September 9th – 22nd 2025
Eger, Tokaj, Kosice in Slovakia, Debrecen, and Budapest

Introduction and Background Information

The people of Hungary are proud of their country, their heritage, their culture, and their foods. Museums, churches, castles, wineries and distilleries, beautiful vistas, and so much more were an integral part of this amazing tour. With only eight people who chose this tour, the opportunity to develop interesting conversations and share common experiences became a reality. Half of our group could speak Hungarian, and this tour quickly became an immersion into the culture and essence of Hungary, a unique travel experience.

Hungary’s turbulent history began around 13 BC when Romans created a settlement on the west bank of the Danube River while nomadic tribes occupied the east. In 896 AD, seven Magyar tribes crossed the Carpathian Mountains and invaded the Hungarian plains. In 1000, King Stephen was crowned and made Hungary a centralized, Christian state. Hapsburg troops recaptured Buda in 1686. That turbulent history included becoming a Bolshevik republic, shrunk with the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, entered WWII as a German ally, was occupied by Germany, deported most of its Jewish population in 1944, and became socialist under the Soviet Union. Rebellion against communists was crushed in 1956, but by 1989 opened its borders to Austria and the Iron Curtain began to lift. Their patriotism and desire for freedom has deep roots that frequently surfaced with pride during our visit.

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Within much of the Carpathian Basin, Hungary is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Austria to the west, Croatia and Slovenia to the southwest, Serbia to the south, Romania to the east and southeast, and Ukraine to the northeast. Hungary lies within the drainage basin of the Danube River and is dominated by great lowland plains.

Eger

Our tour began when Andrea Tordai, Tour Manager, met everyone at Budapest Airport: from Indiana, Agnes Chervenak and niece Aggie DeRolf, from Michigan, Linda Enyedy and granddaughter Lexi Enyedy Dewitt, from Texas, Rick and Bea Martinez and from Pennsylvania, Dolores Soltes and Richard Soltesz. As Andrea gave us a summary of the tour, she brought out a bottle of blueberry pálinka and a box of pogácsa explaining that this is the typical greeting to guests in Hungary.

Wednesday 9/10, we were up early for a buffet breakfast in the hotel. Our group gathered at 9 am for a city tour of Eger. We first went to Eger Castle, a Medieval Castle, toured the Bishops Palace Museum, the ruins of the Romanesque Cathedral, watched a demonstration of a very old rifle and went through the Underground Corridors. We watched an amazing movie about how, in 1552, the defenders of the Castle, just 2000 soldiers, assisted by the women of the town, held out for six weeks against a Turkish Force five times that size.

After some free time, we went to the Basilica, Eger Cathedral, the 2nd largest church in Hungary. Standing in front of the Cathedral and looking at the colonnaded façade, your eyes were drawn to the gargantuan statues looming over the top representing Faith, Hope and Charity. The inside was astonishingly beautiful. The cupola was decorated with frescoes of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Cathedral also had Hungary’s largest pipe organ.
We left there and traveled to the Júhasz Winery for wine tasting with a cheese plate. It was a very nice wine cellar, and we sampled three white and three red wines. Everyone was joyful as we left and some sang Hungarian songs on the ride back to the hotel despite the drizzling rain. We enjoyed a buffet dinner at the hotel.

The next morning, after some severe overnight storms that required some schedule adjustments, our group traveled to the Matyó Museum in Mezőkövesd. The museum was fascinating with lots of magnificent, embroidered items and interesting displays. Andrea predicted that the Museum was an exciting preview of our visit to the village of Tard.

That afternoon, we visited the famous Lipizzaner stud and Lipizzaner Breed History Exhibition in Szilvásvárad. Once there, we boarded a horse drawn carriage and traveled to the pasture where the younger horses, mares and colts grazed. The wagon ride was good but bumpy when we got off -road and into a field to the pasture. There were over 50 horses; some were huge, and they were guided to the fence near us by a Hungarian cowboy. Back to the stable, we met the most famous stud who was a huge 30-year-old stallion (30×4 = 120 in horse years). We ended with a tour of the Lipizzaner Breed History Exhibition.

