Embark on an unforgettable trip to Budapest, Hungary where history will come alive as we delve into the fascinating and tumultuous era of the Cold War. This adventure will provide a unique opportunity to understand Hungary's pivotal role in the Cold War while also enjoying the rich cultural tapestry of one of Europe's oldest and most beautiful cities. Some highlights will include visiting the chilling House of Terror Museum, a building that once served as the headquarters for both the Nazi and Communist secret police; learning how the Hungarian secret police tried to blackmail and compromise Western diplomats and their Hungarian contacts during the dark days of Communism; exploring the fallen statues and monuments of communist leaders at Momento Park; visiting a nuclear bomb shelter turned hospital hidden beneath Buda Castle; soaking in the relaxing waters of Budapest’s famous thermal baths; and sampling local delicacies, from hearty stews to sweet pastries.
Day 1
Today was a short day because we arrived from Boston airport to Budapest ,we took a bus in the airport that took us to the hotel ,since I sat on the bus it was a really nice because I started to discover Budapest, at first I was not really impressed by it but the farther we were going the prettiest it was getting, then we bought some snacks for having in the hotel and while we were walking to buy them I saw an amazing pink sunset all over the sky, for last we went to a traditional Hungarian cuisine restaurant and we tried a lot of the food, it was really interesting seeing all of their different combinations and it was really funny because the waitress ask us to ask for our food in Hungarian ,although we have not seen a lot I can see that Budapest will surprise me just by seeing all of the architecture, history and food. -Vale
One of the highlights of day one was going to a local grocery store to buy some snacks. Emma Garden argues that her picture of their snack haul was the picture of the day. Emma said, "I believe it shows us as learners going out and experiencing new things!"
We are all excited to get some sleep and do some more exploring tomorrow.
Day 2
We started our morning off with some delicious traditional Hungarian breakfast in the hotel. Following our meal, we walked over to St Stephen’s Basilica. We walked up to the top of the dome and were able to view Budapest from above, before heading inside the church. The architecture and artwork were overwhelmingly beautiful.
After the Basilica, we took a brief walk to the House of Terror Museum. We got a detailed account of the history of the Nazi and Soviet reign in Budapest, while being able to visually see examples of what life was like at the time.
We were then allowed some free time to pick a lunch of our choice and explore the Budapest center for a little.
After fueling up, we went to the Parliament for a tour of the building. The building was massive and was full of symbolic statues, and artifacts. We learned more about Budapest’s government’s past and how it has been shaped into what it is today.
Before our last stop of the day, we took a seat at a nearby park and had an in depth discussion about all that we had seen today and how it might relate to life today.
We again had some free time to spare, so we stopped at a nearby coffee shop and got a much needed pick-me up to power through the remainder of the day.
Lastly, we took a walk over to a cooking class where we learned how to cook a traditional Hungarian pasta dish with chicken and a delicious sauce. We learned that some of us have a hard time in the kitchen, but the meal still turned out great!
By the time dinner was over, I’m sure you can assume that the majority of the group was absolutely beat. We took the met back to the hotel and are resting up for yet another busy day ahead of us.
