Beer, Bridges, Boats, and Bread Bowls - Prague and Budapest Travels 2025

Day One - Saturday - Naplavka Market, Vyšehrad Castle, Letná Park

“Egg and cheese!” called the flight attendant as I awoke with a pleasant start to the savory aroma of breakfast calzones. Without my four kids in tow, I was able to doze off on the red eye from NYC to Prague, where my husband and I would celebrate our 15th anniversary. I slowly rejoined the waking world while nibbling my spinach, egg, and mozzarella concoction; the sugary jolt from a glass of orange juice perked me up for the new day, fast-forwarded ahead six hours.

We identified our car service driver by his black jeans and blue bomber jacket as he chugged his espresso at the airport café. After a quick walk to his vintage Mercedes van parked in the hotel loading zone, our driver sped us off to the center of Prague, narrating the 30-minute ride with warnings of what to avoid (Euronet ATMs, Uber drivers who overcharge while leading you astray, and Prague Castle’s crown jewels) and cool spots to check out (narrowest alley in Prague, Café Louvre, Golden Lane, paddle boat island, Vyšehrad Castle, Tram 22, Vinohrady, and Charles Bridge at night).

We cruised along some highways, over a bridge, and into a modern section of town where we suddenly arrived at Hotel Julius. This route avoided the bustling tourist neighborhood around the corner so that, once we got our bearings, we delighted in our hotel’s prime location between Old Town and the commercial area around Wenceslas Square. The hotel concierge advised us to take Tram 3 to visit the lively Saturday farmer’s market along the Vltava River. We opted for the 3-day transit pass that let us hop on and off the fabulous tram system at our leisure for around $15. We quickly learned the math trick to convert Czech crowns to dollars: ditch the last digit and divide the remaining number in half.

After getting settled in our room and layering up for the mix of clouds and sun, we set off in search of the tram stop and an ATM so we could withdraw crowns. The tram was the easier of the two to find, so we hopped on and zoomed southwest down a commercial thoroughfare that crossed Wenceslas Square, skirted a former cattle market, and veered onto the waterfront street where we spotted the Náplavka Market tents and hopped off, only needing to backtrack slightly to locate an ATM.

Descending to the waterside promenade, we scoped out the many appealing stalls selling everything from mussels, rolled crepes, giant latkes, and sausage to vats of pork, cabbage, and potatoes. We skipped the tasty-looking loaded toast with its long line when we spotted a local family shopping for stuffed pastries nearby and followed in their footsteps. We chose a spinach and bacon version as well as one with sweet cheese and forest fruit, washed down with a glass of refreshing beer (the best deal in town, especially if you return your glass to reclaim your 50 crown deposit).

Suitably fortified, we set off toward Vyšehrad Castle along a forested walk where two paths diverged in a wood. Inspired by Robert Frost, we took the road less traveled to the left and huffed and puffed our way up to the castle complex. Curving around an old wall, we stumbled upon a cemetery hugging the church whose distinctive spires are visible from across town. Hundreds of ornately carved tombstones, many decorated with bright flowers or towering crosses and statues, created an overwhelming ambience of peace and beauty.

After exiting the cemetery’s back gate, we discovered a park with benches so inviting that we sat for a moment to close our jet-lagged eyes and track our progress on the map. We walked east along a pollinator garden and up another rise past the oldest building in Prague–a small cylindrical church with a cannonball embedded in its wall. At the crest of the hill, we happened upon a beer garden and a bluff with views over the city. We popped out and back through the old castle gate and walked along the castle wall to take in the sweeping river views before descending.

Proceeding north along the riverside promenade, we passed under many distinctive bridges that served as both our navigating beacons and refuge from the beating sun. We climbed up to road level to catch sight of the Dancing House, designed to evoke the silhouette of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Its angular, protruding windows called to mind the lapels of a man’s suit and the curving facade was reminiscent of a woman’s dress mid-spin. We walked past the historic National Theater with its stunning Neo-Renaissance architecture, home of the local opera and ballet performances. A bit farther north, we spotted some colorful tables and chairs along the riverbank that invited us to take a coffee break in the shade.

