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| Cumil "The Peeper" |
Waiting in the Frankfurt airport lounge for our flight to Seattle we made some notes on our visit to Slovakia and Hungary. We were up early this morning (3:15am) for our flight from Vienna to Frankfurt so both of us are a little groggy. We enjoyed Bratislava and Budapest, both formerly communist controlled cities/countries but now look like bustling capitalist cities. They were definitely worth the visit (even if I hadn't been able to drive the Autobahn) and the time we spent at each was about right - half day in Bratislava and two days in Budapest. Joni had a solo adventure at the "Hospital in the Rock" while I checked out of our hotel. Hopefully, she will share her story with you.
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| Schoner Naci the town greeter |
Bratislava sits on the Danube river about 30 minutes downstream from Vienna, Austria. It is the capital of Slovakia and its largest city. While now a very modern city, there are clear evidences of Communist planner impact remaining in the city. They have a bridge over the Danube designed by the Communists which looks like the bridge of the starship Enterprise, they have a highway through the middle of town which takes traffic just a few feet from St. Martin's cathedral, and a rather drab restoration of the Bratislava castle, a National Cultural Monument. However, the old town center is quite interesting and the citizens have added some whimsical statues which make the exploration more fun. The city gave us a good return on our four hour investment so on to Budapest!
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| A portion of the Danube Bend view from Visegrad Castle |
We drove through the Slovakia countryside to the Danube Bend area of Hungary and eventually Budapest. A very enjoyable drive through a highly agricultural area dotted with small towns which seem to have retained more of the drab, shabbily constructed Communist era housing and factory structures.
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| Alterpiece in the Basilica of Esztergom |
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| Close-up of the Assumption |
Just as we crossed back over the Danube river into Hungary, we were stunned by a huge palace overlooking the river from the Hungary side. It was the Basilica of Esztergom, the largest building in Hungary and the seat of the Catholic Church in Hungary. The altarpiece depicting the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Michelangelo Grigoletti is the largest painting in the world painted on a single piece of canvas. The building of the present church took place on the foundation of several earlier churches (the first in the 11th century was burned down at the end of the 12th century then rebuilt before being sacked in 1304 - it was repaired in the following years).
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| The Parliament building at night |
As you descend from the Matra hills onto the Hungarian plain along the Danube River, the city of Budapest looms impressively on both sides of the river (about 3/4 mile wide here). The road brought us down the Buda (west) side of the river and the huge, neo-gothic/neo-renaissance styled Parliament building across on the Pest (east) side is a stunning sight. Our hotel (Hilton Budapest) was in the Castle Hill district of Buda built on top of the remains of an ancient castle. The views from Castle Hill, especially at night, were absolutely beautiful.
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| Matthias Church |
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| Memorial to Jews murdered in Budapest |
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| A statue honoring Ronald Reagan in Budapest |
Budapest is a very pretty, comfortable city with a lot to explore. We walked most of the city following Rick Steves' recommended walking tours. While the citizens here also enjoy their statues, the roofs of churches standout as very unique in their patterns and colors. We also cruised the Danube for another perspective on the city.
We drove the Autobahn back to Vienna - it fulfills my need for speed! In Vienna, we stayed at one of our favorite hotels - the Imperial Riding School Renaissance Vienna Hotel. A fun end to a great trip!
Thanks to Joni!
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| Can't resist a man in uniform |
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