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Budapest by Barry Needoff Writing in 'The Rebirth of History', the BBC correspondent Misha Glenny describes a typical first impression: "Arriving in Budapest for the first time is a strange experience. It seems like a normal central European capital with everything in its correct place, but there is something that disturbs and unnerves. Finally it hits you: not one word makes any sense. Hungarian is at first glance absolutely incomprehensible." ('The Rebirth of History. Eastern Europe in the Age of Democracy" - Glenny, M, Publ. Penguin Books, London, 2nd Edition 1993. ISBN 0-14-0 1 72866.) Don't let words like Repulotér (airport), Gyógyszerészet (chemist) or Rendorseg (police) put you off. English and German are, if not well, at least widely spoken or understood, and the city deserves a closer look. Superficially, Budapest has much in common with that other Middle-European capital, Prague, now much in vogue. Both sit astride a river (the Vltava in Prague, the Danube in Budapest); both have fortified citadels on the 'left' banks; both have their business centres on the 'right' banks. Both have old Jewish quarters, formerly ghettos. Both are capitals of republics, which have undergone massive political and economic upheaval since the end of the 1980s. Despite - perhaps because - of this recent emergence from 40 years of relative isolation, both retain, at least in part, a great deal of architectural style and charm, now increasingly difficult to find in western European cities. There the similarities end. Budapest is in fact two cities; Buda, to the north and west of the river, Pest to the south and east, linked by a series of bridges across the Duna, as the locals call it. Budapest is much larger than Prague and has not achieved the popularity of its smaller, more intimate, counterpart...yet. Buda's citadel is dominated by the old Royal Palace, which now houses the Budapest History Museum and National Gallery amongst other collections. It has exhibits on the history and development of the city, and galleries housing temporary exhibitions. The restored cathedral of St Mathias is also to be found nearby, its origins dating back to the 13th Century, now a classic example of 19th Century Gothic architecture, reflected in the modern tinted plate-glass cladding of the neighbouring Hilton hotel. Walking round the old citadel, one discovers narrow streets of old, small and rather pleasing baroque buildings still in regular use as offices, museums, restaurants, shops and homes. In the middle of the river, Margaret Island (Margit sziget) is a quiet, car-free retreat from the bustle of the city with spas and parkland. From the fortifications of the Fishermen's Bastion, along the river-facing side of the citadel, there are views across to Pest, dominated by the Parliament building. A funicular railway leads down from the citadel to the riverside at Clark Adam Tér, named after the Scots engineer who designed the adjacent Széchenyi Lãnchid (suspension bridge). It is on the Pest river-front that many of the modern and rather soulless hotels have been built. Beyond the river front one reaches the Belvaros - the old inner city of Pest, delimited by the inner ring of boulevards such as Josef Attila, Tanács or Muzeum körüt, which follow its old city limits. In this part of city, architecture - modern or otherwise - is on a much grander scale than in Buda. Main boulevards are wide (and very busy), flags or banners flap untidily from cables suspended across the roadways, with buildings commonly 5 or 6 storeys high, giving a grandiose, even slightly forbidding, feel to the city. Except for Váci utca, the busy pedestrianised shopping street, Vorosmarty Square and one or two of the nearby shopping streets which have all been modernised, shop fronts still retain a pre-war look to them - sometimes dark and dingy, otherwise discreetly lit and inviting; rarely brash and obtrusive. Budapest is famous for its spas, and these are many and varied, some outdoor, others indoor. The Gellért Hotel's Art Nouveau pool and spa complex, below and in the grounds behind the hotel, are renowned and certainly worth a visit. Others, such as the Kiraly and Rudas spas, date back to the Ottoman era. There are still covered market halls to be seen and these, apart from the various museums and galleries, are a must. The recently restored Central Market hall at the Pest end of the Szabadsg bridge, shows its 19th century wrought iron work to good effect. The market itself - specialising on fresh food - is a delight and the stalls are abundantly stocked with fish, meat, flowers, fruit, vegetables - pickled and fresh - and spotlessly clean. There is no litter, graffiti, grime or any other sign of the squalor of public space all too obvious in some places in the West. Verdict:
You might find it a little more difficult to order a few drinks in a sorozo
(pub) or your dinner in an étterem (restaurant) - the food, by
the way, tends to be a bit on the heavy side - but you will still find
some of the charm and individualism of mittel-Europa here. If you like
spa bathing, this must be the city for you. If you are travelling to both
Prague and Budapest, see Budapest first. First published in VISA issue 17 (July 1995) |