Budapessshhht. Two cities for the price of one...

It took me six hours, two trains and a plane, to get from France to Budapest, but the long trip was well worth it. Budapest is a city with two personalities, the grungy, vibrant Pest and the dignified, cultured Buda. Because of this duality, the city has everything to offer, no matter whether you desire the high life, or are traveling on a modest budget. It is also a large city, sprawled across the Danube, with endless rows of shops,  churches and restaurants. Here, it seems the past is well-remembered, but avoided as much as possible.

Pest
Pest is the true heart of Budapest, the real city, not a place just for tourists. It is flat and very walkable, which makes visiting all it has to offer a simple endeavor. Most hostels and budget hotels will be in Pest, which makes staying there the certainly more cost effective option. Besides being the "real" part of Budapest, Pest also has a lot to offer for the tourists: Europe's oldest functioning synagogue, a stunning operahouse, a giant indoor market, and the Basilica of St. Stephen. 

The outside of St. Stephen's Basilica.

The main dome.

The most stunning of these is the Basilica, a giant, domed church in central Pest. The interior is magnificent, full of carvings, paintings and statues, all painted in more color and gold than found in most churches in Europe. It is a quiet place, despite the numerous people always inside, the beauty of the place, the awe and respect it inspires seems to steal your voice away. Indeed, the loudest sounds in the Basilica are the footfalls of the tourists, and the clicking sounds of their cameras. 

Not far from the Bascilica lies the giant indoor market of Pest, it is open six days a week and full of vendors, selling everything from produce, to souvenirs, to little bags of paprika, the "national spice" of Hungary. Indeed, it features prominently in their most famous dish, Goulash, which is either ground meat with a spicy broth-sauce or a soup of similar flavouring. Just outside the market the the most touristy street in Pest, where vendors sells countless pashmina scarves, fur hats, and cups of mulled wine. (called hot wine) Every mulled wine I tried in Hungary I enjoyed immensely, it is the perfect warmup on the cold fall days. 

one of the best restaurant streets in Pest

Inside Szimpla.

Also in Pest, the dining is not to be missed. With the exchange rate, (about 175 forints to the dollar), food is cheap in Pest. Even full meals with drinks and desert will run only about 15 bucks each, and the food in Hungary truly is wonderful. There are often lots of choices to choose from and options range from meats, to potatoes, to pancakes stuffed with cheese. After dinner, the nightlife in Pest is also very much alive. Numerous dance clubs, bars, pubs and everything in between can be readily found. Beer is also cheap in Budapest, running at about 250-500 forints for the local beers. One of the best places in Pest, Szimpla, is a local favorite. It is a converted set of old apartements that have "just missed the wrecking ball." Here, all the chairs are mismatched, the lights are multicolored, and the walls are falling down around you. Yet, Szimpla has a lazy charm, the kind of place that is just so cool it doesn't even have to try anymore. 

Buda

One of the towers of the Bastion.

The most famous piece of Budapest is most likely the Fisherman's Bastion, a long, winding wall sitting on the edge of the mild "cliffs" of Buda. It is a true work of art, full of spiralling towers, carved columns, stone steps and hundreds of tourists. The architecture of the Bastion brings to mind a middle-eastern influence, while still maintaining a slightly moscovite feel. Its many arches and walkways provide the perfect locations for pictures of the river and the skyline of neighboring Pest. The Bastion is certainly a must see, and is also wonderfully free, so how can you say no?

Also in Buda, though easily found in Pest, are a multitude of bathhouses; in fact, Budapest has the most bathhouses out of any major European city. The entry fees for these places can be a little steep, and the interiors confusing, but again, is something not to be missed. The water in all of the pools is kept steaming, so sitting outside is well recommended. People from all over the world come the baths of Budapest, as their mineral water is renowned for its healing properties, it is considered to be bon pour la sante.