Tard and Tokaj

Friday 9/12, we were on the road to Tard, a traditional Matyó village. The drive there was very nice; the roads were great with lots of green trees, hills and roundabouts. When we arrived in Tard, we were met by our local host, Rozi, who greeted each one of us as we got off the bus. She escorted us around the back of the bus to two ladies, one holding a large tray with shot glasses of pálinka, the other in full Matyó costume with a basket of pogácsa, Hungarian cheese biscuits, for a traditional Hungarian greeting. We walked through their yard, some of us tasting the grapes growing on a grapevine, to the back patio and sat on long homemade benches along a very large table. As we were served a glass of red raspberry juice, Rozi told us about how the ladies of Matyó embroidered for themselves and customers with their own business, Matyodesign.

We walked over to their workshop and saw one side where they made the articles of clothing and the other side where they did embroidery designs. Our tour ladies sat around a table and were given a small piece of fabric with a flower stencil on it to embroider. This was a great opportunity for the Matyó ladies to show us and monitor us as we worked on our project. They even gave us extra thread to finish our embroidery later because it was lunchtime. But we did take time to shop and bought beautifully embroidered clothing. We walked back to Rozi’s home where there were five ladies helping in the kitchen and serving us traditional Hungarian gulyas soup and homemade bread…delicious! Red raspberry juice…delightful! And for dessert, apple pie which was made like a square almost like cobbler…absolutely delectable! After lunch, the table was cleared and we watched as one of the grandmas rolled out dough. We were given wooden ridged blocks and a rolling stick, and we made small “seashell noodles”. The noodles in Hungarian are csiga/csigateszta which translates to “snail noodles”.

When we finished making noodles, we walked down to the Church which was small but stately and ornate. The flower garden was beautiful and had a bell for communicating with the village. From the Church we walked to the Community Center and were greeted by three ladies in full costume who took to the stage and sang three songs in Hungarian and also danced. One lady picked Lexi to dance with her and she was amazed that she could csardas (the national dance of Hungary and regarded as the most important Hungarian folk dance). We toured the house next to the Community Center which was like a museum. The Matyó ladies dressed Lexi up in full costume and took pictures with her. Then we went next door to one of the oldest houses that still had a dirt floor. We went to a third house and the ladies dressed Rick up in full men’s costume and took pictures with him. Everyone enjoyed the fun and laughter. But it was time to say goodbye and go on to Tokaj. It was a most delightful day. Rozi said that the ladies would talk about this day for weeks as they enjoyed our visit too.

The drive to Tokaj took an hour and a half and we passed many vineyards as well as acres of sunflowers. There were several round-abouts on this road. There was also a part of the road that was playing a song. The road (Route 37 near Szerencs) uses special grooves to play a melody when driven over at a specific speed. Really cool! Coming into Tokaj, Andrea pointed out the stork nests on top of light poles. The nests were really big.

When we reached our hotel, the streets were crowded for the Tokaj Music Festival with several bands playing down main street in every other block. The band outside our hotel was heavy metal, very loud and played until 10pm. Several of us enjoyed some local food, then walked down the street to listen and enjoy several bands. The best by far, was a band called Rover for their rendition of “I Will Survive”, with the crowd singing along and dancing.

Saturday 9/13, our group met at 9 am and had a morning walking tour of Tokaj, down main street, through a construction area and onto the town square. The history of the buildings around the town square during past conflicts was most interesting.

We boarded our bus and then rode to Tarcal, a small village on the eastern edge of Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County, Northern Hungary. What a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. Six of us took a tram taxi to the top of a hill while Lexi, Andrea and her husband George walked up the 500 m steep climb. At the top of that hill stood the nearly 28-foot (8.5 m) very large Blessing Christ Statue that overlooked the entire area in every direction. The view from the top was simply breathtaking.

We headed down and onto the bus for the ride back to Tokaj and a pontoon boat cruise that began at the confluence of the Bodrog River and the Tisza River for an hour cruise. The Bodrog River is a tributary of the Tisza River which eventually flows into the Danube and onto the Black Sea. It was a beautiful day with pleasant temperatures and lots of sun. Along the very relaxing cruise we saw fish and birds and water lilies and water pumpkins.

