Prague / Budapest Untour, Spring 1999
by Janet Wentworth, Santa Rosa, CA
We went on a whim. Neither Prague nor Budapest had ever been on our short list of destinations— those sights such as the Pyramids and the Great Wall of China— that we must see before we hang up our walking shoes. They were never even discussed as cities we might find interesting. We just never really thought about them.
Yet the Hapsburg Untour sounded exciting and exotic. My husband was apprehensive; after all, this meant going behind the Iron Curtain (never mind that it had fallen years ago). It brought up images of square, dull buildings; drab people; long lines of locals waiting to buy life's necessities. But we were looking for something a bit out of the ordinary and so we sent in our deposit and never looked back. Even when friends said, "You are going where?" Even when the war in Kosovo made all of our relatives question our sanity. Even when we panicked realizing we knew not a word of either Czech or Hungarian and hours spent with language tapes left us with a vocabulary of three words: "please, thank you, and beer."
Those doubts vanished when Alena, the Untour representative, met us at the airport. She was everything we could hope for— energetic, organized, full of enthusiasm for her city, and English-speaking. We were off to a great start.
Our apartment overlooked the Baroque Vrtbovska Gardens. Each day started with breakfast on the balcony while we listened to the birds and watched the rising sun create shadows around the topiaries. Then it was off for a day of discoveries— and the tearing down of our preconceptions.
At first glance, Prague seems like a fairy-tale city: the Charles Bridge, the ochre-colored houses, the tile roofs gleaming in the afternoon sun, the uncountable spires punctuating the skyline. Unbelievably, despite its witness to centuries of conflict, Prague’s four historic districts remain preserved. With over one thousand years of history kept alive within its stone buildings, Prague offers you the opportunity for your own version of time travel!
Pick your date. Will it be the 9th century? Step back to that first millennium with a visit to Prague Castle. It began in 890 as a small stone chapel and over the centuries has evolved into a complex of buildings, crowned by St.Vitus Cathedral and its famed stained glass windows. With its position high over the city and breathtaking views of the Vltava River, the Castle image has come to represent Prague.
Or, perhaps you would prefer the 14th century. Stand on the Charles Bridge and listen to its tales. The statue-adorned bridge has been the site of trading stalls, tournaments, battles and executions. Today it is home to street vendors, pickpockets and romantics. Stop and feel the terror of the bridge adorned with pikes carrying the heads of Protestants executed in 1621. Can you hear the coaches crossing the bridge?
Today the Charles Bridge is a pedestrian walkway. In earlier times it was a major thoroughfare uniting the two halves of the city, and carried carriages four abreast. We crossed the bridge countless times during our stay in Prague and each time we saw a different aspect of its ever-changing personality. Each season wraps the bridge in its own special mood. Each day, the travel of the sun, the evening illumination, and the rhythm of the crowds shape the experience. But always, the Charles Bridge is memorable.
Are you a music lover? Then you might want to choose 1787. That year the opera Don Giovanni premiered in Prague’s Estates Theater with Mozart conducting the orchestra and playing the piano. Thousands still come to visit this great music hall, which is unchanged since Mozart’s day – you may recognize it in the film Amadeus where it was used for the opera scenes. Today it is still a well-loved venue for classical concerts.
Perhaps architecture is more to your taste. The late 1890’s would be a good choice, due to the flowering of art nouveau architecture,. This stylized, flowing ornamentation became the rage in Europe from 1890 to the start of World War I. Prague tore down block after block of buildings to replace them with buildings in the new fashion. New Town and the Jewish Quarter have the greatest concentration of buildings, including Prague’s most prominent example, the Municipal House. Many rewarding hours can be spent roaming the streets on a treasure hunt of art nouveau sightings. Sometimes it is a whole building, sometimes just a few ornaments; always it is a delight to find.
For a change of pace from the inevitable overload of historical buildings and monuments, you might want to select something more recent. Then don’t miss the National Technical Museum. This is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, meandering through exhibits on machines from the Industrial Revolution to the present, the history of transportation, the development of photography and cinematography, plus a fine collection of astronomical instruments. In the basement, tours are given of a full-size coal mine reconstruction that shows the development of mining from the 15th to the 19th century. The museum has everything from Tycho Brahe’s sextants to Charlie Chaplin’s shoes— how could you not find something of interest?
Prague, while preserving its past, is also working on its future. Signs of rebuilding are everywhere, both underfoot and overhead. Throughout the historic center, the plain concrete sidewalks are being replaced with decorative ones. Each block is treated to a unique pattern created from black and white stone cubes. Stop and watch the workers handcraft their designs— checkerboard, Greek Key, zigzag, scallop, etc.— turning an ordinary sidewalk into a work of art. Overhead, scaffolding and construction cranes compete with church spires in every view. Prague has no intention of being a city locked into its past; it is moving forward as fast as it can.
It seemed we were just getting to know Prague when it was time to leave for Budapest!
Budapest was officially created in 1873 by the joining of the cities Buda, Obuda and Pest. With such an origin, it is no surprise that there is no single center of the city. This makes it a bit harder for the tourist to get to know Budapest. Our arrival found Budapest suffering an unseasonable heat wave. After the intimate charm of Prague, we had to work harder to appreciate Budapest. But it didn’t take long to learn that she had her own surprises.
