Sneaking up to the Castle

Gimnázium Utca

Of course you may take the foenicular up the incline to the Castle District.  Or you may take the well trod, fairly populated stairway that will lead you to the center of this part of Buda.  Or you could simply exit the HEV at Batthyany Ter and, after grabbing a cappucino or ginger bread latte at The Coyote, meander up the stairway at Gimnázium Utca and enjoy a leisurely hike up the hill and enter The Castle District in a more private manner.  

  As my friend Bill said, "I always feel like I'm getting away with something when I walk up this way."  Taking this route indeed imparts a feeling of sneaking up, trespassing,  treading upon an antiquated path of pilgrimage.  

  The neighborhood through which he stairway cuts is an aged, posh, yet comfortably worn sliver of Buda in which some of the most beautiful and inviting homes reside. The area reminds me of certain sections of San Francisco...I imagine thoughtful people within the homes, sipping small cups of strong Turkish coffee, reading books of poetry or the novels of Krudy Gyula.  It is more likely, however, that the denizens of these houses are watching the drama and hysterics of the televised Hungarian talent show, X-Factor.

The stairway eventually leads out of the neighborhood and into a sort of middle ground, a small meadow area.  The last time I was up there, I ran across yet another lonely, muttering, old philospher, shuffling precious papers, organizing life on his own personal planet.  At first I thought he was a statue, perched randomly along the path, until I came upon his solitude and saw that he actually moved.  He was completely unaware of me as he fussed and fiddled.

  The stealthy Castle stairway eventually leads you into the district behind the unattractive and completely out of place Hilton hotel.  Fortunately, you can avoid looking at it much since the view before you will be Austro-Hungarian era buildings and cobblestone streets, fairly free of traffic. If your destination is the Fisherman's Bastion, for panoramic views of the city, you will stroll past several tile roof churches like St. Mátyás' Cathedral, still wearing a bit of scaffolding due to the years and years of repair the church has undergone.

The Fisherman's bastion marks a sort of center in the Castle District, although it is not the only one.  A majestic statue of St. Stephen commands the small square and an intimate wine bar and restaurant is situated within the bastion itself, offering diners and drinkers a lovely perch from which to view Pest and the river flowing below.  As is common in Budapest, many people are moved to romantic extremes before such views...I caught this couple, entwined in one of the Bastion's recesses, giving in to their passion as the night fell and the moon rose. A fitting conclusion to a sexy walk above the city. x