Budapest a city to remember vol. 1 - St. Stephen's Basilica

In the interest of keeping these posts to a manageable size, I will be releasing them in volumes in order to help me compose it all in manageable sizes and so you can enjoy them in a more organized manner. I'm not sure how many there will be. I went to a lot of places in Budapest.

I am also an avid budget traveler and made this entire trip for less than $500. If you're interested in a piece on traveling on the cheap, let me know in the comments.

Late last spring I went on a week-long trip to Budapest Hungary. It was an amazing experience and one I will cherish for a long time (At least until I find myself back in that magical city.)

Here you see the Széchenyi Chain Bridge facing east toward the Pest (Pronounced Pesht, locals will appreciate the pronunciation.) side of the swollen Danube river. In the center, just past the bridge tower, is St. Stephen's Basilica, which was for many years the tallest building in Budapest. In fact, there are no buildings taller than it (standing at 96 meters or 315 ft) to this day. However there is a building of the same height (The parliament building, not pictured). The reason for this is that, by law, no building is allowed to be taller than the basilica. Parliament was purposefully built to the same height to symbolize that the government is not above the church and vise versa, essentially stating that they are equals. With that said, this is a breathtaking view that you can see on the free city tour and I definitely recommend you take it.

Here is a closer look at the basilica with some other tourists making Instagram greatness.

This is a shot of the Buda Castle from the panorama inspiring rooftop of the basilica. For a fee of 2 euros you can climb to the top of the basilica and take in the surrounding cityscape. This is well worth the minuscule cost. The basilica is essentially dead center in the city and the views are to die for. Especially if you are into wide sweeping shots as I am. Also, there is an elevator going most the way up for the elderly or those who simply have difficulty with many stairs. Unfortunately, the very top will require some stairs and, thus, is not wheelchair accessible.

Enjoy a few more shots from around the basilica and stick around for volume two. There is much more to this city. And before the end of this photographic journey, Budapest will be on your list of dream vacations.

This is another shot of the basilica as travelers try to navigate the crowded passage.

Shown here is the basilica facade at an extreme angle.

The fat policeman stands on a street corner just down the block from the basilica and apparently he was the Hungarian Casanova. Personally, I don't see the resemblance, but I guess you have to keep an eye on your wife around this guy. He used to sit in local eateries and engage in his two loves, eating and flirting, which he would do by twirling his mustache toward lucky ladies. Nowadays, he is a symbol of luck and travelers pass by and rub his belly for luck in love or rub his mustache for, well, luck in love ;).

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