Internet cafes and McDonald’s franchises are sprouting next to historical buildings as Budapest experiences its new life after communism. Scaffolding, which was put in place under Soviet rule to keep buildings from falling down, is now being put up to support the extensive building renovation programs underway. Signs of the former Soviet control are scarce; most Soviet street names have been renamed and the statues of former leaders had been banished to Szobor Park, well off the beaten tourist path.
Guidebooks list the “top” sights of Budapest including the Parliament Building, cruising on the Danube River, the Hungarian National Museum, City Park, Gellert Hill (including its famed thermal baths), and many more. We visited all of these and more, but no guidebook was able to adequately prepare us for High Mass at Matthias Church.
Matthias Church has been the subject of various remodelings and changes in function over the course of its 750-year history. It was even a mosque for 150 years during the Turkish occupation. Despite this history, Matthias Church retains a wonderful “wholeness.” For this we can thank Frigyes Schulek, who restored the church between 1873 and 1896. During restoration many elements of the original church were discovered and Schulek maintained these elements in the reconstruction. He did add a few touches of his own such as the row of chapels on the north side of the building, the rose window, and the asymmetrical towers. While the interior of the church contains the usual assortment of religious statues and paintings, the walls themselves offer a visual surprise. Covered with geometric and floral motifs of medieval and art nouveau inspiration, the walls mesmerize with their almost Byzantine appearance.
Arriving early for the always-popular service, we were able to pick seats that would provide us with views of the altar, the congregation, and the choir loft – we wouldn’t miss any of the spectacle. Matthias Church has a long tradition of music with its services. Even as far back as the 15th century, the church’s excellent acoustical properties showcased choirs with as many as 70 singers.
We watched as the congregation, choir, and orchestra members carrying their instruments filled the church. Many were devout Catholics and obviously were regular participants. Others, like us, stood out as tourists, there more for the visual and aural experience. Regardless of motivation, they continued to arrive, filling every seat and every corner. Then the orchestra began to play, joined by the voices of the choir, the celebrating priests, and finally the entire congregation. Every molecule of air was pulsing to the wonderful music. As the Mass continued, Matthias Church became alive— no longer just another site on some guidebook list. It was so easy to imagine that day in 1867 when this same church was filled for the coronation of Emperor Franz Josef accompanied by the music of Liszt’s Coronation Mass— music composed for the occasion. And, I understood why, through those 750 years, generations of people persevered in the building and rebuilding of this wonderful church.
Budapest has often been called “the Paris of the East,” and this is an easy comparison to make. With grand boulevards, magnificent Art Nouveau buildings, and stylish coffee shops beckoning, you can feel a kindred spirit with that more famous Capital. However, despite the abundance of things to see, for us, most memorable were the people. Long after the museums have become a blur and we can no longer distinguish one monument from another, we will still have fond memories of the people we met, especially the delightful lady in the Commerce and Catering Museum.
Even its name sounds a bit dreary. Tucked in an alley, we only went in because the thick walls of the museum offered us some relief from the heat of the day. The Catering portion of the museum highlights the hospitality industry in Budapest, especially the confectionery trade. Rooms are set up to present not just exhibits, but also a way of life. We made our way through rooms— a recreation of a hotel suite from the now gone Hotel Royal, a table scene from the Café New York, a room from the famous Gellert Hotel, and a complete recreation of a small confectionery shop. Using the audiotape we rented (in English), we followed the exhibits and envisioned being a visitor to Budapest between 1870 and 1930.
Across the hall is the Commerce Museum. “Is it open?” was our first thought. No one appeared to offer headsets and audiotapes, the lights were off, the exhibits seemed bland and dusty. What a disappointment after our previous day’s visit to the Budapest Historical Museum with its well-placed exhibit cases, artifacts presented on dark velvet and bathed in dramatic lighting. Earlier in the week we had spent hours looking for the Budapest Water Works Museum only to discover it had been torn down after its inclusion in our guidebook. Perhaps the Commerce Museum was heading for the same fate?
We were just about to leave and return to the Budapest heat when a small elderly lady dressed in black appeared. We spoke no Hungarian and she spoke no English, but proud of her museum, she was determined that we should appreciate each exhibit.
The entire museum is devoted to the history of the retail trade in Budapest and is built from the artifacts of a turn-of-the-century dry goods store. Our guide followed us through the museum pantomiming the story behind each display. Some exhibits were easy to translate, such as the shoe polish ads and the department store window displays. Some were not so obvious. She knew which buttons to press to bring the interactive exhibits to life showing us the development of neon lights, moving window displays, and other Hungarian inventions. She grabbed a mop and other tools to demonstrate the cleaning techniques used by the store clerks. We were slow learners, but she persevered. I don’t think I will ever mop a floor again without remembering that lady and her figure-eight technique!
How close we came to missing this adventure— if the day had been cooler, if we had acted on our first impressions. It would have been our loss. We would not have met that lovely lady and she would not have the chance to show us her corner of Budapest.
We reluctantly left Prague and Budapest, but we took home with us so much. Our trip reinforced what we already knew— that travel is enriching and is such an enjoyable way of stripping off a parochial point of view. Yes, it is possible to survive, even thrive, without knowing the language. Other cities can be just as beautiful or as romantic as Paris. (Paris just has a better advertising agent.) Some of the best memories are the surprises we found on your own, most often in unexpected places. Travel highlights are rarely found in any guidebook, instead they are the people met along the way.
Have you ever considered the Hapsburg Untour? If not, perhaps now is the time for you to add the Hapsburg Untour to your short list of travel destinations and stumble on your own surprises and create your own memories of these two wonderful cities.