Although this is a very old city, most of the buildings are only from the late 1800s — completed around 1896, because that was the city’s big 1000-year celebration (The first king was King Steven who started his reign in 896 AD).  The city is well laid-out and easy to navigate.  The subway system is excellent.  The first line was made for the 1896 celebration, and it still operates with the original cars.  Why mess with something that works? Since then, new lines have been added.

One of the stations on the original line:

  
Budapest is divide by the Danube.  We stayed on the Pest side.  It is where most people live, and it’s also where all the action is.  The Buda side is hilly, where the big castle is, and where richer people live.  I could be wrong about them being richer, but these people seemed to live in row houses rather than apartments, and there was car parking.  Most of my picture are of the Pest side. 

 Recreational complex:  
Smaller castle on the Pest side:

         

Check out the way gelato is served at this stand:

   
 

Of course, like all European cities, Budapest is dog-friendly.  Amazingly, you don’t see any poop anywhere.  They use paper bags to pick it up, and there are bags and trash cans everywhere to make it easy.  I’m not sure how clean your hands would be after using the little paper bags. 

   
In our hotel, we found this sign to hang for the cleaners.  So, instead of the usual: DO NOT DISTURB, or PLEASE MAKE UP ROOM, you also get a sign like this:

 

People set up areas so that we never forget the horrors of WWII:  

 

Many of these 1896 buildings are original and need some attention.  Here is a picture of two identical buildings.  The one on the right has been refurbished, but the one on the left is in disrepair.  Sometimes foreigners buy these buildings and then just let them sit, so they are getting worse.  At least repair the windows!  The architecture is ornate.

  

Main market (too crowded for me):

   
Opera house:

 Evening Danube cruise

  
    

National Parliament:   

Buda Castle:

Funicular to the castle complex:   
      

View of Pest from Buda castle:  

This is a fountain in the castle complex.  It is a scene about hunting, but I was so in love with the faithful dogs in each vignette in the fountain:    

This dog was my favourite. Look at how faithful she looks!  Many people rubbed her paw.   

I loved seeing Viszlas and Komondors on the streets of Budapest!  As I said earlier, they love their dogs here.

 This church is located on the Buda side.  The tile roof is unique to this area.  Look at the Raven at the top.  
    

View of the parliament from the Buda side:   

As I said, Buda is the hilly side.  Do you see the statue at the top of this hill?  Well, we climbed all the way up to it!  Exhausting in 90+ degree heat!

   
  

Waterfall at the base of the big hill: 

I really enjoyed my stay in Budapest.  The coffee houses and restaurants were top-notch.  The streets were easy to navigate, the Danube was beautiful, and the people are pretty laid-back. It’s no wonder that the Danube was full of river cruise ships.