Day 3
Starting off the day we met with Ivan, a researcher about the Cold War, and explained us how the Americans and the Soviet’s coexisted in Budapest for a long time, how the secret police from this city was also formed by Americans and not only Hungarians. One of the most memorable moments with Ivan was when he told us the story of Nancy, which fell in love with an Russian soldier while her being American, and because of their different political sides, they had to be separated. Another memorable moment and a key activity was walking to the Hospital in the Rock, which was a really interesting and we saw how soldiered and people who were affected by this was lived the recovering and the medicine, and not only that, we learned how the first atomic bombs were essential to create horror in Budapest. We visited the Matthias Church as well and we walked through that zone, watching the architecture and watching how the church looked after being destroyed and reconstructed several times throughout Budapest history. Finally, we closed up the day by visiting a Jewish monument where it was represented with metallic shoes representing how the Nazis made Jewish people take off their shoes before they were killed because of the value of the shoes; this monument was sentimental and deep. -Jorge
Day 4
On day four of our trip to Budapest, we started the day at the Dohany Street Synagogue. We learned about the before and after effects of the Cold War on Judaism, and how the war had shifted the religion. We then made our way the Central Market where we discovered many souvenirs and traditional Hungarian food. At sunset we crossed the bridge and explored more of the castle district, and walked through the St. Peter’s Basilica. To end our day, we experienced a beautiful dinner cruise. We all enjoyed dinner together, while taking in the views of the city at night. -Claire
Today was super interesting. We went to the 2nd biggest synagogue in the world. It wasn’t just a temple, it was also a holocaust memorial and museum which was really cool. The memorial / museum part was incredibly insightful and makes me want to go to Germany / Austria to see those places because if it’s so powerful here I can only imagine there. The Jewish tour guide was by far the best guide of the trip per group consensus, and the whole place was incredibly nice / organized. It was also the site of the ghettos. We also went inside that church from yesterday, St Mattias. The church was amazing. Pictures don’t really do it justice as the walls were all filled with murals from like 500+ years ago so they are a bit faded but it still incredible. Something else interesting is that Viktor Orban is spending massive federal funding on building up the area on Buda hill which over looks the city. He is putting nice old looking government buildings. People think it’s good but also think it’s interesting symbolism to have the govt buildings look down on the city. All in all, today was a good day. -Harry Rubin
Day 5
For our last day of the trip, we started our morning with a hearty breakfast. By 9:30, we hit the ground running with our tour guide, Greg. He told us all about Hungarys 1900s history, including its involvement in World War One and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its involvement in World War Two with the Nazis. When we arrived at Monument Park, we looked at statutes and monuments of the countries Communist past. We saw statues that glorified murderers, or just random Soviet citizens used for the countries popularity gain. The main statue was the boots of Josef Stalin, with is all that’s left of the statue from the 1950s. After this, we went out to lunch, where I got a fried pork schnitzel and a hot chocolate. After, we went to the hot springs, which are underwater reservations of water that have regulated temperatures. Lastly, we had dinner outside a very nice restaurant. Overall, the Hungarian experience was unforgettable, and I wouldn’t trade this trip for the world. Thank you, Project Week! -Matteo Belmonte
Today was a light day in comparison to what the first few days in Budapest was like with work. In the morning we went to Memento park just outside of the city. This park shows all of the statues or pieces of art displayed in Budapest while it was under communist rule. We learned from a local expert about how these statues and other works were used to help make the people of Hungary submit to communist rule. After Memento park we went to a cafe in Pest that overlooks a scenic building and lake. After the cafe we went to the thermal baths in Budapest to give our body’s a much needed relaxing time in the naturally heated water. After days of walking many miles every day it was a nice and relaxing treat to end our time in Budapest. After that we went to dinner out on the street and relaxed, eating good food, and enjoying our last dinner at a scenic restaurant on a beautiful street. To end the night we went on a Ferris wheel and got a beautiful view of the city for the last time before we leave. Overall i know that we all while miss this city and its people as today was amazing and will only make tomorrow a harder pill to swallow. -Kyle Farrell
Today, we started by receiving a guided tour of Memorial Park, which helped illuminate the complex relationship that Hungary shares with its Soviet Past. I asked our guide, Greg, about the Soviet’s encouragement of women in the labor force. His knowledge about generational opinion towards communism taught me that there are still favorable opinions of the communist regime to this day. The Baths also made a major impression on me, and it was a window into European culture. The sauna (and aroma therapy sauna), steam bath, and many pools were very enjoyable. The natural minerals in the thermal baths also relieved much of the lower-body pain we had from walking around and left our skin smooth. Dinner was also fantastic, and we sat outside, enjoying each other’s company. Overall, this day balanced education with cultural immersion, making for a fantastic final day in Budapest. -Beau Jarvis
Credits:
Created with an image by pszabo - "Colorful view of Parliament and Chain Bridge in Budapest city, Splendid spring cityscape of Budapest, Hungary in Europe"