It might be helpful to think of Hungarian as the Rubik’s cube of languages…
A quick pronunciation tip: The letter “s” is pronounced “sh” and the letter “sz” is pronounced “s”. In other words the bigger the letter, the less the sound.
Straddling the Danube in the center of Hungary, Budapest has risen from the dark days of Nazi and Soviet occupation to blossom into a top-notch travel destination that will enchant you with a quirky mix of old-world charm and modern comfort. So, let’s grab a fistful of Forint, buy a multi-day day metro pass, and jump right in!
Budapest Metro System
Oktogon stop on Line 1, the very first metro on the European continent
Hungarian goulash / Gulyásleves (pronounced goolyash levesh) means herdsman’s soup… made of beef, vegetables, ground paprika and other spices. Paprika Vendéglő has the very best in the city. Make sure to ask for the Erős Pista (spicy paprika paste). It only takes a dab to take your Gulyásleves to the super genius level!
Kolbász es kenyer (sausage & bread) at my favorite deli and sharing a moment with the owner!
Paprikás Csirke (chicken with paprika and dumplings), salad of pickled everything, and Hungarian beer.
Lángos, a Hungarian comfort food.
The classic Lángos: Fried bread, sour cream, bacon, cheese, and red onion.
Colorful, fresh food presented in comfortable, inviting old world elegance that caters to both locals and tourists…
The freshest food anywhere all under one roof…
Nothing wasted.
Paprika, all you want!
Kolbász, Gulyásleves, Cheese Pastry, and Hungarian beer at Fakanál (wooden spoon) Etterem Restaurant upstairs in Great Market Hall
Cafe Intenso, Kalvin Ter (Calvin Square)…
Hungarian Menu (Hint: “Leves” means soup, “Levesek” is plural)
Czirkeleves (Chicken soup)
Hungarian wine is a well-kept secret. Here’s an Egri (literally, of Eger) Pinot Noir.
Tasty Mexican, Italian, Greek, Thai, and Vietnamese eateries are not hard to find…
Reading the bilingual menus is a fun way to pick up a few words in Hungarian!
The very first McDonald’s behind the Iron Curtain.
No worries. They speak enough English inside.
Eszterhazy torta and a cappuccino
Do you see the inverted beer price? (Soproni means “of Sopron”. .. Sopron is a city in Western Hungary)
Egészségedre! (To your health!)
Palacsinta (Hungarian crepes) for dessert
Pálinka (Hungarian fruit brandy)
Best seat in the house at Jack Doyle’s, my favorite bar in the whole world because of the welcoming owners and delightful, engaging, and inspiring international staff and clientele. (I’ve learned countless life lessons over the years while sitting on this very spot).
Having some fun with Bob and Sandor at Jack Doyle’s
Painting pieces of cracked sidewalk used the four color theorem is one of the calling cards of the (in)famous Hungarian Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (Magyar Kétfarkú Kutya Párt).
Frank plans to do a separate post to share his experiences with MKKP… which includes some history, their “Did You Know?” campaign, and finding and introducing himself to one of the founders.
A collection of images of the serious side of Budapest–an inadequate attempt to convey the depth of destruction and misery inflicted by the Nazis and Soviets, to preserve the memories of countless victims of the Holocaust, to honor the 1956 freedom fighters, and to shine a shaming light on the authoritarian regime of Viktor Orbán this very day.
*** Warning: Disturbing Images Below ***
Thumbnail History of the Holocaust and Hungary
It’s a tragic and shameful fact that the Hungarian government allied with Nazi Germany during World War II. This led to the forced unemployment, displacement, dispossession, segregation, deportation, forced labor, and systematic extermination of the majority of Hungary’s Jewish population. By the end of the war over 600,000 Hungarian Jews had been killed (10% of all European Jews who perished in the Holocaust).
It’s a little known fact that Hungarian Jews were the single largest group of victims deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. In fact, over the course of eight weeks in 1944 alone over 440,000 Hungarian Jews were sent there. Upon arrival, over 350,000 of those innocent human beings of every age were murdered in the gas chambers. (see Frank’s heartbreaking post: Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial).
Try to imagine 70,000 dispossessed, terrified human beings crammed into one square mile without food, heat, communications, or sanitation.
The Citadel on Gellert Hill is home to a war museum that showcases photographs of the utter destruction inflicted by the allies on Budapest during World War II…
The Great Synagogue in Budapest is the largest synagogue in Europe…
The small cemetery memorializes the over half a million Hungarian Jews exterminated by the Nazis.
The Tree of Life, in the courtyard behind, is a particularly moving memorial.
Take a moment to read the names of real human beings inscribed on each and every leaf.
Memorial to Raoul Wallenberg and other Righteous Among the Nations. (Raoul Wallenberg, working at the Swedish mission in Budapest, used his position to issue special passes that saved the lives of thousands of Budapest’s Jews.)
Holocaust Memorial Plaques
Memorial plaques to countless Holocaust victims can be found in front of current residences all around the city…
Shoes on the Danube
The Arrow Cross, Hungary’s fascist, antisemitic regime murdered thousands of Jews on the banks of the Danube.
