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Rose1
Citizen
Username: Rose1
Post Number: 28
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 12:23 am: | 
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My husband and I are starting to plan a trip for the second week in October to Europe. I've already been to much of Western Europe, but he hasn't been in that direction yet. Although Amsterdam and Bruges were high on our list, I think we have been swayed towards Prague and Budapest. We only have seven or eight days, but we don't want to be running around non-stop.
To all of you who have been, what were your favorite places? We both travel on our stomachs, and food is terribly important to us. What can you share about your food experiences there? Are there open markets to visit, specific restaurants to recommend? Any hotel ideas? We're looking for something moderate, seeing we don't plan on too much time in the room, but clean and conveniently located nonetheless.
Any insight would be great!
Thanks so much!  |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 588
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 9:07 am: |
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Never been to Prague, but we were to Budapest a few years ago, and we too use our stomachs to pick where we'll vacation next. You definitely need to check out the Central Market Hall (aka Grand Market Hall), which is an enormous indoor market with all of the meats and paprika and specialties you could want downstairs, and lots of embroidery/gifts upstairs. Gundel is the most famous restaurant in the city, but it was fancier than we preferred to go. We ate at Bagolyvár next-door, which is a more homestyle alternative owned by the same man (George Lang, who wrote my favorite hungarian cookbook). Although our favorite meals were just at holes in the walls that we either stumbled upon ourselves or that we heard about from tour guides and locals. The city was MUCH more touristy than i was anticipating, and i was surprised to find the chinese/indian/sandwich places much more prevalent than the authentic hungarian ones. If we had more time, we would've ventured further outside budapest... next time.
I don't know many of the names of the specific places we ate offhand, but if i remember this weekend, i'll check my photo album and see if i can figure a few of them out. I wasn't as good as i wish i was about documenting all of the details of the trip in writing, but i know i took pics. |
LilLB
Citizen
Username: Lillb
Post Number: 1957
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 9:38 am: |
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What a great trip!
I haven't been to Budapest since 1999, so not sure what's changed, but it was a beautiful city. I'm sorry if my memory is fuzzy, but I remember going to the Buda side and saw St. Matias church, which was very pretty - it's up on a hill, which offers a beautiful view of the Pest side. I stayed at The Kempinski Hotel on the Pest side, which was very nice - nothing quaint about it, it's a newer hotel, but it was clean and nice and well located. I took a day trip that went to Szentendre, which is a small town outside of Budapest and then took a boat ride down the Danube back to Budapest. Do NOT swim in the Danube - very polluted. Something about a Romanian oil spill or something like that. Szentendre is a little quaint and a bit touristy, but there's plenty of kitch if you like that - including, I kid you not, the "Marzapan Museum"... If you want to see sculptures of Princess Diana, Michael Jackson, Disney world and the like made out of Marzapan - that's the place for you. I had to keep myself from bursting out laughing - it was hysterical. There's also the Margit Kovács museum, which I wasn't really to my liking, but the town was apparently an artist community of sorts. There are lots of little shops and roads to stroll along. Not a bad 1/2 day to spend. http://www.talkingcities.co.uk/budapest_pages/sights_daytrips.htm
One thing that I didn't do in Budapest, but should have, was to go to one of the spas. They have natural mineral springs there and lots of inexpensive spas. I've heard that is definitely worth doing. I think there are some on Margaret Island, which is in the Danube, between the Buda and Pest sides.
Hungarian wine is also very good - be sure to try it.
I went to Prague in 2004 for a few days. Beautiful city. The place I stayed at was very modest, but very well located. I can't remember the name of it, but it was in Old Town - I would recommend staying in that area, although there are a lot of great areas. Things to see - well, the best thing we did was sign up for a walking tour - it was an all day thing, but we saw so much - Old Town, Jewish Ghetto, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle (the surrounding area is where Franz Kafka was born -- they LOVE Kafka there). There's also the National museum, which we didn't see, but that's probably something good. I don't remember where we ate, but we never got a bad meal. Shopping is VERY VERY cheap there. Subway system is very easy and clean too. There was a jazz club we went to - gosh, I can't remember the name of it now, but that was a fun thing to do one night. If you take the train out of Prague, keep in mind that there are two main train stations - just make sure you go to the right one...
