By: Jean-Paul Courville
I have always been infatuated with visiting countries that were part of the previous Eastern Bloc and communist regimes, why? Well, I came of age in the 1980's and when the Iron Curtain finally fell these countries became diamonds in the rough for travel.
In April of 2016 I embarked on a spontaneous trip to Budapest, Hungary with a road trip to Vienna, Austria. This is how I prefer to travel, not with months of planning prior to or with a detailed itinerary but instead with a start date and return date allowing me to roam. In so many spy novels and movies of my youth Budapest was always a focal point for international intrigue. I made it an effort to "get lost" on a bike, stop in cafes and restaurants and cycle thru and around the town to absorb as much as I could over the next few days.
Budapest, Hungary Budapest, Hungary’s capital, is bisected by the River Danube. Its 19th-century Chain Bridge connects the hilly Buda district with flat Pest, one thing many don't realize. I enjoyed many full days from before sun rise until after sunset by riding a bike and getting to know the city inside and out, eating local cuisine, visiting historical sites, visiting the famous Széchenyi thermal bath, and taking a Danube River boat cruise one evening.
The sunsets above the city are picturesque, I climbed to this point on many evenings and sat quietly for close to an hour observing both sides of the city as it fell to darkness while being illuminated by the brilliant night life.
Don't forget to get on a bike and explore
Vienna, Austria Vienna, Austria’s capital, lies in the country’s east on the Danube River. Its artistic and intellectual legacy was shaped by residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud.
I was fortunate to get a ride from Budapest with a couple (10 years older than me) who were going to Vienna. They told me stories of growing up well into their 20's under communist rule, they didn't have permission to visit any place outside of Hungary until post 1991. These are the types of stories that make me more and more thankful for my upbringing. Leaving Hungary and entering Austria its evident which buildings were built during the monarchy and republic (Hungary) and those when under communist rule (bland and uniform, cheap engineering).
Channeling Ah-nuld at the Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
In Vienna it was pouring rain but it didn't stop me from exploring and experiencing the best Schnitzel and apple strudel after cycling on my bike in the rain.
Bonus: Budapest Hospital in the Rock
The Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum is the name given to a hospital created in the caverns under Buda Castle in Budapest in the 1930s, in preparation for the Second World War.
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