A simple, sobering reminder in the current ruins of the Jewish Quarter.
Terror House, a memorial museum dedicated to the victims of the Nazi and Soviet regimes…
Many freedom fighters were interrogated, tortured, or killed in this very building…
One name is of particular note: Nagy Imre. Imre Nagy served as “Prime Minister” of Soviet-allied Hungary from 1953 to 1955, but eventually grew to advocate for democratic reforms that opposed the repressive Stalinist policies of the time. After being ousted from his position, he played a key role leading the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a popular uprising against the communist government. Although the revolution was ultimately crushed and Nagy executed for treason, Imre Nagy is now widely viewed as a champion for freedom and democracy.
The Nagy Imre Monument in it’s original location overlooking Parliament.
Unsurprisingly the authoritarian Orbán regime has since moved the Nagy Imre Memorial from its conspicuous, inspiring location overlooking the Hungarian Parliament to an inconspicuous location near Margaret Bridge.
Built in 2014 (during the Orbán regime) at the southern end of Liberty Square, ostensibly to remember the victims of the Nazi takeover of Hungary in 1944…
The archangel Gabriel, representing Hungary, being attacked by a German eagle with the year 1944 on its ankle. A plaque below reads: “In memory of the victims.”… but this is not without controversy…
Jewish groups have criticized the memorial as an attempt by the Hungarian government to blame all the suffering of World War II and the Holocaust on Germany… denying the complicity of the Hungarians who profited and still have not been brought to justice.
Take a moment to read all the heartbreaking, gut wrenching, and infuriating messages.
One of the messages left nearby… another of countless indictments of Orbán’s authoritarianism.
Monument to the Soviet Red Army in Liberty Square…
Some locals see it as giving the finger to the US Embassy nearby. Over the years, it’s be protected by fencing on and off in order to discourage people from peeing on it.
There are essentially no services available for those with behavioral health problems. (Frank has seen things there that he dared not photograph and will never talk about).
In February 2016, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that the Hungarian government would hold a referendum on whether to accept the European Union’s proposed mandatory quotas for relocating migrants in response to the European Migrant Crisis. Orbán argued that the quota system defined by the EU would damage Hungary’s (and Europe’s) ethnic, cultural and religious identity and that Brussels had no right to impose such on any EU member.
Giant poster that reads: “Let’s vote No!” (against accepting quotas)
Interestingly, although 98% of those who voted voted “No”, the turnout was so low that the vote was invalid according to the Hungarian constitution. I will leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions.
Alas, Viktor Orbán and his ilk have turned back the clock on Hungarian democracy by 35 years.
“Orbán eats caviar for dinner. And you?” And someone responds: “Nothing.” (It’s no surprise that this message was painted over by the time I visited again the very next day.)
Loosely speaking: “Viktor Orbán is a self-awareness tool.” (Frank’s interpretation is that Orbán’s self-interest is just a reflection of the self-interest of those who voted him in, so some serious self-reflection might be in order on their part. Any Hungarians out their who have a different take? Thanks for educating me in advance.)
4 thoughts on “Budapest Photo Essay: A Deep Dive into Every Nook and Cranny”
Excellent, as always, Frank. When I was doing oral histories and writing for the Chicago Symphony, I interviewed one of the Jews saved by Wallenberg, Victor Aitay. He was the orchestra’s concertmaster for a time.
Our conversation focused on the CSO’s Hungarian music director, George Solti. Aitay would not say much about his own wartime experience.
This was not remarkable. Many Holocaust survivors only opened up when the were close to death. Solti had his own story, but happened to be in Switzerland when WII began. His mother wired him, “Don’t come home.”
Thanks for appreciating the sobering messages, Gerald…
And for sharing your personal connection with Victor Aitay and the George Solti story. I can’t image the heartbreak and horror of the countless life and death decisions that were made by so many innocent people as the Nazis encroached.
Excellent, as always, Frank. When I was doing oral histories and writing for the Chicago Symphony, I interviewed one of the Jews saved by Wallenberg, Victor Aitay. He was the orchestra’s concertmaster for a time.
Our conversation focused on the CSO’s Hungarian music director, George Solti. Aitay would not say much about his own wartime experience.
This was not remarkable. Many Holocaust survivors only opened up when the were close to death. Solti had his own story, but happened to be in Switzerland when WII began. His mother wired him, “Don’t come home.”
Thanks for appreciating the sobering messages, Gerald…
And for sharing your personal connection with Victor Aitay and the George Solti story. I can’t image the heartbreak and horror of the countless life and death decisions that were made by so many innocent people as the Nazis encroached.
All the best to you, old friend.
Important and painful history—bringing us into the tyranny of the present instituted by one of the US dictator’s favorite role models.
That beautiful image on the referendum poster is gut-wrenching.
Indeed, Annie. So painfully and infuriatingly bringing us to the tyranny of the present.
Keep on keepin’ on, old friend.