Alexander Zhidchenko - Budapest – Bratislava. Hungary and Slovakia. 2 cities in 1 weekend

Ferenc Deak is a famous Hungarian political figure of the XIX century. He is called the founding father of the Austrian-Hungarian agreement of 1867.

Today, its name is one of the central squares of Budapest and the metro station.

It is here that I recommend finding a place to stay. I booked a hostel “Captain Budapest” in advance on the Hostels.com website, which offered at a very good price, only 10 euros per night, bed in a 10-bed room, and breakfast.

The house where my hostel was located, I found right away. This is a large, historic building in classical style at Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 3.

What immediately surprised, so it’s a courtyard-well with balconies-open galleries around the perimeter.

At the same time, the building was under reconstruction. The builders were already downstairs, they were pouring concrete into the arch. And at the top of the renovation has not yet been started – shabby walls, an old elevator – all this reminded of the Hungarian routine of the 1970s.

Behind the bars was the entrance to other rooms, which were also abandoned. Judging by the inscription that was created 50 years ago, it was also a door leading to some kind of baths.

And in general, the sensation of some abandoned hospital from the horror film.

But despite the devastation in the corridor, the hostel was new, renovated and very decent.

At the reception, I met a pretty nice girl with glasses, who agreed to settle me despite the lack of a local currency to pay for my stay, gave me a password from Wi-Fi and explained where the exchange office is located.

Bed in a 10-bed room, designed for both boys and girls – a good option for a budget tourist.

All the beds were clean and there were no things on them, I could choose any one I liked. I prefer to sleep at the top)

Advertising to this hostel is useless. As it is written on google maps that it is closed forever. Yes, and in the services of hotel booking it is no longer there. It is unfortunate that such good and inexpensive hostels are closed. Look at the spacious living room.

Everywhere, the superman is depicted as a symbol of the hostel with the image on the shield of the letter “B”, meaning “Budapest”.

From a small balcony opens a chic view of the avenue Bajcsy-Zsilinszky and all the city bustle that unfolded outside the window.

Armed with a great mood, tourists rush to explore the sights of the Hungarian capital. Fortunately, they are in abundance. It’s so hard to see not just for one Weekend, but even for a whole week, if not in a hurry and in detail.

So, let’s start from the heart of Budapest, its famous district “District V”.

It is worth a little walk along the central street, as before you will open the majestic temple – the Basilica of St. Stephen.

This is the Catholic Cathedral, the largest temple in Hungary. The height of the cathedral from the base to the top of the dome is 96 meters.

The temple was built for half a century, from 1851 to 1905.

Be sure to go inside the cathedral. Near the entrance there is a box for donations. For the entrance, an amount of HUF 500 is indicated, but as a rule, people leave as much as they can. I left just that much.

Inside you will see an ornate decorated with stucco molding and mosaic, marble-covered walls and columns.

In the space of the altar there is a sculpture of Saint Istvan.

Inside you will also be able to see a small exposition devoted to the history of the construction of the cathedral. There is a plan for the layout of the temple, architectural designs and ancient photographs of the cathedral, which was destined to become the pearl and crown of architecture of classical Budapest.

In front of the Cathedral of St. Stephen there is a square with the same name, on which there is a small walking area and many ice cream parlors, restaurants. Further this street leads to the Danube embankment.

This is the place where it is always pleasant to take a walk – in the morning, in the evening, in the afternoon. Here, a girl approached me with a petition for some help. For some reason I realized that I was from Russia and started to speak a few words in Russian.

Another street leading to the Danube embankment is Deak Ferenc Street.