If I remember any more, I'll let you know. Have a great time! |
mjh
Supporter
Username: Mjh
Post Number: 653
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 10:48 am: |
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I can't remember having a single good meal in Prague, but perhaps that is because we were traveling with a 4-year old, and trying to accomodate his culinary preferences. But it's a cosmopolitan city with loads of choices.......I just wasn't overly impressed with Czech food, which seemed to involve a lot of fried meat and boiled cabbage.
But..........it was a GREAT place to visit, and I have very fond memories of simply walking for hours. The castle, the river, the bridge, Old Town, ancient Jewish cemetary, multiple art museums, loads of orchestras, opera, dance, etc. (I have a fond memory of a complete stranger selling tickets to a musical performance who offered to babysit the 4-year old while we enjoyed the music. Uh, no......but thank you!)
We rented an apartment for a week, which was a lovely idea, but it wasn't close enough to Old Town, so I second the recommendation to stay somewhere close.
Have a great time! |
eliz
Supporter
Username: Eliz
Post Number: 1550
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 3:59 pm: |
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I used to spend a lot of time in Prague for work (1992-98) but it was before the big tourist boom - I can't say the food was ever a major draw. It's a spectacularly beautiful city with mostly dreadful food (except for the palacinky and beer!). I would imagine that the huge influx of tourism over the last few years has brought some more continental type cuisine but my experience was very similar to mjh's. For hotels I would check tripadvisor.com for reviews and rates. There is a Mandarin Oriental opening in the Mala Strana at the end of the summer - might be worth a big slurge.
While Budapest has better food I would probably split the trip in favor of Prague. |
Duder
Citizen
Username: El_duderino
Post Number: 1042
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 4:38 pm: |
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What the Czech's lack in their cuisine, they more than make up for with their beer, unparalelled in this world. I've never had a Czech beer here that tasted quite the same as what you get over there. Czech beer is quite simply the best anywhere. They call their beer "liquid bread" (whatever that is in Czech, about the craziest moon language out there) and they drink it for breakfast.
I highly recommend a day trip to Plzen, Czech Republic, about an hour-and-a-half train ride from Prague. Beautiful town, and a trip to CR is hardly complete without a tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery. Not beer related, but try and make it a point to take a day (or overnight) excursion to Cesky Krumlov, a perfectly preserved medieval town with a winding river and a castle on a hill. It's a walk back in time. Look it up. It's so scenic you'd swear it was a digitially enhanced backdrop to a movie. If you're into kind of strange/macabre stuff, the Bone Church in Kutna Hora about 45 mins. outside Prague is worth a trip.
Prague's Old Town and all the attractions are all terrific, but it is very touristy; a day in the countryside gives you a sense of the real Czech Republic.
I happen to love Eastern European cuisine: heavy dumplings with gravy, lots of game meat, and salads with nary a leaf of lettuce to be seen (though cabbage is pervasive). The Czech's do know how to cook whole trout! I also spent a lot of time enjoying the street fair. I still have dreams about the sausages they sell up and down Wencesles Square. Then again, I was pretty drunk.
I'd say you'll have better luck with world-class cuisine in Budapest than in Prague.
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melicious
Citizen
Username: Melicious
Post Number: 518
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 4:47 pm: |
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hotel gellert [budapest] is wonderful!
budapest is my favorite city on the world. |
Amateur Night
Citizen
Username: Deborahg
Post Number: 1885
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 1:35 pm: |
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I am another huge fan of Budapest. Try to stay on the river -- the Hilton in Buda isn't on the river but has some great views. Don't miss the old Jewish Temple or the fantastic art museum -- crammed with excellent 18th and 19th century works by people I've never heard of, a legacy of the Iron Curtain. |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 591
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 4:33 pm: |
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Okay, i just checked a few of my notes.
The hotel we stayed in in Budapest was called the Hotel Victoria (www.victoria.hu). It was on the Buda side, which was nice, because most of our days were spent on the Pest side. It took just a couple of minutes to walk to the chain bridge that connects the two, and we had an enormous window with an unbelieveable view of the Danube and Parlaiment. There's a pic of the rooms on the website. The only downside to staying right on the water is the party boats that go up and down the danube playing music all. night. long. But i wouldn't change a thing. I did a lot of research on www.fodors.com before i booked everything (all thru email), and that's where i got the recommendation.