After lunch, we headed for the Hercegkut Wine village. Hercegkut is a picturesque wine village in Hungary’s Tokaj wine region, famous for its historic, UNESCO-listed wine cellars carved into the hillsides. These 18th and 19th-century cellars, featuring distinctive triangular entrances, were used for aging wine. Our tour took us down into one of these unique wine cellars for wine tasting. The Wine Steward gave an extensive explanation of each wine noting that the Tokaj area is on volcanic hills rich in minerals and he focused on how the Tokaj Aszu is made. We tasted eight wines, sweet and dry and ended with a shot of elderberry pálinka. As we were leaving the wine village, we stopped by a church to watch the procession of a bridal party into the church.

We went back to the hotel to “dress up” and were off again to the Sauska Wine Restaurant that is nestled in Hungary’s UNESCO-protected Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region. Their facility has a breathtaking appearance on a hill hovering above the vineyards, the architecture is exceptional and the wine processing equipment is equipped with state-of-the-art controls. We were greeted with “sparkling wine” (champagne) and a tour of the winery. Our three-course exceptional dinner was accompanied by three white wines, each served in a different glass labeled with the type of wine. Truly worthy of their Michelin-rating Restaurant.

Sunday 9/14, we went to the Karolyi Mansion in Fuzerradvanany. This originally was a palace in the 14th century and was rebuilt from 1857-1859. During the tenure of Count Istvan Karolyi, between 1936-1938, the building was converted into a luxurious palace hotel with suites, and tennis, ski and golf courses, as well as a pool and was operated by the family until 1948. Following the 1949 nationalization, the Russian regime turned it into first a hospital then an orphanage and a nursing home. The historical restoration of the complex and its development into a tourist attraction took place between 2018 and 2021. The huge park belonging to the mansion is special as it was designed by the main gardener of Napoleon III, and since 1975 it has been a nature reserve, a botanical garden, the most beautiful and largest park in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county.

This building had ornate rooms and lots of animals hanging on the walls. The grounds outside were amazing, truly a palace!

We left the Karolyi Mansion and went to lunch at Étterem Smaragdvölgy, a culinary gem located in the picturesque town of Sátoraljaújhely, Hungary. This restaurant invites you to indulge in a rich tapestry of Hungarian cuisine, emphasizing locally sourced ingredients and traditional recipes. We had soup and shared platters of chicken wings, cheese, rice and French fries; a delightful lunch in a cozy restaurant overlooking a lake.

We arrived at the Rakoczy Castle around 4 pm and had 2 hours to tour before it closed. The outside was spectacular including a moat which was dry and grass covered. The artwork and exhibits inside were outstanding BUT no picture taking was allowed. Only one exhibit on the 2nd floor permitted photos and this private collection had centuries of history and artifacts with swords, knives and knights. On our ride back to Tokaj, parts of the highway were flooded with muddy water. It was difficult to see from the torrential rain and fog. We got back to Tokaj in just a drizzle of rain and were glad to be “home” safely.

Day Trip to Kosice, Slovakia

Monday 9/15 after a buffet breakfast, we were on the bus at 9:30 am and headed for a day trip to Slovakia. There were miles and miles of grapevines and acres of dying sunflowers. We crossed over the border with no stops or border guards, arriving in Kassa/Kosice at 11am. It was a beautiful day; sky was blue with a few wispy clouds. Kosice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia, close to the Hungarian border. Haven namaste, the main square, is home to two Gothic churches: the huge St. Elisabeth Cathedral and the 14th-century St. Michael Chapel. Nearby, St. Urban’s Tower contains a museum of wax figurines. Mass was being said at the Cathedral, so we walked through a park to the Singing Fountain, a dancing water fountain with music accompaniment, very relaxing and beautiful. Most stores were closed due to the Day Honoring Mary of Sorrows. Slovakia is over 50% Catholic and very religious. The Cathedral of St. Elizabeth is the largest church in Slovakia, (“old” Hungary) with a total area of 1,200 square meters (13,000 sq. ft) and a capacity of more than 5,000 people.

The main altar of Saint Elisabeth was built between 1474 and 1477 and is ranked among the most remarkable pieces of medieval art in Slovakia. There are 10 altars inside the Cathedral. The windows, wall frescos, sculptures and the pipe organ are awe inspiring. Beside the north wall of the dome, a crypt was built in 1906 for the remains of Francis II Rákoczi, Hungarian nobleman and Prince of Transylvania, and his family and favored friends. The crypt and the four stone sarcophagi were designed by professor Frigyes Schulek from Budapest. This visit to St. Elisabeth Cathedral could leave one speechless, truly an amazing piece of work.

