Budapest: Castle Hill

We were able to stay in a hotel at the very bottom of Castle Hill, and we could actually see the top of Buda Castle from our hotel room! It was funny that we spent every day at the base of it but never explored it until our last few hours. Most attractions, cafes, and monuments are in Pest, so we mistakenly felt as though we didn’t need as much time in Buda.

There were three main places that we wanted to see on Castle Hill - Buda Castle, Matthias Church, and Fisherman’s Bastion. It took us a while to figure out how to get to the top, and we ended up hiking up a trail through the woods, although there must have been an easier way. There was an art museum, the House of Houdini, and the Labrynth of Buda Castle (where Dracula was held prisoner) that were closed by the time we got there. Although we were able to take pictures of the gorgeous outside of the castle and the courtyard out back, I was really kicking myself for missing out on so many cool things. I had been the one to decide to save Buda til the last day, and in the middle of my “our honeymoon is ending” emotions, it felt like if we didn’t get to explore the rest of Castle Hill, the last night of our honeymoon would be ruined. It became my mission to check off the rest of our list, Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion, before sunset.

We had to cross through the quiet streets at the top of Castle Hill, and again I wished we had more time to explore. It was so peaceful up there, with hardly any cars, and a lot of people just strolling around. We finally got to Matthias Church, which is actually right in front of Fisherman’s Bastion! Relieved that we made it before the sunset, I was able to relax and enjoy our last night. Fisherman’s Bastion is easily my favorite spot in Budapest. It is so strange to be someplace so quiet and peaceful, looking down at the busy city.

On our taxi ride to the airport the next morning, the route took us right up through Castle Hill. Nick fell asleep in the car of course, but I got to see Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion one last time. I was reminded of what a perfect last night of our honeymoon we had, and what an absolutely gorgeous city Budapest is.

- Jessica