The place we had lunch the first day was called Bohemtanya. It was a bar with good beer and enormous portions of food. Very low key and exactly what we needed after the train in from Munich the night before. Another place we ate was called Frici Papa Kifozdéje, which reminded me of some of the inexpensive hangouts around NYU where young people just sit at a table and read a book for an hour or two. Except they serve very good, VERY cheap food. (I think the bowl of mushroom goulash i had was $2, max.)
There was also a really fun place that only sold palacsinta (crepes) a few blocks from our hotel. They open super-early too, and i ran there the morning we flew home so we wouldn't be stuck with Mcdonalds again in the airport. Because the employees barely knew any english and i was in a hurry, i had no idea what kind i was even ordering until we sat down to eat them. (Apple in one, cheese and poppy seed in the other.) Such great memories. Have fun! |
Pizzaz
Supporter
Username: Pizzaz
Post Number: 3914
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006 - 10:26 pm: |
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palascinta rolled with apricot or strawberry preserves sprinkled with powdered sugar...
A favorite dessert of mine. |
Rose1
Citizen
Username: Rose1
Post Number: 29
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 12:36 pm: |
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Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions! Reading everything over I am getting even more excited for the trip. I am relieved to hear that some of you even had good food experiences in these places too. :-) I am still reading everything I can on it, and look forward to all the planning. The research is one of my favorite parts about travelling.
I really appreciate all of your help! |
John Beltsos
Citizen
Username: Belts_boy
Post Number: 185
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 2:09 pm: |
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Rose1.
I spent a lot of time in Eastern Europe in the '90 being responsible for Business Development for my company in those markets. All those countries are marvellous: beautiful landscapes, friendly people, great cities, impressive culture, stunningly beautiful women. But what really sucked was the food. I guess the culinary art just fell behind during the communist opression when even the simplest ingredients were not accessible. The cuisine tends to be very heavy often drenched in fat. Generally speaking it is hell for as vegetarian. So if you travel only with your palate then Prague and Budapest may not be the ideal destination. However, if you are a little adventurous, you may be able to taste mushroom dishes and game as it is the season in October. And don't forget to have some goose when you are in Budapest: a local speciality. Very yummy!
Now, if you want to combine good food with parts of the Great Austro-Hungarian empire, then I have an idea: why don't you fly to Vienna, rent a car and visit Vienna, Bratislava (very prett) the Southern parts of Bohemia (don't forget to visit Lednice which is amazing) and conclude your trip in Prague. Vienna in my humble opinion is a Gourmet Eden. Of course you miss quite something by skipping Budapest, but your taste buds may prefer my little idea.
All the other suggestions above are perfect and the Geller is the hotel to stay in in Budapest. Try to go to the Opera in both Budapest and Prague as the buildings are splendid and the quality generally very high. Did you know that Mozarft composed quite a lot in Prague and some of his operas had their premieres there.
Just one more thought or mental preparation: prostitution is widespread and ubiquotus as well as very visible as soon as the sun sets.
Good luck and have a great time! |
mtierney
Citizen
Username: Mtierney
Post Number: 946
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 14, 2006 - 12:08 pm: |
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We visited Eastern Europe about 6 years ago. Don't know if I can pick the best of Vienna, Budapest, Prague or Berlin, so I just leave my comments to Prague.
The Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul dominates the Old City - you won't believe it until you see it! The Charles River Bridge which is lined with many baroque statues is the place to stroll to enjoy the views of Praque Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral.
The Astronomical Clock at the Old Town Hall is the place to be at the times when a skelton tolls a death knell and with the turning of an hour glass upside down, the apostles parade out. When a cock flaps its wings and crows, the hour changes! We had the good fortune to be there as a wedding party arrived in an old horse & carriage after a civil ceremony in Old Town Hall. What a photo op!
We remember Prague well because we almost ended up in the local clink. We had purchased tickets for a tram ride. There is no attempt there to include any English for their tourists. (Outside of tourists shops, of course.)The tickets were printed in tiny Czech, totally unreadable. We trusted the clerk to sell us the proper tickets - mistake because he had little or no English.
