Table of Contents
Day 50 Budapest Pause 2
I reset everything and hope to get things off to a good start. I move on to the lumpy Jewish district, which has great charm. Numerous restaurants, bars and boutiques are available here, day and night, so it’s well worth a visit 🙂
Then it’s off to the Parliament building to visit the interior. On the way, I pass a great bakery, Artizan, which has plenty of delicqcies to offer. Beautiful viennoiseries, some traditional, some more original, there’s something for everyone!
Arriving at the Parliament, I pass the thermometer to get in, yes! The visit is full of anecdotes. First with the history of the country in a self-guided tour room, then a tour of the building’s main rooms with a guide.
Historical Interlude to Hungary and Parliament
Hungary :
The conquest of the territory in 896, particularly the Hungarian Plain, occurred under the rule of Arpad and his associated tribes (whose imposing statues are in Heroes’ Square : Hősök tere).
Two centuries later, the first Catholic King of Hungary, Saint Stephen (Istvan), came to power, with his name given to the dominant cathedral on the Pest side.
After the Middle Ages and the reconquest from the Turks (here for couple of centuries), general assemblies were established where the Diet met in Pozsony (current Bratislava, still called by its Hungarian name). Thanks to Maria Theresa, Hungarians gained several rights despite the stronger Austrian influence, achieving some autonomy. Under Franz Joseph (Maria Theresa’s grandson) and Sissi in the 19th century, they enjoyed many privileges, explaining why Hungarians appreciate them in history.
After WWI’s defeat and the Treaty of Trianon, Hungary’s power diminished significantly, losing ⅔ of its territory and many people now living abroad. Similar to Germany, a sense of revenge grew, leading to the rise of the far-right and the Arrow Cross Party (Nazi allies during WWII). A symbol of this era are the bronze shoes along the Danube, commemorating Jews thrown into the river.
Then came Eastern Bloc domination and the Warsaw Pact. An era that many would like to forget, but some are still nostalgic about. In 1990, Hungary pledged to democracy, and Sopron, near Austria, became the first to allow East-to-West passage, with Germans planning for months a crossing to the West.
The Parliament :
Construction began in 1892 under Imre Steindl, intended to finish in 1896 for the 1000-year anniversary of Arpad’s conquest. It took nine extra years, but they set the Parliament and cathedral’s height to 96 meters, ensuring no building in Pest exceeded this. The Parliament is made from Hungarian materials (pre-Trianon territory of course).
Under the famous dome are statues of key Hungarian royalty and governance figures (Arpad, Stephen, Matthias, Maria Theresa, etc.), with the crown protected by a highly secured bell, not to be photographed. The crown, only worn for coronations, remains in pristine condition. The cross atop is tilted so no no one wishes to touch it further by feqr of breqking it. Many patterns seem to be coming after first cqtholic king St Stephen’s era therefore historians believe it’s more recent than his reign.
Another room features porcelain statues (from Zsolnay, cf day 46) representing various trades, reminding parliamentarians of whom they serve (a noble concept, though perhaps outdated on how politicians work nowadays). A quick tour also shows the president’s seat in the actual parliament room (he has little power compared to the Prime Minister).
I plan to visit the Fine Arts Museum tomorrow.
I take a short walk, but the illness lingers. Fortunately, the new law closing bars at 11 PM means I don’t miss much. Good thing I’m not too frustrated as a new law passed this week closes bars at 23:00, so I’m not missing much going home 😀
At the hostel, I meet a nice Irishman, Cormac, doing Workaway (working for lodging and some pay). We talk about bikes, football, and rugby (trashtlaking each other a bit of course 😛 ). He helped on an American farm near Szeged (southeast Hungary), a potential future adventure that I could think about. Time for sleep.
Day 51 Budapest Pause 3
Today is for Fine Arts, Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere) in Pest, and the Rudas baths in Buda. I admire the square as usual, with Arpad and his group at the center, flanked by museums (Fine Arts vs. 19th-century Contemporary Arts) and statues of former Hungarian kings. The serene surroundings include a Hogwarts-like castle and charming water bodies with also a nice Thermal Bath area.
Time to visit the Fine Arts before my illness reminds me of other concerns (no neeed for richer details). I then start to explore historical art movements from Antiquity through the Middle Ages to the Renaissance in the museum. A temporary section on Albrecht Dürer’s era in the Holy Roman Empire, particularly captivates me. It is showcasing crude Renaissance German art sketches and engravings. This period also saw Prague, not Vienna, as the Empire’s capital under Rudolf II.
