56th - 58th day (October 2nd, 2022 - October 4th, 2022)

I arrived in Budapest in the afternoon and made my way to the hostel. Right on the first street, it became apparent that Budapest is a very big city. The wide avenues remind me of Berlin and the grand buildings impress with their elegant stucco. Upon arriving at the hostel, I went to sleep first. In the afternoon, I went for a walk near the hostel. Whenever you turn a corner, Budapest wants to present you with a new architectural masterpiece. After my walk, I ran back to the hostel to get something to eat.

I met a nice French girl in the lobby and we decided to go for a drink. First, we went to a beer bar, but we found it a bit too expensive, so we quickly moved on and stumbled upon a cozy bar with regular prices. We quickly struck up a conversation with some Hungarians and they taught us the local toasts, which were more like tongue twisters, and we drank the night away together. After a few hours at the bar, we said goodbye to each other and took a walk through the city. We saw many impressive buildings and slowly made our way back to the hostel, but not before stopping at a small bar where we chatted with a group of Russians. We said goodbye at the hostel and went to sleep.

The next morning, after breakfast, I set off to explore the city properly. So, I walked towards the Danube. I never look up cities beforehand, so that the element of surprise remains. And Budapest did not disappoint. In front of me stood the neo-Gothic palace that houses the Parliament of Budapest, making me feel small and insignificant. I could have looked at the noble towers, white marble facades, and red domes all day, but I had to remind myself that I also wanted to see the rest of the city, so I continued on and crossed the Danube.

On the other side of the Danube, there was a small hill that overlooked the city, with a statue at the top lifting a feather into the air. So, I decided to climb up there. The ascent went through elegant staircases, past waterfalls and commanding statues. Upon reaching the top, I had a view over Budapest. I decided to continue my tour at the castle and descended the hill.

Upon arriving at the castle, I walked along the castle walls and enjoyed the view. I wandered around the castle courtyard and admired the fascinating fountains with their cast statues. I continued north, where I noticed a church tower. Through old tunnels, I reached the Fisherman's Bastion. I could hardly believe my eyes as the church tower loomed before me. With its bright facade and glowing red bricks, it is one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. In addition, the courtyard of the Bastion offers a wonderful view of the Parliament.

As I noticed that I was getting quite tired, I made my way back to the hostel along the Danube promenade. Here, I got another wonderful view of the Parliament from the other side. Upon arriving at the hostel, I lay down for a while.

In the evening, I met up with some peers for dinner and drinks. We met at a street food caravan and enjoyed our meal from the stands. Afterwards, we decided to try out the famous ruin bar. In the dilapidated building, many bars have found their home and the walls are covered with neon lights and fairy lights. Together with my group, which consisted of a Greek, an Englishman, and a Latvian, I went on to explore the city after a few beers and visited another bar before starting the journey back. Exhausted, I fell into my bed.

In the morning, I had to rush to catch my train, not because I overslept, but because I insisted on having breakfast at the hostel. I just made it to the train and took my seat for the long journey to Krakow.