When we got up on our first morning, we started the day with drip coffee (Starbucks espresso from Costco), Debbe's granola with Kefir yogurt and a banana.
The first place we visited was Margit Sziget (Margaret Island), about a 30-minute walk from the apartment. It is a 1.6 mile long island in the middle of the Danube River in the heart of Budapest. Today it is a popular recreational area with landscaped parks, a musical fountain, rose garden, Japanese garden, several Olympic sized pools, an animal rescue center/zoo, a rubber-backed running track that circles the perimeter of the oval island, and several hotels. We did the 3.5 mile hike around the island
The island has a history steeped in religion. The Knights of St. John settled there in the 12th century. Among the present historical ruins of the islands are the 13th century ruins of a Franciscan church, and a Dominican Church and a convent. The island was dominated by nunneries, churches and cloisters until the 16th century. During the Ottoman wars (Turks invaded Hungary), the monks and nuns fled and the buildings were destroyed. It was declared a public garden in 1908. The Island was named after Saint Margaret (1242–1270) in the 14th century. Margaret was the daughter of Béla IV of Hungary, and she lived in the Dominican convent on the island.
The first place we visited was Margit Sziget (Margaret Island), about a 30-minute walk from the apartment. It is a 1.6 mile long island in the middle of the Danube River in the heart of Budapest. Today it is a popular recreational area with landscaped parks, a musical fountain, rose garden, Japanese garden, several Olympic sized pools, an animal rescue center/zoo, a rubber-backed running track that circles the perimeter of the oval island, and several hotels. We did the 3.5 mile hike around the island
The island has a history steeped in religion. The Knights of St. John settled there in the 12th century. Among the present historical ruins of the islands are the 13th century ruins of a Franciscan church, and a Dominican Church and a convent. The island was dominated by nunneries, churches and cloisters until the 16th century. During the Ottoman wars (Turks invaded Hungary), the monks and nuns fled and the buildings were destroyed. It was declared a public garden in 1908. The Island was named after Saint Margaret (1242–1270) in the 14th century. Margaret was the daughter of Béla IV of Hungary, and she lived in the Dominican convent on the island.
Budapest is experiencing a heat wave this week with temperatures reaching into mid 90s ... and high humidity. So it was with sticky and clammy body and mindset that we set out to have lunch at the Tukory Etterem to have lunch on tables set out on the sidewalk. The typical Hungarian fare here is fairly good and reasonably priced. The waitresses are all business without any bantering about. It was here that we discovered that we really liked Dreher Bok beer, a hearty strong (7.3%) dark beer made by the Dreher Brewery in Hungary.
It was to be that we would visit Saint Stephen's Basilica and the Great Synagogue on the same day. I am a non-practicing Catholic and Debbie is Jewish so we have our discussions about Jesus on the cross and the Jews' esoteric rules and rituals.
The basilica is named after Stephen, the first King of Hungary (975-1038) whose supposed right hand was miraculously preserved and is housed in an ornate glass chest inside the basilica. This is the most important church building in Hungary, one of the most significant tourist attractions and the third highest (equal to the Parliament Building) and largest church in Hungary which is predominantly Catholic..
The two towers have six bells altogether: five on the left side tower and one in the right side tower. This latter one, the Szent István-bell (St. Stephen bell) is the biggest bell in Hungary with its 20,000 pounds and 8.3 feet in diameter. Usually it’s used twice a year, at 5PM on the 20th of August, and at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The basilica was completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction with three architects being involved. It was also used for military purposes during WWII and was heavily damaged during the bombings. The reconstruction did not start until the 1980s and did not finish until recently in 2003. It is one of the top-10 most photographed buildings in the world.
The basilica is named after Stephen, the first King of Hungary (975-1038) whose supposed right hand was miraculously preserved and is housed in an ornate glass chest inside the basilica. This is the most important church building in Hungary, one of the most significant tourist attractions and the third highest (equal to the Parliament Building) and largest church in Hungary which is predominantly Catholic..
