Revealed: Budapest Meanderings
I have always had a love affair with apple strudel – not the frozen type that comes in a box, but rather the hand-rolled paper-thin pastry type of strudel bulging with chunky apple, plump raisins and dusted with cinnamon and lashings of cream. The type that sets your tastebuds tingling and leaves you wanting more.
So when our Budapest guide, Janine asks, “Do you want to taste the best strudel in the city?” — I don’t hesitate.
We follow her along the old cobbled streets to a busy part of the city, to the First Strudel House of Pest, located in an historic 1812 building near Stephen Square, which is dedicated to preserving the art and tradition of strudel making.
As we step through the door, the rich aroma of freshly cooked strudel greets us. It is strudel heaven, and there are both savoury and sweet versions on the menu. But before we take a seat, a pastry cook appears with a trolley loaded with pastry, apples, cinnamon, and a hefty rolling pin. “Before you taste one, you have to make one,” says Miska, who confides that there’s a secret to cooking good strudel, which he may share at the end.
We watch his deft fingers roll out the perfect opaque paper-thin pastry that we can see through, and in a matter of minutes his strudel is ready for the oven.
I quickly learn that making strudel isn’t as easy as it looks, and my pastry ends up with gaping holes in it. It’s also uneven, but I am consoled when Miska praises my efforts.
Then it’s time for strudel tasting, and it lives up to all expectations. As for sharing that secret, Miska simply says” “Practice is the key.”
Strudel aside, Budapest has a rich history and it is the union of two cities — Buda, which means hilly, and Pest, which means flat. The cities sat either side of the Danube River until they became one city in 1873.
One of the most striking buildings is Great Market Hall, which is Budapest’s oldest and largest market. It is spread over three floors and packed with fresh seasonal produce, and an interesting array of Hungarian souvenirs. Dating back to 1897, locals as well as tourists frequent it, and the stallholders are very welcoming and happy to share their knowledge of their city and its produce.
Strings of bright red chillies and garlic, bags of paprika, beautiful embroidered clothes as well as traditional Hungarian cheeses, salami, sausages and hams are displayed. It’s a great place to get a feel for the city, and upstairs you can taste traditional dishes such as goulash, pastries, Hungarian wine and the fruit brandy, called palinka.
Another must see is the World Heritage listed Buda Castle on Castle Hill, that dates back to 1265 and you should also fit in a visit to the beautiful Gothic Matthias Church where Hungary’s kings were crowned.
Fisherman’s Bastion, with its seven elaborate towers, offers the most spectacular views across the city and it’s a great spot for photos. Local musicians play Hungarian folk songs as we wander around then head back across the Chain Bridge that spans the Danube.
Often referred to as Queen of the Danube, Budapest is at her most spectacular at night, and she certainly lives up to the description as a fairy tale city with major buildings including Buda Castle and the Houses of Parliament with its 691 rooms all lit up. Take a romantic river cruise and watch the action on and beside the river that is busy with ‘river hotels’ doing Danube cruises, small boats and barges.
You’ll soon discover that there are many sides to Budapest, and for a change of pace, the House of Terror Museum is a poignant place for reflection. The museum traces the history of fascist and communist regimes in 20th-century Hungary, and is also a memorial to those held captive, tortured and killed during some the darkest periods of the country’s history.
The word ‘terror’ is reflected on the entrance path, created by the shapes of letters cut into the overhanging ledge. It’s a sinister warning about what to expect inside.
The building was used as the Secret Police headquarters between 1944 and 1956, and it here that political prisoners were tortured and executed in the building’s basement.
On the East bank, another touching memorial, Shoes on the Danube, depicts the shoes left behind by Jews massacred by the local fascist Arrow Cross.
Budapest is also a city of spas and thermal baths, including the Szechenyi Spa Baths — one of the best and largest spa baths in all of Europe. It has 15 indoor baths and three grand outdoor pools filled by waters from deep wells under the City Park. It’s a great place to chill out or warm up and is open summer and winter. Don’t be surprised if you see spa goers playing chess in the water – it’s a popular past time. And the good news is, if you forget your swimwear and a towel, you can rent them.
Written by Sue Wallace. Republished with permission of MyDiscoveries.