Once rested and reoriented, we set off on Tram 22 with Letná Park as our destination. Along the way, we scoped out Mala Strana’s quaint streets, gardens, and squares. After a huge elevation climb, we disembarked at the stop for Prague Castle’s Royal Garden, where we found lovely paths shaded by mature trees, manicured flower beds in full bloom, and picturesque fountains and statues alongside Queen Anne’s Summer Palace.

We wound our way east and over a bridge that landed us in expansive Letná Park. We navigated around a lake, through a skate park, past the giant Prague Metronome, and down a tree-lined promenade to discover a popular beer garden with cheap drinks and panoramic views of Prague. While resting our legs, we scanned the skyline for the landmarks we had seen close-up that day as well as curiosities such as the rocketship-looking TV tower with sculptures of babies crawling up its side, a cruise ship-shaped building composed of vertical golden slats, and a vast green area to the east.

In search of dinner, we descended the hill and jumped on Tram 15, which whisked us back to Mala Strana. We ordered goulash soup in a bread bowl and incredibly tender stewed beef goulash with bread dumplings to soak up the sauce. To wrap up the evening, we strolled over Charles Bridge and through the Old Town Square at the magical hour of dusk.

Day Two - Sunday - Mala Strana, Petrin Hill, Tavern

After a glorious sleep-in, we set off to explore the gardens of Mala Strana. We wandered through the Wallenstein Garden near the Senate, where we marveled at statues of Greek gods and goddesses, a white peacock strutting around the lawn, intricately painted mermaids, and an elaborate fake grotto. After pausing at a waterfront park where a swan preened itself, we stumbled upon a charming courtyard outside the Kafka Museum with its giant K sculpture and a gingerbread shop’s welcoming aroma. We chuckled at the fountain of two men relieving themselves into a puddle shaped like the Czech Republic. Around the corner, we slipped our way down the narrowest alley in Prague, laughed at the rain from under a café canopy north of the Charles Bridge, and back-tracked in search of the walled Vojanovy Sady Garden with its plentiful peacocks. 

We escaped a rain deluge by ducking into Shakespeare and Son’s book shop with its English language books and spiral staircase leading to a cozy basement reading room. When we emerged, we overshot our navigation and ended up at the Church of the Infant Jesus of Prague, which gets its name from the wax figure of baby Jesus displayed to the right of the pews. Apparently, he has quite an extensive wardrobe ready for outfit changes. I also enjoyed peering at the nativity scenes on display from around the world. We retraced our steps to find St. Nicholas Church, whose green dome towers over the main square, Malostranské náměstí. 

We proceeded to climb up Nerudova Street in search of the famed pictorial signs that were the custom before orderly house numbers came into fashion. So, for instance, instead of meeting at number 47 Nerudova, you would say, “Let’s meet at the House of the Two Suns.” We found house signs with a lobster, three fiddles, a lamb, and a red lion. Near the Radnické Schody steps, we paused to watch a film crew in action and proceeded uphill toward Strahov Library. We admired the view from the hillside vineyard by the monastery before continuing up the steep but shady path to the top of Petrin Hill.

A mini Eiffel Tower-looking building marked the top of the hillside park. Erected for the Jubilee Exhibition in 1891, the tower’s peak reaches the same altitude as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. A plethora of gardens and switchback paths led us downhill until we landed back on the main street and jumped on the first tram that came along. En route, we selected a restaurant recommended in our guidebook and hopped off once we noticed the tram veering away from that destination. 

We trekked first through picturesque Miru Square and then Riegrovy Sady–which turned out to be a park with quite an elevation change (as evidenced by a sledding hill sign, locals enjoying the sunset from the crest of the hill, and my aching legs). Across the street, we cozied up at The Tavern and gobbled down a perfect burger and pulled pork sandwich with our beer. A quick couple stops on the tram brought us steps from our hotel to wrap up another great day.

