed the extra days; we were so glad we did!
The first stop on our tour was the Inner-city Parish Church, or as it is formally known, the Budapest Inner City Parish Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This church at the base of the Elisabeth Bridge is the oldest medieval monument in Pest (the flat part of town on the east side of the river). The congregation was established in 1048 during the reign of Andrew I, King of Hungary from 1046-1060. In 2023, the church will celebrate its 975th anniversary, amazing! We were told that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainian refugees have begun to call this church home.
During the 14th century, during the reign of Kings Louis the Great and Sigismund, the church was rebuilt in Gothic style, including a fresco of the enthroned Virgin Mary, which was re-discovered intact in 2010. During the reign of King Matthias, the church was further expanded, with a royal oratory (place of prayer) on the south side and a Gothic-style tower. During Turkish rule, between 1541 and 1686, the church was used as a mosque. Remnants of this can be found in the mihrab, or prayer booth, located in the southeast wall of the sanctuary. In the late 1600’s the nave and south tower were rebuilt using the remains of the Gothic walls. The northern tower and main facade were added at the end of the 18th century.
Between 2014 and 2016, archaeological excavations exposed Roman and medieval remains under the floor. In 2016, the interior was restored, and a crypt was created below the floor level, known as the sub-church. This area served numerous functions over the years, including the room of the camp commander of the Kontra-Aquincum, a small rectangular fortress across the Danube from the Roman City of Aquilinum. The sub-church also contains a chapel, which did not exist before and was built between 2014 and 2016 based on the ideas of the parish priest, Dr. Eszter Osztie. Due to its great acoustics, the chapel has also become a popular chamber music venue.
Our next stop was a tour of the Dohany Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world, seating 3,000 people. Construction began in 1854 and was completed in 1859. It was built in the Moorish Revival style, with influences from Islamic buildings in North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia) and medieval Spain, such as the Alhambra.
Construction on the synagogue began in 1854 by the Jewish community in a residential area of Pest. Construction was completed, and the building was consecrated in 1854. In 1931, a Jewish Museum was built on the remains of Theodor Hertzl’s house. Hertzl is widely credited as the founder of the Zionist movement. This same year, the Heroes’ Temple was also constructed to commemorate Hungarian Jews who died during World War I.
In 1939, the synagogue was bombed by the right-wing Hungarian nationalist and pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party. The remains of the synagogue were occupied by Germans who used it as a radio base and stable during World War II. As the war progressed, the synagogue suffered significant damage during air raids and later the Siege of Budapest as Romanian and Soviet forces drove out Budapest. After the war, under communist rule, the synagogue served as a prayer house for the remaining Jewish population. Shortly after a peaceful transition to a democratic form of government in 1989, a complete restoration of the synagogue began and was completed in 1998.
Today, the synagogue is a beautiful symbol of the continuing Jewish-Hungarian presence in Budapest. The facade consists of two ornate towers topped with black and gold domes. Inside, visitors are greeted by the synagogue boasts a stunning arched gallery. Behind the museum is a memorial sculpture of a weeping willow with the names and tattoo numbers of the Jews who died and disappeared as a result of the Nazi era. While it is not customary to have a cemetery beside a synagogue, the need for burial space was so great after 1944 that many of those who died in the ghetto were buried there. Overall, the synagogue is simply stunning and we would visit again.
After our two tours, we stopped at a nearby bakery for a quick snack before returning to the At the suggestion of our guide, we tried a traditional Esterházy tort, a layered cake made with walnut buttercream, chocolate, and fondant glaze. It was delicious! Then, back to our ship for a farewell dinner with our fellow travelers.
The following day, we explored via the hop-on, hop-off bus. High on our priority was to visit the Gellert Hill Cave Church, a fascinating church and monastery carved into the side of a hill
The monastery and adjoining chapel were constructed in 1926, built on a small hill opposite the Hotel Gellert. During World War 2, it became a sanctuary for Polish refugees, who were often disguised as monks. It continued to operate as a chapel and monastery until Easter Monday, 1951 when communists sealed off the cave and imprisoned and executed many of the monks.
