July 16-18, 2018

Budapest is just as cool as everyone says it is and I’m so glad I squeezed this city in. Hungary has a dark history of communism, similar to Slovakia, that only turned to democracy in 1990! That is so recent. There were numerous bombings in the city of Budapest (and all over Hungary, I’m assuming) during the Soviet Communism terrors, which left many buildings and areas destroyed. Due to this, a lot of the buildings currently in Budapest were reconstructed rather recently. None-the-less, I was very impressed with this city. Check out what I did!

Buda Castle

Heroes Square AKA Hösök Tere

Another nice, strong moustach in central Europe.

Parlament

Fisherman’s Bastion

Matthias Church

A random church, Budapest has tons of architecture that involves a funky orange, yellow, and green tiled roof!

Great Market Hall – gorgeous market, the basement is full of traditional Hungarian delicacies, and it smelt over-whelmingly of fish and I just couldn’t do it, sry.

Head stones around a mass grave from the Nazi occupation during the Holocaust. 5000 people were buried in 24 mass graves in this location which now is the largest synagogue outside of Isreal

For nearly 50 years, Hungary was plagued by occupation of unfriendly powers. To make a long story short, during the thick of the Holocaust, Hitler invited the leader of Hungary to Germany. While this leader was away he ordered the Nazi troops to invade Hungary and attain control of Andrassay Avenue (pictured below), in which they were successful. During WWII, Soviet Russia aided Hungary in driving the Nazi’s out of Hungary (YAY!), but then they decided to set up shop and bring communism to Hungary for the next 40 years. Unfortunately, it seems, Hungary got rid of one evil by inviting another evil in. After much struggle, Hungary became a democracy again in 1990.

This exact building was the office of the Nazi Red Arrow party, as well as the Soviet Communism party in Budapest. It is now a museum called “House of Terror” that teaches all about the terrors that happened in this very building and all over Hungary between WWII and 1990. It was one of my favourite parts of Budapest.

Andrassay Avenue – this is now a main shopping street, but this is also the street that the Nazi party were ordered to conquer during the Nazi occupation, they were successful. This street is where the House of Terror is located

Szechenyi Bath

Margaret Island and the singing fountain

This was my time in Budapest, it was much enjoyed. Time to hop back on the bus and go to the next location.

XO – Kris