Day Three - Monday - Golden Lane, Paddleboat, Astronomical Clock

Determined to finally see Prague Castle up close, we got an early start on the day. After disembarking at the Malostranská tram stop, we followed the trail of tourists along a path around a corner and up the steps to the eastern end of the castle complex. We caught our breath at a scenic overlook before marching through the gate and into the ticket office. Since Golden Lane was a must-see, we started there–even though it meant we’d need to return the following day when St. Vitus Cathedral opened. “Come at 8:45 a.m. unless you want to stand in line for two hours,” warned the ticket office lady.

Golden Lane–a quaint, narrow street of tiny houses built into the niches of the northern wall of Prague Castle–lived up to its reputation. These miniscule dwellings have been home to tradespeople such as goldsmiths, seamstresses, healers, and alchemists; castle guards; and artists like Czech writer Franz Kafka in more recent times. We peered through slotted windows for shooting arrows and crossbows and cringed our way up and down towers with gruesome torture chambers and dank dungeons. We continued west to visit St. George’s church. While built as a royal burial ground, later excavation only revealed three royal crowns. St. George’s was dwarfed by St. Vitus Cathedral across the square and the palace to the south with its rows upon rows of windows.

We soaked up the sunshine in the square to the west of the castle, where gorgeous architecture surrounded a small, central garden with benches. We walked a loop up past beautiful Loreta and down to the Novy Svet neighborhood of colorful houses where castle staff used to live and then headed back through the castle courtyards in search of a café. The terrace of Lobkowicz Palace provided the perfect spot for a lunch of tomato bisque, grilled cheese and onion sandwich, and a slice of carrot cake while overlooking the rooftops of Mala Strana.

We descended the castle hill along Nerudova Street, strolled over Charles Bridge, and wound our way to the colorful outdoor Havel’s Market, which has been selling produce and craft products since 1232. We wandered up to the Old Town Hall for the 5 p.m. show at the medieval astronomical clock. At a quarter till, no one had gathered near the clock, so we visited the Jan Hus statue and marveled at the stunning architecture around the expansive Old Town Square. By the time we returned to the clock, the crowd was ready and waiting with phone cameras glowing. 

While the “Walk of the Apostles” show was admittedly underwhelming given all the hype around the hourly spectacle, it was quite fun to be part of the excited crowd. Right on time, the blue paned windows opened and a variety of apostles paraded past, rotating to greet the crowd as they peered down at four personified evils: a man admiring himself in a mirror (vanity), a man holding a money bag (greed), a skeleton ringing a bell (death), and a Turk with a turban (pagan invasion). Out popped a crowing rooster, and then the tower bells rang to mark the hour.

We slipped into nearby St. Nicholas Church to look around the Hussite place of worship and then walked through the courtyards of the Klementium. Crossing a small bridge onto an island with boat rentals, we decided to make the most of the peaceful evening with a paddleboat ride on the river. The hammock-like lounge chairs on our boat proved quite comfortable as we peddled our way under a bridge and around a larger island, steering clear of the waterfalls both up and downstream. This vantage point provided a fabulous view of the ornate riverside buildings, Prague Castle on the horizon, and the ducks and otters looking for a snack–all in the delightful setting of dusk.

Upon disembarking, we turned inland in search of David Cerny’s giant Head of Franz Kafka sculpture with its 42 mobile tiers. Along the way, we spotted two iron butterfly sculptures scaling the side of a department store; to commemorate the Czechoslovak fighter pilots who flew for the British RAF during WWII, Cerny crafted the butterflies from their Spitfire airplanes.

Drawn back into the winding streets of Old Town, we picked a dinner spot overlooking Old Town Square with its charming evening lights and great people-watching. In the mood for some Czech cuisine, we ordered boar goulash with bacon truffle bread dumplings, goulash soup in a bread bowl, and a grilled round of soft cheese paired with a perfectly tart cranberry sauce. We lingered over our meal and caught the astronomical clock chiming 9 p.m. from a vantage point far enough back to see all the figures in motion.

