Budapest by Day

Once I realised where the hotel was relative to Buda Castle, I had an idea. (People who know me are now playing the beginning of Beethoven's fifth in their head) 

I start work at 8.30. If I got up early enough, I could do a quick tour of the outside of the castle and come back down in time to start work. 

It also gave me the opportunity to travel in a funicular carriage - an unexpected delight!  

I got the first funicular up to the castle in the morning, which meant I saw sunrise over Buda Castle.  

It was a proper "all-timer" of a memory. 

One thing that got me is I knew who the statue was without looking. Now I'm sure it's because the statue is the same as - or really similar to - the statue in the Heldenplatz, but I didn't need to see the plaque to know that's Prinz Eugen. 

(Having looked this up while writing this post, I've discovered that the first funicular now leaves at 8. I'd like to believe I would have gone up the stairs if there had been no funicular. I would have missed out on something spectacular if I hadn't.) 

I did an hour wander around the outside of the castle. Map of the castle so you can sort of place the next few photos. 

And yes, it was quite foggy. 

The next three photos are from Buda castle facing Pest. 

They move from left to right.

   

View directly across the Kettenbrücke from the castle. You can also see several of the big fancy hotels.

 

Two photos of the Matthias Church.  

I acknowledge the church overall is impressive, but I do love that style of roof excessively. I blame the Stefansdom. 

And finally the Fisherman's Bastion.  

It's such a delightfully different structure to find in the middle of a castle complex. 

As you can see in that last picture, people were starting to appear at the Castle District which was a good sign that I needed to get back down to the hotel to start work on time. Which I did.