After enriching my culture knowledge, I head to the Rudas baths for relaxation. The rooftop jacuzzi with a Danube view is excellent. Any baths in the city can be recommended, just checkout the price and your budget in advance and which days are ideal (weekends are more expensive of course).
As night falls, I seek fast food near the Jewish Quarter (several food trucks can give you good food) and a bar with an unexpected Rockabilly concert in a little underground bar (the singer nearly fell off the table with his guitar).
Physically, I’m not at 100%, hoping for improvement tomorrow for my departure from the magyars capital.
Day 52 Budapest to Leányfalu (33 km)
First, I enjoy a super brunch A la maison, then visit Buda in the morning.
The city is split by the Danube, with the western (left) bank being Buda, where the castle is located, an area that was more upscale in the past. The eastern (right) bank is Pest, which is more working-class (a bit like Prague if you think about it).
The hill with the castle is really stunning. I take the funicular to reach the castle because, honestly, I’m feeling lazy. I’m going to visit the famous Fisherman’s Bastion, which is free off-season – lucky me! St. Matthias Church is as beautiful as ever with its colorful tiles that form lovely patterns typical of Austro-Hungarian architecture.
I head back to the hotel, only to leave again at 16:00. I join the EuroVelo 6 route heading to Leányfalu.
Now, one of the best moments of the trip unfolds right in front of my eyes, completely unplanned. I’m running late to find a camping spot before nightfall. I’m trying to hurry and maybe eat a canned meal in my tent, when suddenly I spot a hot dog stand along the Danube that catches my eye. I think, “Well, this will do.” I sit down peacefully when a man, Roland, who’s pretty tipsy from some fine Hungarian ethanol, starts telling me his life story and asking about my trip. As I explain my situation, he tells me that he and his wife, who’s an actress, have been to Paris and that he knows Basel (the closest city to where I live) well because he’s a drummer and there’s a great shop there.
He goes to the bathroom, and that’s when Ákos calls me over, invites me to his table, and offers me a shot of their famous hungarian drink, Unicum. We barely talk for a minute before he asks if I’d like to stay at his place (if his girlfriend agrees of course :p ). My eyes widen in amazement – I thought getting an invitation to stay at a local’s house was no longer possible, but here someone appears just like that, right after my difficult days of illness (I’m feeling better today). So I immediately accept and end up having a fantastic evening with him and his girlfriend Katarina (Kata as a shorten version).
However, he lives up in the hills, and the road to push my bike over the cobblestones wasn’t the easiest. So, we take turns handling the task of pushing the beast. We get to their place, and Ákos explains that where I’ve parked my bike is where they hold their annual pig slaughter, and that we’ll taste sausage made from it. It’s a little bit gruesome, but also very interesting 🙂
We go through a bottle of red wine (Cabernet Franc) and a rosé, because why not? We talk about Hungarian history, French music that they like. They are really a nice and cute duo.
We speak about their careers, for instance, Ákos is now a developper but learned event management in the theater (a financial career choice – coding pays better than the stage haha). He’s also a huge fan of Serie A (Italian football league), especially Roma, and says everyone should hate Lazio 😛 Kata speaks French with a lovely accent and knows the bands Manau and Louise Attaque, which makes me smile – these kinds of unexpected references coming out of nowhere. We taste the small sausages, cheeses, and other pork products, which are very flavorful.
I deeply appreciate this moment, confirming why I started this journey. The exchange with real people from different cultures, where you feel both the differences and the similarities between us – what distances us and what connects us. I’m almost getting teary-eyed writing these words. A feeling of well-being overwhelms me – it’s amazing. It’s the sensation of being untouchable, with nothing to fear, difficult to describe.
However, it’s time to rest. The house up in the hills is really nice, and it’ll be great to sleep on this superb quality sofa bed. The tent will have to wait until tomorrow. I’m just dreading the steep descent down this hill tomorrow.
Day 53 Leányfalu to Győr (116 km)
A relaxed wake-up, sharing an omelet with Ákos who works from home. We enjoy our time while he has to go back to his online meetings for work. I prepare to leave, sneaking a departure message as usual.
Departing at 11:15 towards Visegrad and its hilltop fortress, then Slovakia, and finally Győr. Feeling light-hearted, I feel I’ve achieved almost all my travel goals, now it’s only bonus.
The climb to the fortress is tough for my quads but rewarding, with expansions dating to Matthias’ reign in the 15th century, the view is quite nice from the top. After a good meal and dessert back to the town, the intensifying rain signals autumn’s arrival (logical at the end of September).
Reaching Esztergom and the Slovakian border after a nice rain shower, the customs officer reluctantly lets me pass, making me swear I won’t return here (of course 😀 ).
