Budapest, Hungary

I decided to take up an Easyjet package for a city break to Budapest for the Christmas markets. It was only a 2hr flight from London. It is a lovely city with lots to see and do. I got a 72hr travelcard from the transport stand at the airport so I could get around easily. I was only there for 2 days, so this is a short post. I stayed at the Grand Jules Boat Hotel. This is a boat docked on the river Danube by Margaret Bridge. It is easily accessed from the bus (no.9), the tram (no. 4 and 6) and the City sightseeing bus (stop 18). The room was super hot and rather small, but came with a mini-fridge and some great views from the decks. I visited the Széchenyi Thermal Baths nearby Hero's Square. I pre-booked, which got me a wrist band that allowed entry and provided me with a locker. There are lots of different indoor and outdoor pools at a variety of different temperatures. I enjoyed my visit, especially as the water was warm and the air temperature was cold. You need to take a towel and 'slippers', or you can buy these there. If you want to go into the swimming pools then you need to wear a swimming hat. The Christmas markets were lovely, with lots of food and crafts to buy. I am a big fan of Chimney cake, so that certainly featured in my trip. I enjoyed the night time views from the Budapest Ferris wheel and the light show projected onto the front of the Basilica. Fashion street was also beautifully lit up and connected two of the markets with a short walk. I decided to take a city sightseeing bus to take me around the sights as I hadn't done much preparation. It took me past the Dohany Street Synagagoue, which is the largest in Europe, past lots of pretty buildings and included a boat ride on the Danube. I walked over chain bridge which is the oldest Bridge in Budapest to get from the bottom of Castle Hill to the dock for the hour long boat ride, which also gave great views of the impressive architecture, including the Parliament Buildings. I was planning on taking the funicular up to the top of Castle Hill, but the que was long and stationery, so instead I walked up, which wasn't as bad as I expected. There is a Church at the top that you can visit and a collection of places to eat. I chose to visit the Hospital in the Rock Museum. This consisted of a 1hr guided tour of the caves that were used as a hospital and nuclear bunker towards the end of WW2 (1944-45) and during the failed uprising in 1956. It was built as a small emergency facility, but was heavily used during the two periods it was open. As nuclear weapons have developed it would not be able to function as a nuclear bunker in the present day, so is now solely a museum.