Day Four - Tuesday - Cathedral, Cafés, Jewish Museum

We woke bright and early Tuesday morning to beat the crowds to the castle, this time taking Tram 22 to the top of the hill to circumnavigate the castle step climb. As hoards of tour groups crossed the moat bridge and entered the castle courtyards, we scooted ahead (skipping the ticket office since we already had our two-day passes), and joined the line starting to wrap its way around the north side of St. Vitus Cathedral. Grateful to be among the first 25 or so people to enter the cathedral for the day, we captured clear views of the various chapels with their stunning stained glass windows, paintings, and altars. I particularly enjoyed a wooden relief panel depicting Prague long ago with all the landmarks and neighborhoods we recently explored. The 3-D scene of Mary and Elizabeth rejoicing at their pregnancies, surrounded by episodes from Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection provided another powerful highlight. The marvelous colors of the circular portal window evaded capture on film, but the vibrant kaleidoscope of pink hues dancing through the south windows near the exit made up for it.

We descended the castle steps and rode Tram 15 toward the Jewish Museum. After walking south across the bridge, we veered right down a diagonal street and spotted a Star of David on a building. The Old New Synagogue with the distinctive points on its triangular roof rose to our left. We stopped by the visitor’s center in the Jewish Town Hall and strolled past Kosher restaurants along the street leading to the Klausen Synagogue. From there, we could peer into a corner of the Old Jewish Cemetery with its overlapping tombstones. Since space was limited, new layers of soil and graves were added over its three centuries of use such that bodies were stacked 12 deep in some places. Around the corner, we spotted the Pinkas Synagogue, which houses a powerful exhibition of children’s drawings from the Terezín Ghetto during WWII.

On our way back through Old Town, we peered into Tyn Church, passed through the Powder Gate, and poked our head into the art deco dining rooms at the Municipal House. We lingered over lunch at Café Louvre, a long-time popular meeting place for both tourists and locals (“a place for all your appointments,” according to the placemat). The pleasantly chewy and brilliantly orange vegetable pancakes garnished with sour cream blew away my expectations for a latke. After lunch, we ducked under some weeping willows in Charles Square in search of the perfect bench. We found one overlooking a fountain and proceeded to spend a relaxing afternoon in the park reading and writing–a nice change of pace after some packed sightseeing days. In honor of our visit to Kafka’s home town, I read Metamorphosis and thanked God I didn’t wake up as a cockroach like the protagonist.

We later stretched our legs by exploring Střelecký Island, which we had boated around the previous day. Steps led down from Legion Bridge and deposited us near a waterfront café. A cosmetics fashion show monopolized the inside space, but the open terrace with its comfortable, couch-like seating invited us to cozy up over a pot of hot tea–welcome warmth now that the evening chill had descended. After a lap along the island pathways, we made our way east for dinner at Café Imperial, where we savored French onion soup; roasted vegetables; salad with rounds of grilled cheese; and an elegant tower of eggplant, sheep cheese, and tomatoes–all this in the lavish setting of the Art Deco hotel with its beautifully tiled, lofted ceilings.

Day Five - Wednesday - Countryside, Old Town-Hopping, Szimpla Kert

With the arrival of Wednesday, we checked out of the Julius and walked a few blocks to meet our tour group near the new ship-looking building that will soon connect the bus station to Old Town. Our friendly Sidetrip Tours guide Lenka greeted us and the three couples who would join our van for the roadtrip to Budapest. We cruised past fields and vineyards dotted with villages–each with a church steeple and cluster of red tile roofs.

Our first stop, Lednice Castle, included a drive past small houses with windows that caught my eye for their sharp right angles without any framing or adornment. While a jarring contrast to the architectural confections of Prague, the fresh coats of bright paint afforded these simple abodes a unique charm. Soon, we approached a palatial castle with lush gardens that banished all thoughts of the austere housing nearby. This castle served as the summer house of the Liechtenstein family, German-speaking nobles who were driven out after WWII. We strolled the picturesque gardens in the pleasant sunshine before driving across the border into Slovenia.