Lunchtime found us sitting outside at an authentic Slovak pub, karczma MLYN. Many ingredients came from local farmers, for example, roast pork ribs, sausage or presswurst. We enjoyed gnocchi, sauerkraut, ribs, bacon and beer. Great lunch! We walked back to our bus that just happened to be parked right in front of Gelato Fratelli. Who doesn’t have room for ice cream? Lots of great flavors scooped up by all. Then on to the bus and back to Tokaj.

In Tokaj, we stopped at the Soltesz Csalada Pince Winery established in 1990. Andrea told us that she found this winery with our name and said we would be stopping there. When we got there, it was closed but the neighbor called the owner and said he had visitors from the USA. He was harvesting grapes and brought a large tray of grapes when he came to open his winery. Although he spoke no English and we no Hungarian, Andrea translated for us. His name is Louis (Lajos) and according to The Wines of Hungary, his post says: “Our family winery grew out of our heritage as several of our vineyards were inherited from our grandparents and parents. Today we grow grapes on four hectares in five vineyards all located close to our home village of Tolcsva in the center of the Tokaj Wine Region. We cultivate the land carefully, tending the vines to enable them to bring the best quality grapes for us to make wines we love.” According to Trip Advisor, it is “One of the best family wine-cellar in this region.” The wines in his winery are white, some dry and some sweet. We did sample both. And of course, we did buy some wine. This was a super end to a wonderful day.

Tuesday 9/16, after our buffet breakfast and check out of the hotel, our first destination was Sosto. The Museum village of Sosto is the biggest regional open-air ethnographic museum in Hungary. A complete village of multiple small homes designed in the distinctive styles of Transylvania, Upper Hungary, and the Great Plain were moved here and rebuilt from all over “Old” Hungary, saving them from destruction. Around 100 objects form an authentic settlement concerning the buildings and structure. The living quarters and the barns built in the yards are accompanied with several other smaller structures. Just like in real villages, the cemetery is also present along with the gypsy buildings at the end of the village. It was very interesting to see and hear the history behind the museum. Alas, dark clouds were forming and looming closer. We got back to the bus as it started to rain.

We had one more stop on the way to Debrecen; a traditional pálinka distillery in Érpatak for pálinka tasting and lunch.

The Zsindelyes Pálinka Distillery is well-known throughout Hungary. It began as a family business in 1984 and is famous for its high-quality pálinka, which can be learned about and sampled at their museum-like tasting house. The distillery’s name, meaning “shingle” in English, reflects the traditional roof material of the region and highlights their commitment to traditional pálinka production. We were met by the owner and taken on an extensive tour of the distillery. There were rooms with multiple awards, as well.

The area around the distillery was a village of small cottages, a church, a schoolhouse and a community room. After touring the area, we sat at a long table in the community room for pálinka tasting. We sampled four kinds of pálinka: apple, sour cherry, plum and quince. It is a very strong, brandy-like drink and baskets of pogácsa were on the table to eat during and between each sample. We also had sour cherry juice and water to drink. After the sampling, we had a late lunch of duck, potatoes and coleslaw. Very good! The owner gave each of us a pálinka glass with lid to take as a remembrance. Following lunch, we walked down to the pálinka market but there were no small bottles of pálinka to buy. It was starting to rain again, and we got back on the bus heading for Debrecen. Most everyone slept on the 1 hour and 45-minute ride.

Debrecen

Late Tuesday 9/16, we arrived for an early evening check-in at our hotel in Debrecen. So tired. The elevator only worked with a room key. The shower had no door on it. Crazy art was on the wall of a dark misty seascape with a dozen turquoise beetles crawling up the picture. Gross!

Wednesday 9/17, after a good night’s sleep, our group met at 9:00 and walked to the City Center Square. It was a cool 54 degrees but sunny. We walked across the square to a very large-columned church with two towers.
The Great Calvinist Church in Debrecen is a neoclassical building and a major symbol of the city and the Hungarian Reformed Community. It is the largest Reformed church in Hungary by floor area and has hosted significant historical events, such as Lajos Kossuth reading the Declaration of Independence in 1849. The church is a national monument, constructed between 1805 and 1827, and can seat nearly 2,000 people. The inside was very plain, white walls with no artwork. At the front was a large wooden altar and above it on a second level was the very large pipe organ with 4,258 pipes. We were taken behind the scenes of the second floor where there was a gallery of large paintings. Then we took an elevator to the 6th floor attic and saw the back of the clock that was centered above the outside columns. Our guide then took us up a steep, skinny 27-step staircase into the right tower and we were able to walk on the roof between the two towers for an amazing view of the city. That was awesome!

