Hungary

*Iconic view of the Budapest parliament building on the Danube*

Hungary was another architectural feast. Similar to the Czech Republic, we found the architecture and urban settings to be fascinating, beautiful and haunting with their history. But Hungary also was not a country that highlights the best features of living in a camper truck. Wild camping sites were available and practical, but mostly they were not sites that filled our nature loving souls. Much of the country felt agricultural and green, pleasant to drive through.

As we continued our history lessons, we appreciated learning the past of this complicated country, from the Ottoman invasions, the rule of the Austrian Habsburgs emperors, to the creation of the Austria-Hungarian empire in 1867. Following WWI, Hungary lost much of its territory to surrounding powers (Czechoslovakia, Romania, Austria, and Poland to name a few). In WWII, Hungary fought on the side of Germany and was eventually occupied by the Soviet Union, becoming a socialist People’s Republic from 1949 until the end of communism in Hungary and most other Eastern European nations in 1989.

With the war in the Ukraine forefront in our minds, speaking to people from countries who had been formerly occupied by the Soviet Union took on a whole new meaning. Hearing the stories of intellectual, religious and social oppression struck a chord. Most of our interactions were with younger people who were clear that communism as mandated by the Soviet Union had deprived their countries of economic growth and opportunity. They could see the poverty gap between their country and western EU countries. However, there was also a theme of hearing from some of their grandparents who had been previously living in poverty without access to education who received significant benefit from free housing and social programs under communism. In Hungary there was a failed peoples’ revolt against the communist regime in 1956. In general, the proud and independent Hungarian people resented outside control. In Budapest, The House of Terror museum details the more horrific details of the communist era and what became of people who tried to resist it.

Highlights:

Budapest : Now our favorite major European city! Architectural surprises around every corner but still with a modern atmosphere.

Wild camping on the Danube: We found some great sites, appreciating the fun combination of hiding away in nature while viewing the boat traffic from huge barges to small fishing boats.

Eating Goulash: we fell in love with this flavorful, paprika seasoned stew, one of the best budget options -filling comfort food.

Our first stop on our tour of Hungary was the stately town of Eger. We aimlessly wandered the streets and made our way up to the castle to enjoy the views. The castle itself was a hodgepodge of architecture through the ages, much of it recently renovated.

From Eger we made our way to Szentendre, known for its colorful buildings and narrow cobble streets. Andy had been thinking we might skip it but once Dawn learned it was reputed to be home to a significant artist colony it went back on the list. Like other places in Hungary, pleasant walking paths along the Danube added to the character of the town.

*Walking path along the Danube in Szentendre*

*Colorful cobbled streets of Szentendre*

Next stop, Visegrád, a small town on Danube Bend crowned by a castle.

*Wild camping on the Danube, beautiful!*

Next stop, also on the Danube was Esztergom, one of the oldest cities in Hungary and formerly the capital from the 10th-13th centuries.

*Longest Andy’s hair has ever been, he was looking forward to his appointment with a barber in Budapest the next day*

*Beautiful statue depicting the coronation of Saint Stephen, first King of Hungary from about 1000. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.*

*Esztergom Basilica, largest church and tallest building in Hungary*

Our only fill up in Hungary! We had planned in advance, hearing that foreign travellers were being charged a 30% premium. The government was subsidizing gas prices and had set a cap, creating an influx of “gas tourism” as neighbors came to fill up. So, a split tier system for now. With the 30% premium, it put the price for us at about 25% over surrounding countries. We filled up our oversized tank right before the border and filled a Rotopak for good measure. (Gas is our biggest daily expense.)

*Bus on the Danube. Didn’t think our snorkel was up to the task.*

Finally, our most looked forward to stop, Budapest. Actually two areas, Buda and Pest, separated by the Danube, we decided to take a “rest” and booked an Airbnb on the Buda side for two nights. The promise of free parking with the accommodations was a little exaggerated on the hills of Buda, but we were able to find a safe place a third of a mile from our house. As we learned, Buda is the stately side with the old money houses and green space. The castle is on the Buda side. Pest houses the economic center of the city, including the government buildings and pedestrian shopping streets.

We spent three days wandering the streets, walking 10 miles a day, taking free walking tours, photographing buildings and sampling the food. In the evenings we luxuriated in access to easy hot showers and laundry machines.

*Dohány Street Synagogue, consecrated in 1859, largest in Europe*

*Delighting in breakfast treats, and Andy’s trip to the barber was successful*

*View across the Danube from Buda to Pest*

*View of the parliament building from the Buda side of the Danube*

*Heroes’ Square and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier*

*Vajdahunyad* *Castle. Built in 1896 for the 1000th birthday of the Hungarian State.*

*Jaki Chapel, is actually a building imitating a church*

*Szechenyi Thermal Bath. The largest bath complex in Europe*

*Ceremony to replace the flowers on the tomb of the unknown soldier*

*Dawn is always happy when she finds Shakespeare*

Filled with culture, and food, we sadly left Budapest for our last days in Hungary as we made our way towards Croatia.

*Cathedral square in Szeged, spent an afternoon wandering here, also along the Danube*

*Lovely free camping spot along a tributary of the Danube, it rained overnight and it actually challenged our 4x4 getting out the muddy road*

Then our final stop was beautiful Pécs. An ancient city founded by the Romans, it was beautiful and interesting to explore.

*We were a little dismayed to notice that fall was definitely coming*

So there is the story of our trek across Hungary. We are looking forward to some time with family and friends in Croatia - staying in one place for a week, unheard of! Thank you for reading.

Albania

Poland