I hurry along the Danube, not appreciating the Slovak region much, noticing its southern flatness similar to Hungary (eventhough the rest of the country should be full of mountains).
The rain returns as I cross another border back to Hungary after being blocked at Komarom/Komarno bridge for the first try, second worked out.. Looks like it’s really a matter of luck where you can easily cross or not.
I set up camp in an unused forest path, quickly heating dinner before the rain resumes. It’s time for rest, hoping for better weather tomorrow.
Day 54 Győr to Šamorín (SK) (98 km)
I wake up early at 7:30 to aim for Győr in time and hope to reach Bratislava in the evening. The route is quite terrible, with barely passable roads, poorly marked EuroVelo paths, and the Komoot app directing me onto very unpleasant national roads. Anyway, I arrive in Győr to have a meal and stop by a bakery. The city is nice but nothing extraordinary. I use up all my cash in Forints, keeping only a few coins as souvenirs.
I cross the Hungarian/Slovak border one last time to follow the Danube, and what a pleasure… NO! The headwind is horrible, requiring the same effort to go 15 km/h on this stretch as it does to pedal at 23-25 km/h in normal conditions. After 3 hours, I decide to take several breaks and try to follow other paths that might be less affected by the wind, but nothing works; it’s unavoidable. I can’t stick to my schedule, and night falls 35 kilometers from Bratislava, so I’ll have to pitch the tent somewhere downstream of the Danube.
I first pass through Šamorín and its Olympic village, which seems to have nice facilities for athletes, it looks cool. A gentleman guides me out of the complex easily. I’ll have a morning view of the beautiful blue Danube (not at all, it’s all brown/military green with these torrential rains). Alright, see you tomorrow.
Day 55 Šamorín to Bratislava (25 km)
Finally reaching Bratislava (25 km), departing at 9:30. The relentless wind still slows me down, testing my mental endurance. Despite frustrations, I push through. Sometimes I can even start screaming and shouting to release some inner anger; quite one of the challenge of solo bicycle travelling. Getting crazy sometimes 😛
Entering the city, we feel we are back in EU with Euro owning countries, prices rise, a stark contrast to my previous four countries, and won’t improve in Germanic countries.
Bratislava, a relatively new capital, has charm with its hilltop castle revamped by Maria Theresa in Baroque/Rococo style. The architecture of the city center mirrors Hungarian cities, as Bratislava (former Pozsony and Pressburg) was once Hungary’s capital.
The city feels similar to Basel (but little less rich of course), with its human scale, a large river marking its border with 2 nearby countries, and a quaint, lively downtown.
I settle at the hostel (Urban Elephant) and enjoy their €5 meal. On September’s last day, they organize a final Pub Crawl before bars closing pass from midnight to 22:00 due to new regulations from the very next day.
I meet interesting people, including Magnus from Iceland, learning French, Carole, a somewhat lost French hostel worker, and mainly Arber, an Italo-Albanian from Bologna, a future doctor. Politically left-leaning, we discuss communism, NATO, and Kosovo amid the bar’s noise and drinks. Despite the blurriness of details, it’s an engaging conversation. After gintonics, we move to the partner “wilder” hostel, as you can guess, the Wild Elephant, for unexpected bar games. Realizing the next day’s ride to Vienna while half falling asleep on the sofa, I head back to my hostel for rest (at 01-02:00).
Day 56 Bratislava to Vienna (AT) (65 km)
Before leaving, I quickly visit the city’s somewhat hidden blue church. It’s really pretty, with a very atypical style that you don’t often see; it almost looks like Gaudi could have passed by to build this, a sort of special Art Nouveau. As the weather becomes fresher every day, I head to Decathlon to find gloves and long cycling shorts to protect my hands and calves from the coming cold.
I depart at noon after having a pizza at Hamšik Pizzeria (LOL, like the Slovak footballer who plays in Naples). It was okay but nothing special, casual tourist trap in the very center.
I arrive in Vienna at 18:00, the journey was pleasant with a city featuring a perched castle and following the Danube was enjoyable this time.
At the hostel, I meet a 19-year-old German from Frankfurt traveling alone, very brave for someone so young, but it’s a common practice for Germans to take a gap year before starting higher education. Then, I meet Marco, who is aiming for Istanbul by bike. You can immediately see the difference in concerns regarding belongings. After two months, I’ve learned to be less meticulous, while he is much more conscientious and cautious about securing everything, which is amusing to observe.
I go out for a quick dinner and bar outing, but nothing special. I plan to visit the city leisurely tomorrow. The Viennese and Austrian adventure will start next week.