We walked to the Deri Museum which is most famous for being the home of the greatest works of one of Hungary’s most famous and celebrated artists, Mihály Munkácsy as well as the huge collection of other items, brought together by Frigyes Déri.
Munkácsy’s awe-inspiring Christ Trilogy is housed here. The first of the trilogy, entitled Front of Pilate was painted in 1882, followed by Golgotha in 1884. The trilogy was completed with Ecce Homo in 1896.

In addition to its exhibits of local cultural interest, the Déri Museum has become renowned for Frigyes Déri’s collection of weapons. The weapons collection is particularly fine, comprising of three parts. Weapons from Christian Europe, from the 15-18th Century. The second part is comprised of classic Muslim weapons from the territory of the Ottoman Empire and Persia. The third part, although the smallest is the finest part, is the weapons collection from the Far East. It was amazing that one man could collect so many historical weapons.

When our group left the museum, we all went our separate ways. Some of us went to the “Beer & Wurst” for lunch and enjoyed bratwurst, sauerkraut, potatoes and beer. Good lunch!
Back at the hotel we met for an optional tour to Nagyerdo Park, the Great Forest of Debrecen. We walked to the City Center Square and got on a tram (streetcar) to the park. At one stop along the way, an official got on and checked everyone’s ID / passport. Apparently, that is done routinely. The Park offers total peace and quiet in the shade of hundred-year-old trees as well as countless options such as a lake with three water fountains, an amphitheater for outdoor concerts, a “wasp garage”, and fallen fruit that looked like tennis balls and multiple sculptures. We finished the walk in the park and crossed the street to the University of Debrecen. Watching all of the activities that encompasses a busy University campus can be a fascinating pastime.

That evening, we went to a local Hungarian restaurant, “The Flask” (Flaska Vendeglo) with a wonderful, cozy, warm and rustic charm. We enjoyed Veal Paprikas and dumplings and for dessert, nut-filled palacsinta with chocolate sauce with rum flambe. Wow…exciting! A very delightful relaxing evening was enjoyed by all.

Thursday 9/18, after our buffet breakfast, we enjoyed a full-day excursion to the Hortobagy National Park. The park features several visitor centers and museums with interactive elements designed to introduce visitors to the natural and cultural heritage of the Hungarian Puszta. We visited the Hortobágyi Pásztormúzeum (Herdsmen Museum). This museum, a valuable cultural stop, is noted for having “many interactive presentations” that provide insight into the traditional life and practices of the Puszta herdsmen. Then we went to the Hortobágy National Park Visitor Centre. The exhibition on the ground floor displays the Nature of Hortobágy with its rich flora and fauna. On the first floor of the Nature of Hortobágy Exhibition can be found the World of Cranes – In the footsteps of wanderer’s interactive exhibition. The crane is the symbol of Hortobágy National Park. This exhibition presents this special bird and its relatives living in five continents with the help of interactive devices.

The museums were filled with a lot of information about folklore and cultural history. We learned about the Nine-Hole Bridge. The Nine-arched Bridge is the most identifiable symbol of the Hortobágy National Park, Hungary’s great plain. This arch bridge was the longest road-stone bridge in historic Hungary prior to 1921 when Hungary was reduced to one-third of its former territory.

Looking forward to lunch, we walked over to the Hungarian Restaurant, Hortobágyi Csárda and had an outdoor lunch on a beautiful day: our thirst quenched with raspberry lemonade; appetizer was palascinta filled with ground meat in paprika sauce with sour cream; entree; of a large bowl of gray cattle gulyas (gray cattle meat, potato, carrots, parsnips, dumplings and hot paprika) and homemade bread; dessert of vanilla custard pudding with meringue. Everything was delicious, great food, great company!

After lunch we looked around the restaurant, a museum in itself, then we walked over to a shopping area and bought some items. We re-gathered to meet a master of black pottery then took the bus to the stables to experience the real atmosphere of the

Hortobagy Puszta on a horse-drawn carriage.

