Buda Basics

Buda is on the West side of the Danube River. Along with Pest, it is the capitol of Hungary.

Castle Hill is where one can find, among other things, the National Dance Theater & Hungarian National Gallery (one building) as pictured above.

(Above) The Chain Bridge gives a nice view of the river and leads right to Castle Hill. Note the two guardian lions.

(Above) Buda is not as big as Pest but is still a city crowded as large European cities are. In the vague background, to the right, is Margit Island - a popular summer concert venue.

(Above) This picture is a bit cocky but I had just climbed a very large hill! See Pest in the background?

(Above) Remnants of Soviet warfare...

(Above) St. Matthias Church is known for its colorful roof and though built to be a Catholic church - which it is now - it was a mosque during the Turkish rule.

(Above) Bits of the Fisherman's Bastian which looks like something out of Lord of the Rings.

(Above & Below) Ooh - super cool and more than bizarre - the Castle Labyrinths.

Here's the thing about the Labyrinths - it's the most random jumble of tourist exhibitions ever put underground. From spooky darkened mazes and echoing Shaman chants...

to a ginormous sunken head (metaphor for end of Magyar rule)...

and a fountain of wine, this was well worth the price of admission.

(Above) Um, yeah, so this was the Marzipan Museum. The existence of this elaborate exhibit firmly cements the fact that Hungarians just love to make a museum of anything - and they do it with style.