I still can’t believe this weekend was the last time I was leaving Florence for a weekend trip. Sam and I decided to make Budapest & Vienna our last weekend trip. We spent all of Friday and Sunday in Budapest, and took a day trip to Vienna on Saturday!
On Friday, we visited the famous thermal baths in Gellert. Then we had dinner on the Danube River at a restaurant called Spoon – fun fact, Spoon was a boat restaurant with magnificent views of Budapest.
Vienna is only a two hour train ride from Budapest, so we left early Saturday morning to spend the day there. Sam’s grandmother grew up in Vienna, but left a few years after WWII. However, her cousins still live in the villa she grew up in. So, of course, we had to go visit them!! Sam’s great uncle picked us up from the train station, and was the BEST tour guide for the rest of the day. We saw every part of Vienna and even had lunch in the family’s villa. It was such a beautiful day, and it was extremely special because we got to spend time with Sam’s family and learn about her roots.
On Sunday, Sam and I let our very adventurous side out! We started off the day eating brunch at MOST cafe which was absolutely delicious! Then we went on a cave tour in Palvolgyi Cave which is the biggest cave in Budapest, and it’s responsible for 76% of all the thermal baths in the city. After the caves, we went on a private bike tour all throughout the city! We ended our day, and weekend, in a very interesting part of the former Jewish ghettos – The Ruin Bars. After WWII, the Jewish ghettos were unfixable. So instead of knocking down these buildings or just abandoning them, Hungarians turned them into cool, artsy bars!
Where did we sleep all weekend? We stayed in an adorable AirBnB apartment in the heart of Budapest on the Buda side. The apartment was PERFECT! Beautifully furnished with everything we needed. Plus, it had an impeccable view of the Danube River and the Liberty Bridge! If you’re ever going to Budapest, I highly suggest you consider staying here!