There are a lot of things to see and to do in Budapest, no arguments needed. But with the long-term project it is important to remember that eventually you will have to leave. Otherwise, you’ll always think that you have a lot of time in front of you, and never actually do what you wanted. I’ll be honest with you, it has never been a plan to travel around Hungary, but if an opportunity presented itself, then why not?
As much as I love Budapest, I love seeing new places too. And thus, with a little bit of planning, and after making a stop in the middle, we proceeded.
A very nice train ride from Budapest-Dély led us to Szombathely. It was our first stop in the western part. Szombathely, a.k.a Savaria city, is the oldest town in Hungary with its history, starting in AD as a city of the Roman Empire. And you definitely cannot forget about it, as you will encounter all kinds of the Roman legacy scattered around the town.
One of the biggest reminders of it is the ISEUM, the museum and centre of archeology in this locality. For all my geeks of Roman history: the Amber road was going through Szombathely, and you can see what’s been found by archeologists in the museum! Well, museums are good. But when you see a remnant of a Doric-style column in the middle of a roundabout, with a Synagogue on a background… that’s when the idea finally settles in your head.
If you follow the route of the Amber road, you’ll end up in Sopron, which was our next stop. I strongly believe that Sopron has the potential to become not only “the dental capital of the world” (apparently), but a very nice town to just visit and be a little lost there. But I might be biased, since this is my favourite location of the trip. It’s something about this weird blend of everything that is so attractive here.
As I have mentioned, in the beginning, it was a Roman city, so you can find their legacy. You’ll find Roman walls, fortified and developed in the Middle Ages. Within the walls, you’ll find a web of roads, that cross and wind with each other creating a beautiful state of chaos. And then, we cannot forget that Sopron is famous for the festivals it hosts. Thus giving it another name: “Sopron, the city of stars”. VOLT chairs with unique designs are dedicated to the musicians who have participated in the festivals. Each chair has a plaque with signatures. It can be a nice quest to find the chair of your favourite band in Sopron! I have found mine absolutely by chance.
Another interesting point is the Taródi Castle. Yet another 20th century castle whose creator István Taródi was working on his creation alone. This time the castle looks like what a castle from the Middle Ages would look like. Less fairy tale, more fortification! Unfortunately, the big part of the castle is closed, since it is in a quite poor condition. I hope in the future with some renovations it will be a bigger point of interest!
Our next (and the last) stop in the journey to the West was Győr. Easily reachable by train from Budapest and Szombathely, this is a city in the north-west corner of Hungary. The grand City Hall will greet you as soon as you arrive. This building has got so many details, that you will find yourself spending way more time than you would expect to spend around a city hall. And multiple fountains give the feeling of being alive during a hot day.
I will remember Győr as a city of many signs. In the centre of the city, wherever you decide to go from the Szecsenyi square, most stores have got not only labels with the name, but a sign with a symbol indicating what they are actually doing there. I think I was stopping near each and every one to just fan-girling about it. My most amazing and patient company must surely have some kind of trauma after this experience. I love you dearly, and I am very sorry if it is indeed true.
The trip was totally unplanned, the trip was totally amazing.
I love exploring so many places in one country, it gives layers and dimensions to what might seem like a plain picture. It might take some time to find a gem, a place where you’ll be in love. But it’ll happen unexpectedly, and I’m sure this’ll happen. Places love stealing hearts and dreams, after all!
Adventures of a random volunteer 