Our next stop, Bratislava, boasted a substantial Old Town area where we popped into an old-style apothecary, marveled at the last standing city gate with its teal top, and looped around to the main square, which is home to a famous Christmas market. For lunch, we sampled a local favorite (sheep cheese potato gnocchi, thanks to the sheep in the nearby mountains) as well as a refreshing caprese salad. We finished with crème brûlée gelato and a stroll down a leafy promenade near the opera.

Dozens upon dozens of modern windmills greeted us upon crossing the border into Hungary. While ambling along cobblestone streets in the quaint town of Gyor, we paused at a building where Napoleon had stayed to celebrate his birthday. In the midst of the celebratory mayhem, Napoleon fired some cannons; one of the cannonballs is still lodged in the building across the narrow street. Down another block or two, we came upon the main square with a monastery where a 19th-century scientist monk discovered how to mass-produce soda water. A nearby fountain shaped like an old soda bottle commemorated the discovery. A local shop sold textiles in the traditional Hungarian blue print. We ducked into the Cathedral Basilica of Győr, whose plain and massive exterior masked a breathtaking interior, especially accompanied by the organ music that serenaded us. A skull fragment relic sits in a side chapel, encased in a golden bust of Saint King Ladislaus.

We hit the road with Budapest as our next and final destination. En route, our tour guide described the vibrant night life of Budapest’s District VII (a historic area and previous center of the Jewish Ghetto), the local thermal baths, and lángos (a favorite street food consisting of fried dough, sour cream, and cheese). After waiting in traffic on the Liberty Bridge (which gave us ample time to scope out the formidable Central Market Hall, the “Whale” cultural event space, and the Liberty Statue holding her palm branch on Gellért Hill behind us), we navigated along some roundabout side streets and stately boulevards before hopping out at our VRBO apartment.

A chatty neighbor who managed the rental gave us the lay of the land as far as transit on Budapest Go, restaurant recommendations in the local square (rather than the pricey tourist traps close to the river), and the essential advice to walk the river esplanade and bridges at night when the lit-up city is at its sparkling best. Following his suggestion, we headed out straight away for an evening stroll along the Danube Promenade. We walked down Andrassy Ut, past the illuminated opera house, and through Erzsébet Square with its beacon of a ferris wheel before reaching the river. Lively strains of salsa music from a waterfront bar accompanied our descent to pier level, where we scoped out the evening cruise options.

At the Elizabeth Bridge, we headed east to District VII in search of Szimpla Kert, a pioneer in the ruin bar movement. According to our bus tour guide, this former apartment building in the Jewish Quarter housed under-the-radar gatherings of revolutionaries leading up to the overthrow of communism. Apparently these free thinkers brought along a miscellaneous array of furniture, inspiring the continued eclectic look of ruin bars and gardens today. We did a multi-level loop of the club, taking in the seating areas tucked into every nook and cranny of the dilapidated building. Groups of merrymakers enjoyed their beer and nosh surrounded by thumping music and colorful lights.

We exited and took refuge in the adjacent garden alleyway lined with food trucks, where we shared a classic lángos and beer at one of the colorful hightop picnic tables. We meandered northward toward our apartment, feeling grateful for our apartment’s prime location across Andrassy Ut from such a lively neighborhood.

Day Six - Thursday - City Park, Thermal Baths, Boat Cruise 

Thursday morning we took it easy, eventually meandering our way up leafy Andrassy Ut by the crack of noon. Shady promenades lined the boulevard, reminiscent of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. We reveled in the architectural splendor of several embassies and consulates as well as grand apartment buildings and museums. The road dead-ended at Heroes’ Square, with its slew of stately statues. Rather than linger in the scorching sun, we took refuge in City Park. 

Around the drained ice skating rink, we spotted the rooftop of a castle (built for the 1896 Millennium Exhibition) that showcased Hungarian architectural styles. This offered a quirky yet magical step into the past as we strolled through an ivy covered archway and rested inside a simple church. We rounded the adjacent pond and gained a gorgeous vantage point from the opposite side. Upon traversing the road that bisects the park, we found the popular Széchenyi Thermal Baths. While weekends draw extensive crowds, we had no wait for walk-up daily tickets on a Thursday afternoon.

