I Heart Budapest

In February this year, I went on a mini eurotrip with two of my friends and our fourth stop was in Budapest. I fell in love with this city instantaneously and became my favourite stop of the trip. Sometimes a city can just call out to you; it's history, architecture, the people.

I left my heart in Budapest...

I wanted to go to this city without really knowing much about it and at every turn I was surprised at how amazing it really is. It is the capital of Hungary and is cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It's charm is found in the perfect blend of old and modern.

This is my most favourite photo of the whole trip

Overlooking Pest from Buda Castle

Budapest was once two separate cities that were divided by the river Danube; Buda and Pest. The opposite sides of the city are vastly different because of the architecture and terrain. Buda sits higher on the hill side and overlooks Pest and the buildings are lower and more spacial. Buda was royal city. The Buda Castle was the residence of all the past Hungarian kings. The Hungarian president also lives on the Buda side of the city.
Pest lies flat next to the Danube and its architecture is more 'city-like' if I can explain it that way.

On the steps of Buda Castle

The Hungarian people call themselves Magyars. Asian in origin, similar to the Huns and Turks, they made they way to what is now Hungary. The land itself goes back to 900AD when the people became Christians under their first ruler, King Stephen.


The city has many wonderful attractions including St Stephen's Basilica. The building itself is expectantly beautiful but what I found most interesting was the mummified right hand of St Stephen. It is kept in a shrine within the church. At the time it was said that it was a miracle and so he was canonized.

On his deathbed, King Stephen asked and prayed for the Blessed Virgin Mary to be his successor, ruler of the Hungarians. To this day, Virgin Mary is viewed as the eternal Queen of Hungary.

This old lady stared at us the entire time our guide was talking to us

We went on two walking tours in Budapest: the city tour and the communism tour. Both are jam-packed with insightful information of the city and its history. I recommend doing both if you have the time for it.

Amanda and I

The city is famous for its thermal baths and many tourists flock to them for their healing properties. We didn't have time to go which is why I have to go back! :)

Chain Bridge

The Chain Bridge is a popular landmark that links both sides of the city. It is often depicted in postcards and magnets. Two majestic lions lie on either side of the bridge.

In my Vienna article, I mentioned how the Hungarians adored Empress Sisi of Austria. This is evident all over the city with monuments, streets, squares and even a bridge that is named after her. They speak of her with much respect and love.

There is so much that Budapest has to offer. A good few days should be spent in this city to fully appreciate all the wonders that it possesses. I went in winter but I'd love to go in the summer and truly absorb all its awesomeness.

What a classic :)

Hunting Dwarves in Wroclaw

At the end of January 2013, I had a two week holiday and I decided to do a mini eurotrip around Central Europe. I went with two of my friends, Amanda and Erin. This was stop 1 of our 5 city trip.

We took a stroll after dinner. The christmas lights were still up.

Our first stop on our adventure was Wroclaw, Poland. This beautiful city is becoming a popular tourist destination. Its colourful history and cultural vibe attracts people from all over Europe to visit. It is pronounced Vrotswav, not rock claw. I have to emphasise this as the locals laugh at the tourists who make this mistake. I must admit, I giggled myself when I heard it mispronounced.

The buildings surrounding the square are quite pretty

The city lies on the Odra river and is a hidden architectural and cultural gem in Poland. It is probably my favourite city in the country, besides Krakow. There is a beautiful old town square with restaurants, cafes and clubs that outline the square. It has a prominent night scene, most probably because it is considered a university town.

The river was half frozen.

The absolute best part of the city are the gnomes! Actually, they are dwarves but to me they are gnomes and thus, Erin and I went gnome hunting because we wanted to satiate our curiosities. There are currently over 200 little inhabitants all over the city. It was fun trying to spot them during our stay. We only found about 20 but there are maps that show where each dwarf is, if you want to find them all.

The market square was empty so early in the morning

Unfortunately we could only stay for one night and day and, although I have been there a few times before, I would definitely go back to explore more of the city.

The casino dwarf!

Wroclaw is a unique little metropolis with an interesting history that dates back to Middle Ages Bohemia. I would definitely recommend any traveller to add this destination to their holiday, if for nothing more than getting a kicking out of hunting all the dwarves!

The cathedral from a distance