Budapest — Belváros-Lipótváros

The plan for the morning of this last day was to explore district V, Belváros-Lipótváros, the latter named after King Leopold II, a part of Pest that I had not given enough attention to previously. Lipótváros holds St. Stephen's Basilica, government buildings, public buildings and high-end hotels.

I started at the southern part of district V, Belváros, at Fövám Tér. The intent was to walk up the Danube Promenade and turn inland.

Sun and water bathing locals.

Very long cruise boat, Liberty Statue on the hill, and Elisabeth Bridge. As you can see it was a clear day, but I recall it was a little nippy.

A better view of the bridge.

The Rudas Baths on the Buda bank, another thermal bath complex.

Buda castle again.

Somehow I missed the Little Princess statue, but I came across Dunai Szél (Danube Wind) on the grounds of a hotel. It's not well known as I had to search for it. A couple of reviews give details, that it was created in 1937, relocated several times, and the original is in the Hungarian National Gallery.

Fascinating how the sculptor has managed to suggest a translucent skirt in stone. Budapest would seem to be a treasure trove of sculpture from the number of results returned when I went searching.

The Vigado concert hall.

The fountain in Vigado square.

Deák Ferenc street lined with high-end stores.

Vörösmarty square with a statue to the poet.

The Café Gerbeaud dating from 1858. Budapest is also a treasure trove of cafes.

A search shows that this is the Hungarian Ministry of Finance on József Nádor square (page in Hungarian).

The quirky porcelain sculpture Herendi életfa is also here.

A passage within the Ministry of Finance building led me to…

The Budapest Eye.

Customers lining up.

Photographers at the Danubius fountain trying to capture the whole ferris wheel.

Lovers' padlocks probably.

St. Stephen's Basilica.

A frontal view.

And that was the end of my exploration of district V. A short walk found me at Elisabeth Square where Andrássy Avenue begins. I descended into the metro to teleport to another area for more adventures.

Budapest — Danube promenade and city by night

In the late afternoon, I took myself to the eastern side of the Elisabeth Bridge so that I could walk up the Danube Promenade as dusk fell.

The Buda side with Géllert Hill.

The church on the Pest bank that has a name longer than it: Inner-City Mother Church of the Blessed Virgin.

Buda castle.

I descended to the embankment level. This is looking south at the Liberty Bridge.

Elisabeth Bridge was blown up by the retreating Germans in WWII and not rebuilt to its original design, that's why it looks modern.

A picture for the civil engineer readers.

There are two levels of roadway which eventually merge. River cruises start from here.

I didn't know it when I took the picture, but that's the narrowest building in Budapest, Várkert Quay 16, on the opposite bank. This was depicted in a poster on the way to Géllert Hill. Maps confirms it.

Pansies in a planter.

Closer up.

Here the promenade is wide enough for several abreast, though uneven.

Incidentally the promenade is named after Jane Haining, a Scottish missionary who chose to stay in Hungary after the outbreak of WWII, and was subsequently denounced and deported to Auschwitz, where she died from the unhealthy conditions.

The Vigadó concert hall behind the tram line and a square, hidden. We will come back to this a later day.

A restaurant boat.

The Hotel Gresham Palace.

The Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

Looking back at the promenade with the Intercontinental Hotel on the left.

The Raqpart bar just next to the Széchenyi Chain Bridge.

The bridge in lovely light.

It was closed to vehicular traffic hence all the strollers on it.

Buda castle, flood lit.

Elisabeth bridge.

It was like a party on the bridge.

Pink pylons.

The Budai Váralagút, which means Buda castle tunnel, going under the rock.

At this point I called it an evening. I seem to remember I went to the Mammut shopping centre near the Fény market and had a Thai meal on the top level.

That was my last night in the guest house. The next morning I would take a train to Pécs, a city in the south, and on return I would stay on the Pest side.