expedition_retirement | Budapest in the snow (Reply)

On our first morning in Budapest, we woke to find the city wrapped in a winter snowfall. As we set out on our morning tour of the city, our tour guide recalled that snow used to be more common in the city, telling of playing in the snow in her childhood. However, in recent years, snow has become a rare event in the city, and so it felt special to be exploring the city under a light blanket of snow. As we rode around City Park in our bus, we were greeted by the sights of children (and a few adults) enjoying the opportunity to throw a few snowballs. And the snow accented the lovely architecture of the city, highlighting the shapes and textures of the city.

Our tour took us up onto Castle Hill, where our tour guide walked with us past the Matthias Church (named for King Matthias, who was married here, though the official name is the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle), through the Fisherman's Bastion, the seven towered fortifications along the crest of the hill facing the Danube River, and over to the grounds of Buda Castle, the historical seat of Hungarian Kings, and now the Hungarian National Gallery. The stunning views across the river towards the Pest portion of the city were muted because of the continuing snowfall, but the architecture and sculptures on the hill near the church and the castle were impressive, and the snow just added another layer of magic to the experience.

Later in the trip, we would learn that the Soviet siege of the city in 1944-45 left much of this area in ruins, so much of what we saw as we walked around the hilltop has been rebuilt since the end of World War II. This reconstruction continues, with cranes and construction crews evident as the restoration of Buda Castle continues. In spite of this, the area is quite lovely and on a clear day commands impressive views of the Danube River and the city below.

This area is significant in the city's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its numerous historically significant buildings and cultural importance to the Hungarian national identity. We would return a couple of days later to spend some more time here before we left the city.