We changed into our swimsuits and stored our bags in electric wristband-operated lockers. Before starting our soak, we bypassed a few indoor pools to check out the outdoor area. We emerged onto a platform with a stunning view of a giant crescent-shaped pool, a laned lap pool for the swimming cap-donning athletes, and an Adventure Pool with various water features: pressure showers, geyser-like fountains, and a donut-shaped whirlpool with a bubbly interior. The strong current carried us along the roundabout with just an occasional swimming stroke or skip along the bottom of the pool, which was kept at around 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

After a while, we ventured inside to dip our way through thermal pools of varying temperatures and shapes (rectangles, semi-circles, octagons) and test out a salt-infusion steam room and aroma sauna. We concluded with the coldest and hottest plunge pools at 20 and 40 degrees Celsius. Back outside, we discovered the crescent pool to be as warm as a hot tub, offering the perfect combination of a hot soak along with fresh air and a view. The beautiful butter yellow building exterior evoked a layered wedding cake with its columns, scrollwork, and balconies.

Enjoying a schedule-free day, we lingered until late afternoon. While my husband circled back through the indoor pools, I found the perfect spot with gentle bubbles in the inner circle of the Adventure Pool. I camped out there for a solid hour of people-watching, relaxation, and “guess the language” time. At one point, several energetic young adults played tag in the whirlpool, and later a drunk man got kicked out when he decided to swim “one race!” in the lap pool without a swim cap. We ended the day back in the crescent hot tub, where clusters of bathers played chess while standing in the water, and a lady jogged in place while reading a book perched on the pool deck. With our skin feeling great thanks to all the minerals in the water, we dressed and charted a new path through the park.

Before exiting the park, we enjoyed the cool of the evening while lounging in lawn chairs near the House of Music. We climbed the steps of the Museum of Ethnography, which is dug into the ground and then curves up several stories to form a unique shape like the bottom half of a wheel. We caught a glimpse of the blazing red sunset from atop the museum structure and then headed along a quiet section of Király Street. We ducked into a Lidl market along our route to grab some prosciutto, camembert, hummus, challah, and salad for a quick dinner at home before our evening boat cruise. 

The view from the boat at night lived up to the hype. Structures that looked a bit crumbly during the day showed off their grandeur in the evening. Spotlights shone on statues, staircases, bridges, and buildings along the river, setting everything aglow. We launched from Pier 7 on the Pest side of the Danube and traveled south past the Central Market Hall before circling back to see various universities, performing arts spaces, the palace, Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion, Margaret Island, and Parliament (the most breathtaking of all). Along the way, we sipped champagne and listened to an audio guide pointing out the historical significance of various sights. We also learned about some famous Hungarians such as those who invented the ballpoint pen, the Rubik’s cube, and alternating current technology.

We strolled along some café-lined streets to Király and cruised through a nightclub-packed passageway. We wound our way home, with spirits lifted from the festive nightlife but too ready to crash to track down late-night ice cream.

Day Seven - Friday - Basilica, Buda, Béla Bartók

Since St. Stephen’s Basilica was en route to our Buda plans for the day, we stopped in to admire the exquisite interior. Highlights included the ceiling renditions of Jesus’ birth, teaching, healing, and ascension; the metal reliefs by an artist with my maiden name; the ornate organ; the statue of St. Elizabeth with the bread she hid in her robes for the poor (and that apparently miraculous turned to roses upon her mother’s scrutiny); and the mummified right hand of King Saint Stephen.

