The Jetpacker

Buda Castle, completed in 1265, is home to the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest Museum and the National Archives.  But the real treat is overlooking Budapest from 300 feet above city level.

Athletic people could walk to the top of Castle Hill, but we took the lazy man’s way and used the funicular.  From the top, Budapest is absolutely stunning and it seems larger than it really is.

It was hard for us to enjoy the view because an older man was trying to harass us.  This man had squinty eyes, red hair and a red moustache, and constantly approached people like he was a tour guide offering assistance.  After about a minute, people would turn and walk away from him as fast as possible.  Then he would shout things at them in Hungarian.  I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure “idiota” doesn’t mean “thanks for visiting.”

We happened to arrive just in time for the changing of the guard, which takes place at noon in front of the Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary, right across from the castle.  This elaborate performance has always befuddled me.  I mean, the poor guy with the shift ending is probably exhausted and they make him go through this whole routine before he gets to go home.

Afterward, we went inside the main courtyard of the castle.  Perched atop a wall overlooking the city is a statue of a mythical bird called a Turul.  With a wingspan of 49 feet, it’s supposedly the largest statue of a bird in the world.

This must be one attractive Turul, because a small bird flew down and actually hit on it.  Seriously.  He would dance around, try to get her attention.  His chirps sounded like questions.  He played it well for about two minutes before finally giving up.  Don’t worry, little fella, it’s not you, it’s her.

Outside of a few statues and well-manicured bushes, there’s not much to see in the main courtyard.  On the other side of the castle in a different courtyard is Matthias’s Fountain.  The fountain depicts a successful hunting expedition led by King Matthias Corvinus.  (You just don’t find fountains depicting unsuccessful hunting expeditions.  When is someone going to create a monument featuring a bunch of grumpy men coming home empty handed?)

The nearby Castle Hill District, a small city enclosed behind a tall wall, is a charming reconstruction of old-world Budapest.  We visited a strudel house called Retesbar and bought some candy from the marzipan museum near the Hilton hotel (okay, so the reconstructed district isn’t entirely old-world).

There are two fantastic sights in the Castle Hill District:  the Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion.  The church was undergoing renovations when we were there, but fortunately the beautifully ornate and colorful roof wasn’t overshadowed by scaffolding.

Fisherman’s Bastion is a terrace featuring 7 towers with incredible views of Budapest.  It was named after the fishermen who guarded the city from this hill in the Middle Ages.  This extensive ivory white terrace, with its pillars, arches and staircases, looks and feels like a small castle.  Unfortunately, the tall tower with the staircase that wraps around the outside was closed for renovation when we visited.

If we’re lucky enough to visit again the future, maybe we’ll check out the things we missed:  the House of Hungarian Wine, the Museum of Military History, and of all things the Telephone Museum.