Central Europe - Day 3 🇭🇺

Our bus from Kraków arrived at Budapest Kelenföld bus station a little before 6:00 AM. Most passengers immediately headed toward the Kelenföld vasútállomás subway stop. I purchased a 24-hour Budapest-travelcard and navigated the M 4 and M 2 metro lines to reach Deák Ferenc tér. I made a pit stop at Starbucks Fashion for a quick breakfast before taking the historic M 1 —the oldest electrified underground railway in mainland Europe—to visit the Széchenyi Baths.

The Széchenyi Thermal Baths is one of the largest spa complexes in Europe, housed in a magnificent Neo-Baroque palace. I bought the morning ticket with locker and went in. The main changing area was common and had big and small lockers. They were activated by a plastic key which I wore like a watch around my wrist. There were also small cabins which could be used to change (or even rented out instead of lockers). This common hall led to gender-segregated shower rooms and that opened up into the main indoor hall.

I enjoyed the vast array of indoor pools, which are famous for their medicinal natural hot spring waters of varying temperatures, between 18 to 38 °C (64 to 100 °F).

The outdoor pools (swimming pool, adventure pool and thermal sitting pool) were 27 to 38 °C (81 to 100 °F). This was a unique experience, especially watching locals relaxing and playing chess while sitting in the water.

After freshening up, I took the M 1 back to Elizabeth Square to join the Free Budapest Walk at 10:30 AM.

Since I had travelled overnight by bus from Krakow, I didn’t have access to freshen up and shower like on the train. So after spending a couple of hours enjoying the various pools, I headed back inside and had a nice shower and was ready for the rest of my day. I took the  M 1  metro from Széchenyi fürdő to Deák Ferenc tér and walked to Elizabeth Square
to join the Free Budapest Walk 🔗 at 10:30 AM.

After the tour ended at the Fisherman’s Bastion, I walked down the scenic paths of Castle Hill, enjoying the greenery and the historic fortifications. I reached the Church of St. Anne (Felsővízivárosi Szent Anna-plébánia), a beautiful twin-towered Baroque church located on the Buda riverbank. This spot offered a perfect, unobstructed view across the Danube to the Hungarian Parliament Building, the city’s iconic Gothic Revival landmark.

From there, I took the 19 / 41 tram from Batthyány tér M+H to Szent Gellért tér along the river. I passed the Castle Garden Bazaar (Várkert Bazár), a beautifully restored Neo-Renaissance complex at the foot of the castle, and saw the white cables of the Elisabeth Bridge stretching toward the Pest side. Across the water, the Vigadó Concert Hall stood out with its grand romantic architecture.

I caught a glimpse of the futuristic, whale-shaped Bálna Convention Center before walking across the green ironwork of the Liberty Bridge. I passed the Central Market Hall, the city’s largest indoor market known for its colorful Zsolnay roof tiles, and headed back toward the center for a late lunch at the McDonald’s close by and joined the Communism Walk 🔗 at 4:00 PM.

The tour concluded at the Parliament, and I walked to the Shoes on the Danube Bank. This moving memorial consists of sixty pairs of iron shoes, honoring the Jews who were ordered to take off their shoes before being executed at the river’s edge during WWII.

I spent some time there as the sun began to set over Castle Hill, watching the beautiful view across the Danube River.

I walked back through Széchenyi Square, passing the Count István Széchenyi Statue, dedicated to the “Greatest Hungarian” who founded the Academy of Sciences. Nearby stood the opulent Gresham Palace, now a Four Seasons hotel and a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture.

I took the  M 2 metro from Deák Ferenc tér to Keleti pályaudvar and went to Istanbul Kebab for dinner near Budapest-Keleti.

After a nice day in Budapest it was time for me to start my return journey to Prague. Based on seat61.com I had decided to take the overnight train, a time-effective option which saved a hotel bill and also got me to my next destination. I booked it for €34 on the Czech Railways website.

I was in the last coach and I boarded the train and got to my compartment. I was the only one assigned to it and I had it to all to myself, which was great, a private little hotel room on wheels.

The lower berth was setup for me. The compartment had a small wash basin and mirror. It had some storage place for luggage and also a small rack to hang up clothes. There was a toilet and shower at one end of the coach.

The train left on time and it was already dark so there was not much to see outside. We crossed Slovakia and had quick halt at Bratislava 🔗(which I got an opportunity to visit a few months later). Around midnight our train then crossed over into Czech Republic and at Břeclav our coach was separated from the main train which continued onto Prague. Our coach would be attached to another train going to Prague after a few hours and reach at a more decent time giving me the chance to sleep in just a bit and also have a shower and get ready for my day in Prague.

🚇 Kelenföld vasútállomás to Deák Ferenc tér
🍽️ Starbucks Fashion
🚇 Deák Ferenc tér to Széchenyi fürdő
🚇 Széchenyi fürdő to Deák Ferenc tér
🚊 Batthyány tér M+H to Szent Gellért tér
🍽️ McDonald’s
🚇 Deák Ferenc tér to Keleti pályaudvar
🍽️ Istanbul Kebab