After pausing for gelato, we walked over the Chain Bridge with its regal lion statues and climbed up Castle Hill via the shaded steps to the right of the car tunnel. We navigated toward the heart of the Castle District by aiming for the spires of Matthias Church. At the foot of this coronation church stood the fairytale-worthy, turreted towers of the Fisherman’s Bastion, where we took in fantastic views of Budapest from a breezy balcony while sipping beer and forest fruit iced tea. On our return trip, we walked past the palace and down the steps through a lovely terrace of the Castle Bazaar gardens. We promenaded along the waterfront past St. Gellert’s statue and crossed Elizabeth Bridge on our trek back home before our night on the town.

An Uber taxi whisked us over to the high-ceilinged Central Market Hall in time to wander the aisles of fruit, vegetables, sausages, and souvenirs before dining with family at the Market 1897 Kitchen & Wine restaurant across the street. We enjoyed traditional Hungarian cuisine (paprika chicken, cucumber salad, dumplings, lamb) and great conversation with our local cousins. Together, we drove to the modern concert hall next to the National Theater, where we took in two musical pieces from the center of the second row. How fabulous to see the singers’ expressions, hear the musicians flip their sheet music, and feel the conductor’s gusto. The venue’s adjustable wall panels perfected the acoustics of the spectacular performance.

The first piece, “The Miraculous Mandarin” by Béla Bartók, was accompanied by ballet dancers pantomiming the plot–a tragic tale of three thugs forcing a prostitute to lure in prey for them to loot. The first two victims are too poor to be of any use to the thieves. The third victim, the Mandarin, resists their murderous attempts until he succumbs to his love for the young woman. A duet opera (Duke Bluebeard's Castle, also by Béla Bartók) followed intermission. In this piece, a duke shows his new duchess his home, where each of seven doors leads to terrors anew–such as a treasury and armor gleaming with blood and ultimately a room with the duke's ghostly former wives where the duchess is ensnared.

To top off the night, we indulged in dessert at a café near our apartment. The mascarpone cheese cake with raspberry sauce could have starred its own show, but we splurged and also ordered a decadent sponge cake. The generous scoops of cake were decked out with chocolate ice cream, whipped cream drizzled with chocolate sauce, and delicate rolled wafer cookies.

Day Eight - Saturday - Memorials, Parliament, Margaret Island

On our final day in Budapest, we walked past a memorial set up by a fountain in Liberty Square. Personal belongings of Holocaust victims–such as a pair of red shoes and a crumbling suitcase–spoke volumes. From there, we descended to the river to see the Shoes on the Danube memorial, where shoe sculptures marked the place where Jews were rounded up, shot, and shoved into the river. I was struck by the many high heels, the floppy boots, and even a pair of children’s shoes. It’s hard to imagine that such atrocities happened less than a century ago, within living memory.

Climbing back up to street level, we skirted around the Parliament building with its grand statues of Hungarian prime ministers–Gyula Andrássy to the south on his horse and WWI era István Tisza to the north. The symmetrical government building was staggering in size and cathedral-like in beauty with its central dome atop the Hungarian Crown, an ornate facade with 242 statues, and a roof sporting 365 spires–one for each day of the year! 

We followed the riverbank up to the three-way Margaret Bridge, which connects Buda and Pest to Margaret Island. Similar to Central Park, Margaret Island boasted acres of green space, resplendent with fountains, promenades, cafés, flower gardens, and benches perfect for a leisurely afternoon. We cooled down with raspberry lemonade and beer and nibbled on Hungarian sausage, pickles, and fries while chatting with a retired German couple at a nearby table. They were wrapping up their road trip through Central Europe to make it home in time for Oktoberfest. Refreshed, we explored the ruins of the convent the royal family had built during the Middle Ages for their daughter Margaret. Out of desperation during the Mongol invasion, the royal couple had vowed to offer their future daughter as a nun. On our way off the island, we caught a show at the fountain, where jets of water blasted and spun in sync with music.

After walking home along the curving boulevard that forms a semicircle around the city, we set out for dinner at Mazel Tov, a popular Israeli ruin garden restaurant. We shared a meat platter with lamb kebabs, sausage, chicken shawarma with pita, and fabulous sides (pickled beets and cabbage, rice with lentils, and a creamy yogurt sauce). What a delicious way to cap off a wonderful trip!