VISEGRÁD

A friend of mine suggested that we take the train and go on a day trip to the North of Hungary, to the royal town of Visegrád. I've already been there once before, but since she hadn't been there, I agreed to join along. We left from Nyugati on a morning train which took us to Nagymaros, about 25km from Budapest. From there, you can take a ferry over to Visegrád and begin your walk or hike through the centre, or up to the castle. Definitely make sure you are wearing the proper shoes though, as I was caught doing this hike in my sandals. It just so happened that we made it for the celebration of the Royal Palace Festival which only occurs once a year, on the second weekend in July. People were dressed in Medieval costumes, dancing in the streets, playing instruments, selling food and drinks and an assortment of other memorabilia.

There is also some Polish history intertwined into the 'international fame' of this town because in the 14th century, the Polish king, Casimir III the Great (one of the greatest Polish monarchs) and Hungarian king, Charles I, secured peace and alliance between the Bohemian kingdoms. King Matthias built the Gothic palace in the 14th century and this was the first time that the Renaissance style had appeared in Europe, outside of Italy. The palace fell into ruins after the Turkish occupation and was completely covered in the 18th century by soil. It wasn't until the 20th century that it was dug up again and restorations began and continue on. 

dress OUTLET

bag FURLA

The views are absolutely stunning and if you are planning on a longer stay, Hotel Silvanus is an option with an amazing view of the Danube river. With a pool overlooking the town, waking up and having a coffee and breakfast with such a view would make you feel like royalty.