Discovering yuletide greetings from ‘The Pearl of the Danube’
Christmas abroad was always something that had been on my radar. Budapest had been on it for sometime – the image above of the Houses of Parliament representing the tip of the iceberg. Killing two birds with one stone sounded easy enough, but I’d heard that the Hungarian capital could get a tad parky at this time of year.
However, with flights to places like Brazil and The Philippines costing a small fortune in the winter, as well as my penchant for giving comfort zones the middle finger, it was time to go with my gut.
Having managed to avoid BBC Sports Personality of the Year a few days earlier, I was all set. I’d read that boots were a must, but as there was limited space in my suitcase, plus the forecasts hadn’t looked that bad, I just came armed with scarf and gloves. All I’m going to say about the weather is that boots weren’t required. Perhaps I just got lucky this time; winter 2023 could be a different story.
First impressions of the city that’s split into two parts by the River Danube (Buda and Pest were separate cities until 1873) came with the Christmas markets that I’d only ever read about. I’ve never visited Austria or Germany, but I’m sure that the ones in Budapest are on a par. Charming, magical and almost sending you into a fairytale, they’re enough to melt the most humbug of hearts.
And with Christmas markets comes street food. It would take you a good fortnight to get through the lot; as I had six nights I’d surely at least manage to make a sizeable dent in the surface. In a shock result, first prize didn’t go to goulash but to roasted duck leg on a bed of langos (deep fried dough) and red cabbage, which turned out to be Christmas dinner, funnily enough. Turkey, your number’s up.
Having sampled a range of street fare and dined out a few times, I can honestly say that Hungarian cuisine is the most underrated on earth. Even more certain is that it’s not for calorie-counters. The wine is up there with the best, especially the Laposa Pinot Grigio which I sampled at the Opera House Café (more on the opera later). There I also tried a beautiful slice of opera cake (French in origin, but Hungary does sweet treats extremely well). All of this begs two questions: why hasn’t Rick Stein done a long weekend here, and why hasn’t the wine caught on in UK supermarkets? Answers on a postcard, please.
It’s a tough call as to whether it’s the history and architecture or the Danube that really makes this place. Both command legendary status, but what if you could combine the two? A cruise can sort that out for you, ranging from the cheap and cheerful to all-singing-all-dancing (literally). Whether or not you choose to splurge, you’ll make memories for sure, especially if you’re with your other half and looking for a decidedly romantic air.
But Budapest is for everyone, and no matter who you are you’ll get a genuine feel for the clichéd collision of East-meets-West. St. Stephen’s Basilica is a great place to start (which I did), and with such jaw-dropping interiors, you’ll almost be moved to tears. I’m unashamed to admit that Budapest did this to me not once, but twice, the second part of the crying game coming at the Opera House. It’s something of a tradition in these parts to spectate at this world-renowned 19th-century venue over the festive period, and surely 10 million Hungarians can’t be wrong.
Luckily for me, I’d managed to snap up the very last ticket for the Boxing Night performance of Tchaikovsky‘s The Nutcracker, a few weeks previously. The entire experience was like witnessing a giant chocolate box come alive, and however minor a culture vulture you might consider yourself to be, you can’t fail to appreciate the talent on display in this pre-eminent ballet. Even being in the building itself, soaking up the atmosphere in and out of the theatre, makes you feel like you’ve never felt in your life. Magical is no exaggeration.
Regardless of whether you’re staying Pest side – which most people do – your trip isn’t complete without a visit to Buda. This is the old town, where you feel as if you’ve walked into a gothic horror movie and history really does come alive. This is done best by the guys n’ gals from Mysterium Tours, where professional actors and storytellers conduct two-hour evening guided walking tours in several European cities, inspired by local folklore and legend. In Budapest you find yourself immersed in a ‘Dark History and Vampire tour’, literally following in the footsteps of Count Dracula, Countess Bathory and Vlad the Impaler. You could, of course, just have a stroll around the castle walls independently, but with an expert guide in period costume – Balint was entertaining as well as informative – why would you?
There’s plenty I didn’t get around to doing; things which appear on many a Budapest bucket-list. A visit to Europe’s largest synagogue is something I missed out on, even though I was staying just across the road. Chimney cake, popular among sweet-toothed Eastern Europeans, is a taste sensation that’ll also have to wait, whilst the world-famous geothermal spas will definitely be a priority. More than a single, solitary evening in Buda next time as well; a proper tour of the castle sounds just the ticket.
Yet even if I’d exhausted everything (good luck with that), I’d still have wantrd to return – a more dynamic destination that’s so easy on the eye and the wallet, you’d be hard-pressed to find. Something else I found to be slightly mythical apart from the weather, is the notion that the city goes to sleep on Christmas Eve and isn’t much livelier during the following two days. Yes, there’s a fair few shops, bars and restaurants that close, but plenty are still open and it’s not necessary to book to get a table somewhere for a couple of hours.
I was told by a native that this is a place that’s great to visit at any time of the year. This was my first time here (and who am I to doubt local knowledge, anyway) but it’s hard to see how Christmastime can be beaten. New Year in Budapest, over to you.
Have you been wowed by the Pearl of the Danube? Whether it’s travel tips or just to share your experiences, they’re all welcome in the comments below.
The Early Whistle 
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