edited by Dave and Malgosia

The period to our disposition to be able to see from near her "Paris of the European east", it is one of the more colds, from 3 to January 8. Despite the cold, the snow and the icy wind that it freezes yourself and the nose (only parts discoveries during our turns for the city) I must say that the winter atmosphere contributes to give a very suggestive and romantic aspect to Budapest.

The flight has been really convenient (100 € a/r for two people) with the company low cost Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), departure from Orio al Serio (Italy). Arrived to the airport of Budapest we have opted for a minibus "collective" to be able to reach the hotel, only there are aware the day of the departure that it would have been more comfort and more convenient to take a taxi.

We have decided to book a hotel of middle/tall level to be able to spend our vacation to the best, for which our choice has been the NH hotel 4 stars, (www.nh-hotels.com), personal cordial, clean and spacious rooms, optimal position to 5 minutes afoot from the center, different transport public in the immediate proximities, and above all Spa situated to the last floor, inclusive in the cost of the stay, with gym, locker rooms, area relax and sauna, pleasantly used at the end of every departed day to amusement for the city, to heat the body and to recover the strengths to be able to go out for the supper.

You leave the suitcases in room there are prepared for a turn for the city of Pest. Budapest is separated in two parts from the river Danubio, Pest and Buda. Pest is the most commercial zone in the capital rich in shops, restaurants, hotels and historical monuments. Buda develops it on a hill in front of Pest, from which a marvelous panorama of Pest and the Danubio can be admired. After having eaten a sandwich to the McDonald next to our hotel, in Jaszai Mari tér, from here have continued toward the Parliament, one of the most beautiful buildings of Pest there were also the possibility to visit it to its inside but the organized visits they were to the hours 8 of the morning, too soon for us that were in "vacations"!!, we have been satisfied with to admire the Building from the outside there. The zone of the Parliament introduces a zone of the very elegant city, there are ancient buildings and very well taken care of.

Passing for Szabadsag tér (plaza of the Liberty) where it has center the National Bank and the Hungarian television, arrives to the Basilica of Saint Stephen. The Basilica already from the outside it impresses us for its dimensions, but just entered to its inside we have remained without words, fascinated by its beauty and by the atmosphere of peace and calm. To this point after a warm chocolate and a break to heat us, in a place next to the Basilica, we returned to our hotel, where regenerated us inside the Spa, ready to go out the evening to taste the Hungarian cuisine the famous gulasch.

The second day, after an abundant and very good breakfast, we are go toward Buda, in front of the hotel we have taken a streetcar that it brought us to Moszkva tér , from here we have crossed Varfok utca very steep very characteristic road with an endless number of stairs, to its term we have crossed the ancient Door of Bècsi kapu tèr (Door of Vienna), and we are so entered the ancient Buda. There are here different ancient and very characteristic inns that offer some delicious dishes of the hungarian typical cuisine. There is a little far the luxurious Hotel Budapest Hilton, and really to its side the two most beautiful monuments of Buda, the church of Mattia and the Bastion of the Fishermen from which it is admired, in the clear days and of sun, a fantastic panorama, all Pest, the Danubio, the Bridge of the Chains and the Building of the Parliament it is seen.

To climb on the hill of Buda can be used also a funivia that departs from Pest near of the Bridge of the Chains. Going down from Buda there are direct toward another near hill, the Gellért mountain, from which can be seen the Monument devoted to St. Gherardo. To the feet of the mountain there is the hotel Gellèrt where to its inside there are the thermal baths, among the most famous and prestigious of Budapest. Naturally we have entered to the baths with the desire to spend some times to relaxation ourselves, but just arrivals to the naked ones the desire was already decreased, dirty, old, few pleasant, entered just the only two available swimming pools the desire had gone entirely away, lukewarm water and a crowd of people. To our opinion the baths Gellérts are to avoid, even if are publicized very well.

Gone out of the thermal baths we have crossed an iron bridge, Szabadsag Bridge, that waves everything when it passes the streetcar, comes on the other bank of the Danubio we have visited the Market Hall, the general markets, to whose inside there are a series of shops, all very similar ones between them, that show the products typical of Hungary, dressed, craftsmanship and foods, seem really a place adapted for welcoming the tourists and to make there spend some euro. To the exit there are direct toward our hotel, we have crossed go Vaci utca, the more commercial pedestrian street of all Budapest, rich of shops of every kind.

The following day, last of our vacation, has decided to walk for the most famous avenue in the city, Andrassy ut, that conducts to the Hosok tere (the Heroes' Plaza), is a very long avenue flanked by trees to tall stem, in the first part that more neighbor to the center, different buildings are followed in style, the shops of the most famous stylists of the world and then we arrive to the Building of the Opera. After the intersection with the Oktogon tér, the avenue Andrassy entertains a series of great villas with beautiful gardens, centers of the embassies and luxurious residences. During our walk we have made a break visiting the Museum of the Terror, that the history of Budapest contains during the Nazism and the Communism. Reached Hosok tere, the plaza it is really very ample, to the center there is the monument devoted to the prince Arpad with the seven heads of the Hungarian tribes. On the right of the colonnade there's the Mucsarnok (building of the exposures).

From the other side there is the building of the Szepmuveszeti Muzeum (Museum of beautiful arts). Crossed the Heroes' Plaza, reaches the Castle of Vajdahunyad, and continuing along the Kos Karoly setany is seen there the building of the Széchenyis Furdo (thermal baths Szécheny). Unlike the baths Gellèrt, these thermal baths are really to visit, the structure is old but held better, the swimming pools are as to the inside and the outside, so many turkish baths and saunas. Even if the day was some grey, in fact it snowed, in the external swimming pools it was very well wound by the warm water and by the vapor. Gone out of the thermal baths we have returned to the hotel using the subway of Budapest, the most ancient of Europe.

The vacation to Budapest has been very beautiful, recommend it to everybody, is a city that strikes you for its historical buildings and for the so many works of art, and above all for the thermal baths Szécheny where absolutely needs to go "to warm up!"!