Budapest...Vienna and Moscow combined!
By taiwanlife
@taiwanlife (745)
Philippines
June 4, 2012 1:49pm CST
Budapest is a beautiful city. It looked grand. It reminded me of Vienna because of its architecture and the the width of the streets, not so huge as that of Moscow but the River Danube felt like the River Moska. How the parliament building and the main castle felt the same as when I was cruising the Danube River.
Too bad, the night ends so early though or was I at the wrong time? We arrived on a Sunday then Monday was a Christian holiday. On Sunday, we were walking before 10:00 pm looking for bars but they were closing one by one. Finally we came across a simple pub that opens till 11:00 only. We then drank quickly before the closing time. When it closed we then decided to buy alcoholic drinks at a nearby convenience store but to our surprise, we were again late for the deadline. No alcoholic drinks allowed after 11:00. So we headed to the hotel and continued drinking thinking that the next night would be better.
The next day, as it is in a lot of places in Europe, shops are closed. After a fantastic dinner at a traditional Hungarian restaurant on top of a hill with Czardas music and dancing we were itching for a dancing club. After another walk in the city at night, we ended in a cocktail bar instead that had to close at 1:00 am. What? A city of 2 million people closes at night that early? We were frustrated. Is it really like that normally or we just didn't know someone who was into the scene. But my day trips in the city were really great, I must say!:)
1 person likes this
3 responses
@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
5 Jun 12
Budapest reminded me off Vienna too, but just enough to annoy me :-) I don't want something that reminds me off Vienna, I want Vienna ! :-)
I'm a bit biased I supposed :-)
I've been to conferences in Budapest so never tried the nightlife, I know it doesn't close at 1 o'clock in Vienna. But I've never heard about people going from Vienna to Budapest to party, quite a lot of my friends went to Bratislava to party but for Budapest is was more for shopping etc.
@taiwanlife (745)
• Philippines
5 Jun 12
Yeah, Vienna I must say has a lot to offer when it comes to parties at night. With regards to Bratislava, thanks for the info. I didn't know that Budapest was a shopping district. We were there at such a wrong time then, just when all the shops were closed coz it was a Sunday then another Christian holiday the next day.
@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
6 Jun 12
Yes, keeping track of the different holidays can be difficult :-) If you are going to Vienna in May you should always check, there's quite a few different holidays. Very often on a thursday so they can take tuesday off :-)
I studied in Vienna for 5 semesters so I went to a few parties :-) Not the weirdest ones though, you can find a party for every taste there.
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
6 Jun 12
I really enjoyed hearing about your trip. I have been to Budapest in Hungary and Vienna in Austria. Yes, sometimes the architecture or scenery in a destination can remind me of somewhere else that I have previously visited. I would love to visit Moscow but getting a Russian visa is challenging.
@Torunn (8606)
• Norway
6 Jun 12
I thought you could just get one on the border? A friend and I discussed taking the train from Helsinki from St Petersburg, and according to everything we checked getting a visa would be quite easy.
Maybe it's just because they assumed we would buy a lot of things and leave lots of money there :-)
@WakeUpKitty (8691)
• Netherlands
4 Jun 12
I assume in a city like that there are places open longer but personally I never visit them. I like the Buda part most and my place is on the pusta where everybody goes to bed early and is awake early as well. If it was a christian celebration day it might be the reason why everything was closed earlier.
I don't know if it's "normal" that everything is closed in a lot of places in Europe like you state. Europe is big and there is a big difference if it comes to celebration days and shops being closed or not. The Netherlands has one of the less celebration days (no matter if it's religious or national) there are. Also there are enough religious days who are not celebrated on the same date in Europe. In Hungary there are also shops open 24/7 and smaller shops already at 4.30am which you can't say from the shops in the Netherlands pity enough.
@taiwanlife (745)
• Philippines
5 Jun 12
So Netherlands must be a place to party then.:) Not that I just look for parties when I visit a place but at least I get a full blast night to remember especially when I am with friends.