The cultural landscape of the Hortobágy Puszta consists of a vast area of plains and wetlands in eastern Hungary. Traditional forms of land use, such as the grazing of domestic animals, have been present in this pastoral society for more than two millennia. We climbed up onto a large horse-drawn carriage and headed out into the Pusta where we would be making five stops. We were in awe of the one csikos (mounted herdsman) standing with one foot on each of two side-by-side horses with three more horses in front of them, galloping around our two carriages. Amazing! We saw the flowing racka sheep herded by sheep dogs into their barn. We saw the resting grey cattle herd grazing in their original environment. Then we were entertained by a group of three horseman, csikos, in action. They galloped around our carriages several times while cracking a whip. Then they stopped and demonstrated how the horses laid down and the csikos stood on the shoulders of the horses and swung the whip around in a circular motion. We were permitted to get off the large carriage wagon while the csikos did two more tricks. We were allowed to go up to the horses and the horsemen to talk to and to take pictures. We boarded the carriage to continue our very bumpy ride across the puszta. We saw a small herd of wallowing water buffalo brought from China. Impressive. We rode the wagon carriage back to the stable on a very bumpy part of the trail.

While waiting there, we saw a beautiful white carriage drawn by two white horses. Their passengers, a bride and groom, had just gotten married in the park. When everyone was back on the bus, pálinka was passed around. We felt like we needed it after that really bumpy wagon ride. Most of us fell asleep on the ride back to the hotel.

The rest of the evening was free for resting and packing for tomorrow, as we would leave for Budapest in the morning.

Friday 9/19, we were up early for breakfast in the Debrecen hotel. We checked out and boarded the bus for Budapest. We arrived at Hollókő; a UNESCO World Heritage village isolated on a Cserhát mountain side about an hour from Budapest. Its name means “Raven-stone” in English and at the highway entrance there is a sculpture of a raven on a large bolder. The Old Village of Hollókő is a Palócz settlement located in the County of Nógrád in Northern Hungary, Northeast of Budapest. The Old Village, which has been deliberately preserved, is a living example of rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th century. In this one-street village, subsequent generations built their houses at the back of the narrow family plots, thus progressively enlarging the built-up area. The barns were built apart from the village, on the edges of the fields, according to Palócz custom. We visited a jewelry store and a school toy store before entering the Muskátli Vendéglő restaurant. We had a great lunch of gulyás soup, potato dumplings with sheep milk cheese and bacon bits, but too much to finish. We walked around the village, visited the church, and as we climbed up the hill, enjoyed the sound of bells set up as a wind chime. Back to the bus and on to Budapest.

We arrived in Budapest at our hotel, got settled in our rooms and went out to explore the area with our free time. Several of us enjoyed chimney cakes while others chose to enjoy dinner at an Italian restaurant not far away.

Saturday 9/20 after breakfast, we met Dahlia from Eurovip tours in the lobby and proceeded to walk a “short” distance to the bus stop to catch Public Bus #16 to the Castle District that crowns the hilly west bank of the Buda side of Budapest. This area is packed with historic sites and is famous for its splendid vistas. The medieval Old Town on Budapest’s Castle Hill is a blend of old city charm and mass tourism. A festival was going on and Trinity Square was crowded with tourists and groups in full Hungarian costumes awaiting their turn to entertain on stage.

The Church of Our Lady, more commonly known as Matthias Church is one of the most iconic and well-known landmarks of the Castle district, looking stately with colorful tiles covering the roof. There is a dress code to tour inside the church; shoulders must be covered and men must not wear hats. First impression – breathtakingly ornate. The floor-to-ceiling frescos and impressive stained-glass windows were amazing. We climbed a circular stairway to the area where nobility attended mass, and we saw a view of the entire church.

After leaving Matthias Church, we walked over to Fisherman’s Bastion. The bastion is believed to be named after the guild of fishermen who supposedly defended the area from invaders during the Middle Ages. It features conical turrets, seven of which are said to represent the original seven Magyar tribes. This is a great place to enjoy sweeping views of the Danube and the Parliament building.

Trinity Square was very crowded by this time. We saw a wedding party taking their photos and as we walked past the stage, enjoyed some Hungarian music and dancers. Dahlia suggested we walk over two streets to the northwest side of the castle district where it was less crowded. The winding cobblestone streets and leafy promenades lead us past baroque houses and a view of the Buda hills. We witnessed an old gentleman stopping to pick weeds while on his walk. We walked past the Carmelite monastery to Sandor Palace. Sandor Palace was the official residence of the Prime Minister until 1944 and now is home to the president of the Republic.

