Budapest: Center of the City

The wife and I finally got away for a real vacation and spent four great days in Budapest.  I already wrote about staying at the Ritz-Carlton which was really nice.  Quite by accident, we found the Ritz to be a prime location in the center of the old downtown which made for an ideal base to operate out of for seeing Buda and Pest.

The Ritz is right off of one of the main plazas called Deak Ferenc, named after a famous Hungarian hero.  The major shopping area is along Deak Ferenc Street.  You can also access the tour buses here and subway.

Look for the Double “M” around town to find the Metro (subway).  Didn’t try it, but it certainly was popular.

You can even rent a bike if you want some exercise.  My wife claims that she forgot how to ride a bike – so much for that old saying.

Here is Deak Ferenc Street.  Notice the outdoor extension of the restaurant.

You see that all over Budapest and it is really wonderful considering the weather was about 78 (~25C) every day.  I feel like this city would be totally different in the winter without all the outdoor activities.

Speaking of which, a short trip down the street and it opens up to a whole plaza surrounded by restaurants, stores, and tourist traps like Hard Rock Café.

Dinner at one of the restaurants around the square was pretty good.  I can’t say that prices were cheap, but they weren’t expensive either.  And more importantly, it tasted really good!

More adventures tomorrow…