While riding, two men boarded the the crowded, rush hour tram, looked about, and (surprise) approached us and the couple we were with to bark at us and request to see our tickets! The fact that we had backpacks, cameras and baseball caps on probably tipped them off!
A nice woman tapped me on the shoulder to whisper in English that they wanted $6 each for having expired times on our tickets, she suggested we not argue. Both spouses were, of course, defending their innocence of any wrongdoing!
We paid up to avoid any further unpleasantness. Back at home, I wrote several letters to the Czech consul in NYC who sent them on to authorities in Prague. We got apologies back from Prague about the PR blunder and the over-zealous "cops" on the tram.
Don't skip Wencesla Square - a museum, many shops, restaurants and sidewalk entertainment along the boulevard.
We enjoyed a concert celebrating the life of Antonin Dvorak at the Historical Music Parlor in the Villa America Dvorak museum.
While we found the food throughout the region to be rather heavy, I do recall an especially good lunch in basement beer hall of the Municipal House - incredible art nouveau decor - worth the trip alone!
Don't miss the subways - very clean - but with the steepest, fastest escaltors we've ever seen!
Enjoy!
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Rose1
Citizen
Username: Rose1
Post Number: 37
Registered: 3-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 19, 2006 - 11:47 pm: |
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Oh, it is so much fun reading all of the detailed experiences! I have heard Vienna is beautiful, but I think we are going to just stick with Prague and Budapest this time. :-) I keep telling myself, "there will always be more trips......" |
taaj
Citizen
Username: Taaj
Post Number: 7
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Friday, July 21, 2006 - 9:10 am: |
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loved both prague & budapest. the coolest hotel i've ever stayed in was in budapest, right on castle hill, IN A MUSEUM. yes, we stayed in a museum. it's so unique & so cool & wasn't pricey. the name of the hotel/museum is called kulturinov. the rooms are fine, nothing fancy, but clean & overall a very neat place to stay & very convenient. - great walking city!
in prague we stayed at vzkaz pro hosta & u tri pstrosu. we loved both of them. u tri was practically sitting on charles bridge & vzkaz was back a bit, but only a couple blocks away from the bridge.
i also would love to suggest krakow, poland. that was a spectacular city. if you were to go there, maybe look into pod roza. that's where we stayed & it was fantastic. |
Buttercup
Citizen
Username: Buttercup
Post Number: 75
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 25, 2006 - 9:59 pm: |
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I just got back from 17 days in Hungary. The indoor market or "Csarnok" in Pest is the #1 place to eat. Food is set up at stalls and you basically eat standing up or, if you’re lucky, sitting at tables they have stationed around the upper level. The number one rule about Hungary: the cheaper the food, the more unfettered the restaurant/cafeteria, the better and more authentic your food is going to be. Don't get caught eating at an expensive or even moderately priced restaurant in the country! You will end up eating food catered to German tastes (continental food, i.e. food you can eat any where in the world) that costs more and tastes ordinary.
Hungarians cook the most delicious food on earth. They make sausages better than the Germans and their traditional meals are simply unmatched. Their desserts are also unreal. After I ate at the Csarnok this past June, I turned to my family and said "Kill me now 'cause it's all down hill from here" and I've been enjoying delicious food all my life.
Where to stay? The Beatrix Panzio. It's relatively cheap, very comfortable, English speaking and it's only a tram ride away from the center of things. In addition, it's located in Buda, the hillier, residential, beautiful section of Budapest.
For dessert and coffee: Gerbaud, located at the end of Vaci Utca, Budapest's main upscale shopping street. Austro-Hungarian Queen Elizabeth used to eat her desserts there. Of course, there's always Gundel for palascinta, like Pizzaz said. My favorite is the warm walnut cream filled palascinta drizzled in chocolate sauce!
For bathing and spa treatments: Gellert. Experience the Hullam (wave) Pool or soak in hot mineral water. But, it is crammed with heavy, hairy, pasty German tourists wearing speedos so watch out!
Side trip: Szent Endre, a beautiful, quaint town 10 miles north of the city. You can get there by boat or public transport.
Tips: Don't get caught on public transport without a valid ticket. Law enforcement targets tourists. In addition, only take City Taxi or you'll end up paying through the nose.
I hope this helps. My mother is Hungarian so I've benefited from her expertise. Enjoy!
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