We just missed the changing of the guards, apparently an elaborate changeover.

We walked across the square to the Hapsburg Gate – the entrance to the Royal Palace (Buda Castle). There are many statues and sculptures along and around the palace. We had lunch in Buda Castle at the Royal Guard Café. According to the menu, the mission of the Royal Guard Restaurant and Café is to commemorate, through the food and wine served, the members of the Hungarian Guard who served our rulers. We had Újházi (rooster soup) with homemade csiga noodles, chicken breast filet fried in breadcrumbs with French fries, and Somlói sponge cake. A most delightful lunch in a palace restaurant with a small Hungarian group of musicians playing beautiful music. We left the palace and walked down a long ramp past the Riding School to an elevator and down to the bus stop. We took Public Bus #16 back to the city center and a “short” walk to the hotel. There is a lot of walking, especially in Budapest. The rest of the day was free, enabling each of us to choose how best to utilize the available time.

Sunday 9/21 after a buffet breakfast at the hotel, six of us met at 9:15 in the lobby to go for a guided tour in the Parliament. We boarded the #2 tram to Parliament. The Hungarian Parliament Building, also known as the Parliament of Budapest after its location, is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, a notable landmark of Hungary, and a popular tourist destination in Budapest. Our group arrived a little early and we walked around the large stately building on a beautiful sunny day. A Memorial of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was riddled with bullet holes.

It was time for our tour. Hungary’s most iconic building is currently the world’s third largest parliament building (after the Romanian and Argentinian Parliaments); it has 691 rooms and its cupola reaches 96 meters in height. Our 45-minute tour started with receiving headsets for whatever language you required to understand our guide. When entering the Parliament Building, visitors can walk up great ornamental stairs, flanked by two lions. There are altogether 242 sculptures on the walls. The façade displays statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders, and famous military figures. The coats of arms of kings and dukes are depicted over the windows. The building features stained glass and glass mosaics by Miksa Róth. One of the most famous parts of the building is the hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided) central hall, with huge chambers adjoining it: the Lower House and the Upper House. The modern National Assembly is unicameral and meets in the Lower House. The Holy Crown of Hungary, which is also depicted in Hungary’s coat of arms, has been displayed in the central hall since 2000. This room was the only one where no photographs were allowed and the Holy Crown of Hungary was heavily guarded. With our tour finished and the afternoon free, our group went our separate ways.

Some of us chose to get on Tram #2 and go to The Great Market. This market hall is one of the largest and oldest indoor markets in Budapest and boasts beautiful neo-Gothic architecture. Being Sunday, several of the stores were closed but there were enough open to have a nice shopping experience. We caught Tram #2 back to Vigado Square and walked back to the hotel.

At 6:00 pm, our group met in the lobby bar for an evening cruise on the Danube River. We walked to the boat docks and boarded our cruise ship. We were given headsets to follow along with the tour. The cruise was serene, especially after the glass of white wine. A river cruise in Budapest will let you see the most fascinating sights of the historical city, for which Budapest is often called the Pearl of the Danube or the Paris of East.

Following the cruise, we walked to the Százéves Restaurant for a farewell dinner together with gypsy music, The Százéves étterem (Hundred Years Old Restaurant) is the oldest restaurant in Budapest. It opened in the heart of the city in 1831, at the ground floor of a baroque palace. When the sun goes down, candlelight and traditional Hungarian Gypsy music makes the gastronomic experience even more memorable. We chose from the menu, and our group enjoyed choices from the traditional Chicken Paprikas to Fried Pork Filet to Whole Fried Almond Trout. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their dinner and dessert. The evening was bittersweet, having delighted in two weeks of a fantastic tour and cherished the friendships we made, but knowing that this was now the end. We walked back to the hotel and expressed our gratitude to Andrea and George and said our goodbyes to everyone in the lobby.

Monday 9/22, some of us were up early to fly back to the USA, while others stayed on to continue touring, or left to join relatives in Slovakia. We all promised to keep in touch and to put a few paragraphs together for an article so that others can, in some way, experience the culture of Hungary by reading the WPL Magazine.