The two towers have six bells altogether: five on the left side tower and one in the right side tower. This latter one, the Szent István-bell (St. Stephen bell) is the biggest bell in Hungary with its 20,000 pounds and 8.3 feet in diameter. Usually it’s used twice a year, at 5PM on the 20th of August, and at midnight on New Year’s Eve. The basilica was completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction with three architects being involved. It was also used for military purposes during WWII and was heavily damaged during the bombings. The reconstruction did not start until the 1980s and did not finish until recently in 2003. It is one of the top-10 most photographed buildings in the world.
Jews were banned from the city in the 18th century, so they established a Jewish quarter just outside the old city boundary. Remains of the old Pest city walls run on the opposite side of the road. The Jews built their main synagogue in a residential area. Theodore Herzl, founder of modern Zionism, was born in one of the buildings. The temple was constructed between 1844-59 according to Ludwig Förster’s plans. The second largest synagogue (the largest stands in New York) in the world can take in 3,000 people.
The architecture reminds you of monuments in the Middle-East. Two onion-shaped domes sit on the twin towers at 43 m height. The towers symbolize the two columns of Solomon’s Temple. The spacious interior has rich decorations. A single-span cast iron supports the 12-m wide nave.
The seats on the ground-floor are for men, while the upper gallery has seats for women. Uncharacteristically,, the synagogue has an organ, much like the one used in Christian churches. The temple’s acoustics make it a popular venue for concerts in Budapest.
The Dohány Street synagogue witnessed the tragic events of WW II. The Germans established a ghetto for the Jews in 1944 that served as a gathering place for deportation. Many people found refugee in the synagogue but thousands died during the bleak winter of 1944/45. Their bodies are buried in the courtyard.
In the cobbled Raoul Wallenberg (Swedish diplomat who saved many Jews during WW II) park stands the Holocaust Memorial by Imre Varga. It was erected in 1989 above the mass graves in the honor and memory of Hungarian Jewish martyrs. On each leave of the metal weeping willow tree you can read a name of a martyr. You can also see a piece of brick from the original ghetto wall in the garden. Behind the main building stands the Heroes’ Temple that was built in 1929-31 to commemorate the Jews who died in the First World War.
A restoration of Budapest’s Great Synagogue was finished a couple years ago, funded partly by a foundation set up by Tony Curtis who has Hungarian roots. Most of the restoration money came from the federal government. The adjacent Jewish museum (on the left of the synagogue) has a Holocaust memorial room and displays about the Jewish culture.
The architecture reminds you of monuments in the Middle-East. Two onion-shaped domes sit on the twin towers at 43 m height. The towers symbolize the two columns of Solomon’s Temple. The spacious interior has rich decorations. A single-span cast iron supports the 12-m wide nave.
The seats on the ground-floor are for men, while the upper gallery has seats for women. Uncharacteristically,, the synagogue has an organ, much like the one used in Christian churches. The temple’s acoustics make it a popular venue for concerts in Budapest.
The Dohány Street synagogue witnessed the tragic events of WW II. The Germans established a ghetto for the Jews in 1944 that served as a gathering place for deportation. Many people found refugee in the synagogue but thousands died during the bleak winter of 1944/45. Their bodies are buried in the courtyard.
In the cobbled Raoul Wallenberg (Swedish diplomat who saved many Jews during WW II) park stands the Holocaust Memorial by Imre Varga. It was erected in 1989 above the mass graves in the honor and memory of Hungarian Jewish martyrs. On each leave of the metal weeping willow tree you can read a name of a martyr. You can also see a piece of brick from the original ghetto wall in the garden. Behind the main building stands the Heroes’ Temple that was built in 1929-31 to commemorate the Jews who died in the First World War.
A restoration of Budapest’s Great Synagogue was finished a couple years ago, funded partly by a foundation set up by Tony Curtis who has Hungarian roots. Most of the restoration money came from the federal government. The adjacent Jewish museum (on the left of the synagogue) has a Holocaust memorial room and displays about the Jewish culture.
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