Monday, May 7
We got up early and…went for coffee at the place next door to our apartment. Our plan was to explore the Castle District in the hills of Buda. We walked over to the riverfront to photograph another holocaust memorial called, “Shoes on the Danube Bank”. We’d actually seen and photographed this memorial on our very first day in Town but since it had been a national holiday the waterfront area was crowded with people and taking pictures was a challenge. Now, on a weekday morning at around 9:15 am, we had the place to ourselves.
Shoes on the Danube Bank is a beautiful and chilling memorial commemorating the brutal mass killings of Hungarian Jews. The events in question happened in and around December 1944/January 1945. During that time approximately 20,000 people from the ghetto were taken to the river bank, told to remove their outer garments and shoes and were tied together in groups of three. One member of the trio was shot and the entire group was then tossed into the river to drown. These despicable acts were orchestrated by members of the Arrow Cross Party, the Hungarian Nazi Party. The memorial is located in a central area in the city along the riverfront just south of the Parliament building but the actual events occurred in many different places along the Danube. Reflecting on these and similar events that happened over a half century ago has been very upsetting.
(Shoes on the Danube Bank Memorial)
We continued our journey over the ‘Chain’ bridge and up the hill to Matthias Church. The church and the surrounding area (Fisherman’s Bastion) are said to resemble a Disney castle, only better. They really are incredibly picturesque. Nothing remains of the original church that was built in 1015. The current version, which dates from the 14th century, was designed in Gothic style. Over the years the entire complex has been renovated many times. It was badly damaged during World War II when it was used as a camp both by the Germans and the Soviets.
The church was converted to a Mosque during the time of the Ottoman occupation. There is an interesting story about the liberation of Buda from the Ottomans that is associated with the church. A precious statue of the Madonna and Child was hidden behind a fake wall in the church to keep it safe when the Ottomans ruled the area. During the battle for liberation in 1686 a blast near the church destroyed the wall and revealed the statue to the Ottomans who were praying inside. The Turks took this as a bad omen and were quickly defeated. Like all good tales there is probably a crumb of truth to it.
The church also contains a small museum housing precious relics. Some of the more interesting items were those associated with the coronation of Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary and Empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The museum also holds a replica of the Holy Crown, which we were able to photograph. The original is in the House of Parliament. We had seen it but were not able to take pictures of it.
(Main Alter of Matthias Church)
We also purchased tickets to climb the bell tower. The way up to the viewing platform was via 197 steep, narrow, winding stairs. It was a difficult climb but the view at the top made it all worthwhile. We got some wonderful photos. There was a cool, refreshing breeze that quickly made us forget our aching leg muscles. I think we used to be in better shape.
Back on Earth we wandered the area north of the church. There are many hotels, restaurants and shops in the vicinity. From the viewing platform we had spied the nearby National Archive building. It’s colorful roof and interesting shape made it easy to see. A sign inside the vestibule said that they had free guided tours twice a week. We’ll return in a few days to see its exhibits.
We had lunch at a nice restaurant in the district with lovely views of the church. We sat outside at a shaded table and ordered goulash soup and a plate of homemade sausages served with onions, sweet purple cabbage and fried potatoes. For dessert we had fresh, homemade donuts. They were served hot, covered in sugar and drizzled with chocolate sauce. The entire meal was delicious and the donuts were probably one of the best things we’ve eaten since we arrived. Considering that we were in the heart of a touristy section of the expensive side of Town the $20.00 we spent on lunch seemed like a bargain.
(Half Eaten Donuts – Yum!)
Near Buda Castle we found a little shop that sold collections of stamps. We got a package that contained a series featuring famous composers, famous Hungarian composers and other musical themes. It seemed tailor made for us. There were 20 stamps in total and the cost was about $2.50. We were very happy.
Next we walked over to Buda Castle. Buda Castle, which sits in the Castle District, is probably the most famous landmark in all of Budapest. The only problem is that it doesn’t exist! There had been a castle there since the 1200s but it was destroyed in 1686. The current building dates from the 1760s and was used as a royal palace. Today the large complex houses the Budapest History Museum, The Hungarian National Gallery, The National Széchényi Library and much more. We plan to visit the National Gallery on a day when the entrance fee is waived later this month.
(View of Pest from Buda Castle)
We strolled around the entire complex and the surrounding gardens and finally exited down a long staircase the led to the riverfront along a crenelated wall. It was a long walk back to our apartment but we enjoyed the trip. The day had been sunny and the temperatures had only reached into the 70s. Now, later in the afternoon, it was even cooler as we meandered through the now familiar streets on the Pest side of the river.
(View of Parliament from the ‘Chain’ Bridge)
Distance walked: 9.1 miles and 25 Flights