By guest blogger Fiona Hilliard
Cheap air fares and an arty, bohemian reputation have seen Budapest rise in the ranks of city break destinations in recent years.
What few travellers realise however, is that the peaceful city is in fact divided – cut clean in half by the scenic banks of the Danube into Buda (think fairytale old town) and Pest (the city’s burgeoning business and industrial pulse)…
This is no tragic tale, however. Over the years the city has patched things up with a series of bridges – fortunately for camera-toting visitors, each one of these represents one impressive feat of engineering after another.
Buda
The most touristy side is without doubt, Buda – it’s here you’ll come across the chocolate-box images of the old town citadel as well as the fascinating labyrinth of streets that run below. Many of the city’s finest cafés are based on this side, as well as breath-taking views from the top of Buda Hill and Buda Castle.
One of the most dramatic ways to get to Buda is to take the funicular train to the top of Buda Hill. This picturesque route allows you to get a spectacular birds-eye view over the Danube, into Pest.
Speaking of fine transport systems, Budapest is home to one of the oldest metro systems in Europe. The city’s subway trams are characterised by their real glass windows and leather grab straps that hang from the carriages’ ceilings. Meanwhile, the mosaic-clad subway stations attract the typical interesting array of vagabonds, hawkers and musicians.
Budapest’s metro connects passengers with bus services above ground, as well as train stations to help link passengers to places further afield.
Pest
Heading east of the Danube, in Pest, visitors can catch a glimpse of Budapest’s modern city architecture, including shiny shopping malls and elegant expat apartment blocks.
Those sticking to a budget will find accommodation to be much cheaper in Pest. Tourist attractions tend to be that bit more interesting on this side too. The Budapest Terror House Museum is a case in point. The museum promises (and delivers) an eery, sobering experience. Once you’ve inspected a small Soviet tank, you are led to various cells which once housed prisoners awaiting their fate. The tour includes torture chambers as well as videos made by the victims, where they calmly describe their personal experiences inside the building.
Situated in the leafy, upmarket Andrassy area, (in a building that was once the headquarters of the secret police), Terror Haza is laid out like a confusing maze inside. The rooms detail the crimes committed by both the Fascist and Stalinist regimes, it’s captivating stuff indeed, but maybe one to give a miss if you’re a bit of a scaredy cat.
So Buda vs. Pest – who wins? Ideally, if you’ve got the time, try to spend a day in each. Buda is undeniably sweet and charming (and photogenic) but Pest definitely has an intriguing edge and an up-and-coming vibe. Go see for yourself!
Going to Budapest? Get affordable accommodation on either side of the river with our cheap hotels in Budapest.
Fiona Hilliard is a travel writer and blogger for award-winning car rental site ArgusCarHire.com. When not pondering Buda or Pest, she can be found discussing the virtues of Budapest car rental on the company’s Glove Box Blog.
Thanks to Tharikrish, Maccosta and Paul Mannix for the images off Flickr.