During the communist years, the cave served as a water monitoring station and warehouse. After the fall of communism in 1992, it was reopened and reconsecrated. Today, the monastery continues to be inhabited by a small order of monks from the Pauline Order, the only male religious order founded in Hungary.
We then proceeded to Castle Hill, an area filled with historic sights with beautiful views of Budapest. Our first stop was the former Royal Palace, also known as the Budah Palace, once the residence of Hungarian Kings. The castle is now the home of the Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery. It was rather pricey to enter, so we decided to stick with the grounds. On the grounds were several monuments, including the Matthias Fountain, Eugene of Savoy Monument, Habsburg Gate, and the entrance to the palace.
After visiting the castle, we walked to another local landmark but became distracted by a building where two guards were posted. It appeared to me to be a military school or something similar. We decided to ask one of the guards what the building was; it was called the Sandor Palace and was the President’s residence! There is no way we could get anywhere near a building like that in the U.S., which is quite interesting.
After visiting the church, we visited another local landmark, the Budah Tower. Also known as the Mary Magdalene Tower, it was constructed in the late 14th century as part of an expansion of the original chapel, which was built in 1244. It is also the only medieval monument in Budapest that has been maintained in its original form.
Over the ensuing centuries, the chapel served as a place of worship for Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and the Garrison of Budah. The tower was heavily damaged in the 1945 Siege of Budapest. In 1950, the restoration of the tower as a monument began, while at the same time, leaders of the anti-church political regime decided to demolish the church. It was not until 2017 that the tower finally opened its doors to visitors. The tower offers spectacular views of Budapest if you don’t mind the 172-step climb to the top, which we did!
After a full day of touring, we returned to our hotel to rest before heading out for a wonderful evening dinner cruise. The cruise included a folklore show with traditional Hungarian singing, dancing, and lovely views of Budapest at night. We also met the most interesting and extremely wealthy British family. It was a lot of fun!
The next day, I was looking forward to visiting the former World War 2 Gestapo headquarters, now called the House of Terror Museum, and St. Stevens Basilica, the most important church in Hungary. As we made our way to the House of Terror Museum, we passed the Hungarian State Opera House, which is said to have spectacular architecture and some of the finest acoustics in the world. We hoped to get a tour, but there were no tours that morning. However, we were able to glimpse of interior of the building and its stunning architecture.
Dr. Mária Schmidt, Director-General of the House of Terror Museum, describes the House of Terror Museum as a “monument to the memory of those held captive, tortured and killed in this building.” Unfortunately, other than the entry area, photographs were not allowed due to the nature of the exhibits and out of respect for those who lost their lives here.
In the early 1940s, the building was the headquarters for the country’s Arrow Cross political party. Though it won over 25% of the vote in the 1939 election, the party was not included in the government and became the main opposition party. In March 1945, when Germany occupied Hungary, the building served as headquarters for the German secret police, the Gestapo. In October 1944, when the pro-Nazi leadership declared it would no longer partner with its German occupiers, the pro-Nazi government was replaced with the leadership of the Arrow Cross Party, which remained in power until the Russian “liberation” in January 1945.
During its brief time in power, the Arrow Cross party renamed the building the Loyalty House, housed a prison in which Jews and those suspected of disloyalty were imprisoned, tortured, and executed. During their period in power, the Arrow Cross’ continued to do Germany’s bidding, terrorizing, murdering, and deporting Jews. Thousands were murdered in Budapest alone, with many being machine-gunned into the Danube River.
Following the Russian occupation in 1945 through 1989, the building continued to be used by the Hungarian secret police, who again tortured and murdered thousands of dissidents and political adversaries in the basement of the building. Cells contain photos and brief biographies of some of the victims, as recent as 1989! It was a fascinating yet eerie place to visit, especially when you realize it wasn’t all that long ago. Seeing the cells with the names and photographs of the victims, as well as the actual gallows where they were executed, was somewhat disturbing, but it was a very interesting history lesson.
