Budapest, At Night

Budapest became one city in 1873 when Buda, Pest and Obuda joined together on the banks of the Danube river. These days it is famous for its numerous natural hot springs, which is why people call it the "City of Spas". The city also mixes old castles, colorful Art Nouveau houses and many other grand buildings, giving the city a unique and memorable look. All this I want to see with my own eyes.

Early in the morning I had to catch the train, which delivered me to Budapest only in 7 hours.

Budapest Nyugati is one of the three main train stations in Budapest and one of the most beautiful. It was designed in the late 1800s by the Eiffel Company - the same firm behind the Eiffel Tower - so the building has a striking iron-and-glass facade. Nyugati is a major hub for domestic and international trains, and it is also right next to a busy shopping area and the WestEnd City Center mall.

My apartment is located just in 7 minutes of walking from the Nyugati station. Very convenient!

Unfortunately, after such a long trip and early waking up I felt dramatically tired, so I decided to have a power nap, and only after that to get out to observe the surroundings.

At first glance the night city looked majestic, but a bit scary. Still, my first destination point is the restaurant, which I found in the recommendations from my host. 

Goulash, some Hungarian specialties, one glass of wine and water. All in all I paid around 35 euro. To my surprise, the tips were automatically added. But the service was very friendly and I loved the vibe of the place. 

The weather is a bit warmer than in Prague. So, it was comfortable to walk along the night streets.

First of all, I wanted to see was the famous Chain Bridge. I do not know why, but the pictures with this bridge always came to my mind when I was imagining Budapest.

In fact, The Chain Bridge was the first permanent bridge connecting Buda and Pest, opened in 1849. Its massive iron chains were considered an engineering marvel at the time, and the bridge was designed by the Scottish engineer William Tierney Clark. At night, the bridge is beautifully illuminated, and its stone lions at each end have become iconic guardians of the city.

Moreover, there is a nice view on the building of Parliament from the bridge.

Now I am on the other river bank. And I decided to continue my walking to another significant spot. It is Castle Hill, where located the Buda Castle, which was once the residence of Hungarian kings.

The castle sits roughly 70–80 metres above the river level. And across the water, you would see the Hungarian Parliament Building, which dominates the skyline with its ornate neo-Gothic design.

It was a quite long night strolling, but it is absolutely worth seeing Budapest at night, when all landmarks are magically illuminated and the city feels calm and easy to explore. The riverfront, bridges and squares look especially clear and impressive under the lights.

But tomorrow I want to see the city at daylight and maybe I will visit some spa places as well.