Hungary for more

When Cathy Reay wanted a weekend of culture, beauty and history, she headed for the historic city of Budapest

When I arranged a weekend break in Budapest, I did so without any knowledge of the following: cultural history, local delicacies or even, I’m ashamed to admit, the native language.

As we soared towards our destination, I opened my guide to the Hungarian capital only to learn that I should not have changed my money into Euros (they don’t switch until 2010) and that I should definitely have brought my swimsuit to visit one of their many magnificent outdoor baths. Not a great start, then.

With less than ten million inhabitants and landlocked by seven other countries, Hungary is often overlooked by tourists in favour of warmer climates further south. Though the weather is quite British, the unique picturesque landscapes, nightlife buzz and fantastic architecture give it a distinctive history separate from surrounding European destinations.

Our journey to Budapest was relatively painless, although the initial Hungarian “reaction” to us, short-statured girls awkwardly lugging huge suitcases across the city, was unusual. At a metro station on our route, facing the battle up the long staircase to the train platform, a crowd of people started shouting at me and then in turn wrestled for my luggage. I considered my options for self-defence before realising that they were actually trying to help (a very different story to three hours earlier, when angry Londoners cursed me as they stumbled over my case).

Most of the metro stations in Budapest are situated beneath crossroads, and the only access option is steep steps down from the roadside. I didn’t carry much luggage with me for the rest of the weekend.

Situated on the fourth level of a huge, decrepit building with marble floors and heavy wooden doors, our rented studio apartment just outside the Pest part of the city looked like the perfect place for a murder mystery. The coffin-esque lift up to the fourth floor, which illustrated the building’s age in its slow, creaking movements, wasn’t big enough for a wheelchair.

The flat’s facilities were at a perfect low height for me and my companion, Ivy (who used to work for Disability Now). Location-wise, it was streets away from the busy tourist areas of Pest but within walking distance of most places we wanted to visit, with a popular street of restaurants just around the corner.

After settling in, we wandered around to the street behind and ordered our first Hungarian meal.

My choice sounded great, a chicken and vegetable dish, but in fact resembled a Bernard Matthews Kiev and was served with fries.

It soon became obvious that Hungarians tend to stay away from anything that looks like it was dug up from a field or attached to a tree. On our second day, we tried to find a grocer to stock up on the fruit we were missing, but most of what we came across was mouldy and battered. At the other end of the spectrum, there is limited cheap takeaway food, which may well be the saving grace for the obesity of Budapest’s inhabitants. Oh, and make sure you double-check when trying to buy milk in Hungary – more often than not, it’s yoghurt in a carton.

Design highlights of the city are the Royal Palace and National Museum on Castle Hill, which slopes down to the beautiful Danube river. Surrounded by ancient buildings owned by various trusts and embassies, the area is surprisingly quiet and undisturbed. The funicular is a popular ride up and down the hill, but those under five feet frustratingly can’t appreciate the sights, as the viewing windows are impossibly high. It’s definitely not accessible to wheelchair-users.

Beneath Castle Hill is Budapest’s Labyrinth, a maze of cavernous rooms with ancient etchings and mummy-like figures. It’s a tricky lair to enter, owing to huge, uneven and steep steps that lead down below the ground. But if you can get there it’s worth the trip. Very little light illuminates the walk, which makes it a lot scarier than it sounds, and Ivy found herself jumping and screaming a number of times!

To relax afterwards, there’s a lovely little cafe called Ruszwurm Cukrázda, which is a short walk from the labyrinth in the Castle district. Not many places seem to do great cake or coffee in Budapest, which is probably why Ruszwurm is always so crowded; almost everyone has to wait before being seated.

That night we decided to hit the town. After discovering that the “only place to dance” had been demolished earlier in the year, we settled for Trafó Pince Bar Tango, a student haunt. Though we couldn’t reach up to the bar, we eventually managed to order a shot of the traditional Hungarian drink, Zwack Unicum, a treacle-like liqueur that tasted of very strong aniseed-flavoured cough medicine. In other words, consume at your peril!

As the venue filled out, it became apparent that we had stumbled upon a gay night, as a woman approached us and asked what it felt like to be short lesbian tourists in her native city. We didn’t know how to reply in Hungarian, so all we could do was smile and nod.

The Holocaust Museum, located in a former synagogue, was the most accessible tourist attraction we found. For the equivalent of £5, you are taken on a fascinating multimedia exploration of the World War II genocide. Rare videos, interview footage, relics and personal accounts of the period grippingly retell the story. The National Museum, meanwhile, was a huge disappointment. There was no English description of its artefacts and everything was in glass cases, making the layout of the museum very boring. It is also very hard to access (lots of stairs throughout) and so large that it is exhausting to walk through.

Overall, accessibility in Budapest ranks alongside smaller British cities. It isn’t quite up to London’s standards, where at least the overground trains are, for the most part, fully accessible, but newer buildings like the Holocaust Museum and restaurant chains are transforming the way the country approaches those with physical impairments. But it’s the old buildings that really show the history of this thriving metropolis and set the scene for what was and still is a vital European capital. Next time I think I’ll just make sure to read up on some of the most basic Hungarian phrases – hopefully that way I’ll at least be able to order a decent breakfast.

OUR PICKS:

Where to stay:
Kalvin Apartments, on Kalvin tér in the region of Pest, are cheap and clean all year round. You can book via their website: www.kalvinapartments.com

Where to eat:
For delicious cakes and coffee, try Ruszwurm Cukrászda. Take bus 16 from Moszkva tér or the funicular. Open 10am-7pm daily.

Traditional Hungarian dishes are cheap and cheerful at Alföldi Vendéglö. Take the 47 or 49 tram from Kalvin tér. Open 11am-11pm daily.

What to do:
Take the funicular up and down Castle Hill to visit the Palace and National Gallery. Nearest metro station: Sikló. Price: Ft 1,300 return (£4.20).

Go vintage shopping at Iguana. Take tram 4 or 6 from Kalvin tér. Open 10am-7pm, Monday-Friday; 10am-2pm Saturday.

Visit the Holocaust Museum to learn about the role Hungary played in the traumatic events of World War II. Nearest metro station: Astoria. Price: Ft1,500 (£4.80).

Dance and drink the night away at Trafó Pince Bar Tango. Nearest metro: Ferenc Körút/night bus 923. Open 6pm-4am daily. Admission: Ft750 (£2.40).