Perhaps appropriately, after the House of Terror, the next stop on our walking tour was St. Stephen’s Basilica. The basilica is widely considered to be the most beautiful and significant church and tourist attraction in the country.
Construction of the church began in 1851 and was completed in 1905. A major event occurred in 1868, when, 17 years into its construction, the cupola collapsed due to defects in materials and craftsmanship. This caused significant delays, and in 1875, construction resumed on a reinforced foundation with a new design. The structure was finally completed in 1891, and the interior was completed in 1905. On December 8, 1906, the church was dedicated, and in 1931, Pope XI awarded the church the title of Basilica Minor.
The church is named after the king, now known as St. Stephen, the first King of Hungary and who brought Christianity to the previously pagan kingdom. Fearing that his embalmed and mummified corpse might be desecrated, it was removed from the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where it was placed in 1038 after his death, and hidden in a tomb beneath the basilica. At this time, his right hand, known as the Holy Right, was removed and taken to the basilica’s treasury, which was believed to have miraculous powers.
Later, a treasury employee stole the relic (right hand) and hid it at his estate. When the king learned of this, he visited the man’s estate, forgave him for the crime, and built an abbey on the site. Over the next several centuries, pilgrims began traveling to the relic. Over the ensuing years the relic was moved several times, traveling through Hungary and present-day Bosnia and Croatia, arriving back in Budapest in 1945. The Holy Right, or right hand, has been displayed in St. Stephen’s Basilica since 1987.
After visiting the nave, we visited the top of the cupola, where a panoramic lookout has been established. This made it necessary to install elevators placed in two chimneys behind the main facade. Otherwise, visitors would have to climb the 364 steps to the top. Once at the top of the elevator shaft, there are f few stairs and a walkway above and around the church’s interior dome. It was fascinating seeing that. The basilica is a world heritage site and worth taking the time to visit. I hope you get the chance to see it someday.
Later that evening, we stopped for traditional Hungarian food for dinner: Chicken Paprikash and sausages (of course, we had goulash, but it was on a different day). Then, it was off for a traditional Hungarian dessert: a chimney cake. This is a round hollow pastry shell coated with cinnamon sugar and often filled with various toppings and sweet cream. Yum!!
On our final day in Budapest, we walked down Vaci Street, famous for its shopping and restaurants. It was a nice walk and a lovely street. Of course, the first stop was breakfast, then on to the Budapest Central Market.
Designed and built in 1897, the market is over 100,000 square feet and covers three floors. The distinctive roof consists of traditional Hungarian Zsolnay tiles covered by a steel structure.
The ground-floor stalls offer a variety of items, including produce, meats, pastries, candies, spices, and popular tourist items like paprika, wine, Hungarian sausages, and salami. The second floor contains several restaurants, eateries, and stalls selling various tourist souvenirs. Basement stalls consist of butcher shops, vegetable stalls, butcher shops, and fishmongers.
After shopping and trying a few of the local delicacies, we headed towards the river where the parliament building is located. On the way, we searched for and finally found the Shoes on the Danube memorial.
The memorial honors the thousands of people, mostly Jews: men, women, and children, who were murdered by the Arrow Cross militia in December 1944 and January 1945. Many were lined up on the banks of the Danube and forced to remove their shoes, as they were valuable and could be traded or resold. Victims were then machine-gunned into the Dnube because the current would conveniently carry the bodies away. After a brief period of reflection, we continued along the promenade to the Hungarian Parliament Building.
The parliament building opened in 1902 and remains the largest building in Hungary. The main facade faces the Danube and displays statues of Hungarian rulers and famous military figures. It also contains the coats of arms of Hungary’s former kings and dukes. Altogether, there are 242 sculptures inside and out. By the time we arrived, all tours for the day were sold out, but we thoroughly enjoyed the visitor center and walking the grounds of this stunning building. The nighttime view from the river, as seen at the beginning of this article, is just unbelievable!
After another full day of touring, it was time to return to our hotel—after dinner and a chimney cake, of course. Our time in Budapest was fantastic, and we hope to go there again someday. Put it on your list of places if you get the chance; you won’t regret it !