MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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The wife and I are spending a 3 days in each city at end of October,
Whats your recommendation's for either cities?
Stuff that isn't necessarily on Wikitravel or Lonleyplanet?
The one thing I really wanted to see when I went to Budapest and I failed - wife wasn't interested 🙁
Looks awesome, Reckon MrsTaco would love it!
I used to goto Budapest a lot with work years ago, I think the best thing you can do is head to the Gellert and chillax in the saunas, then take in the many large Squares that surround the place and eat/drink like an Austo-Hungarian. One thing they did well was over glamourise the Art of cake/coffee quaffing.
Then head to old Buda and enjoy the castle. Other than that I'm ooot as most of my enjoyment was around Lake Balaton..
In Budapest go and climb Gellert hill behind the Gellert hotel; the views are great. Then walk down and have a swim in the truly amazing baths at the back of the hotel; incredible 1901 baroque architecture and an inside pool, several outside pools and a wave machine. Lying in a hot pool under the autumn trees will be a nice way to relax tired muscles after the walk. Watch out for the Hungarian attendants walking around with weird rubber hoses and apparatuses and going into cubicles occupied by fat Germans...
Then finish with tea or a beer on the Gellert hotel terrace. If you've time, stroll across the bridge and turn immediately right into the beautiful covered market (designed by Gustav Eiffel I think) the after you've marvelled at the fresh produce, climb the stairs to the inside terrace and have an evening aperitif of the special liquor they brew from grape skins second time around.
Also take the time to have a look inside the lobby of the Four Seasons Gresham hotel on the opposite bank from Gellert; it was built by the British Gresham insurance company in 1906, had a fascinating history and was restored as an hotel a few years ago. Mrs Gti and I explored it when it was a blackened, virtually derelict shell full of pigeons.
Great city, Budapest.
In Budapest, only stay at the Gellert Hotel, it is not so expensive and if you don't you will only wish you had.
Broadly
Great City, Good beer, Communist food
Visit the Hospital in the Rock.
Yes, Gellert is a nice old place, very correctly run, but there's no AC and so you have to sleep with the window open, which is fine if they give you a room on one of the interior courtyards but not at the front. Ask for a refurbished room as well because some of the older bathrooms really are worn out. The breakfasts are the best I've ever seen in an hotel.
Staying at the hotel gives you free access to the baths and your own private lift operated by a wizened old lady. You can go straight down in your bathrobe and slippers.
Few years back now, but the kerts (kinda open bars in ruined buildings) were cool, "the" one was Szimpla:
http://www.szimpla.hu/news/szimpla-budapest
Public transport is ace there, but make sure you have a ticket and it's validated! Stamp it in the little machine when you get on the trollybuses/buses
Memento park is good, but it was a bit of a public transport mission to get there. There may be more expensive faster ways though.
Try some Unicum at least once. Possibly at most once too. But do try it.
Try some Unicum at least once. Possibly at most once too. But do try it.
😈
View from Fisherman's whateverit'scalled is great, and Gelert is a must. Both in the books tho. Market is worth a look. If you like nightlife, we stumbled upon a sort of pop-up bar/club in a derelict building. Had a great night there - cheap booze, good music, friendly atmosphere, loads of dancing. I think it's a typical Budapest thing, but I'm not sure how you know where they're happening are at any one time. Good city. Enjoy yourself.
In Berlin do this
[url= http://berlinmobile.fattirebiketours.com/ ]Fat Tire Bike Tours[/url]
To get a great overview of the city.
In Budapest go to one of the bath houses. It is strange and confusing and the messages are terrifying.